Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

1
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

• Structure of this course
• 19 lectures, 6 problem sets, field trip, 2
  labs, 1 quiz, 1 final exam
• Each lecture is essentially an independent
  survey of a distinct field of geology or
  geochemistry, each of which can be studied in
  detail for a whole course
• The class begins with geology and ends with
  geochemistry, more or less.
• The course website is http//www.asimow.com/Ge101
  . It contains
• syllabus (lecture, lab, problem set, reading,
  exam schedule)
• all lectures in powerpoint format and an index
  to the resulting notes
• problem sets, link to online geochemistry text,
  etc.
• Two textbooks, one for geology and one for
  geochemistry. Please read if you find it useful!

2
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

• Structure of this course
• The labs are intended to give hands-on experience
  with the real tools that real geologists and
  geochemists use every day. We have tried to
  eliminate the old-fashioned teaching exercises
  that nobody really uses anymore!
• In the mineral identification lab you will use
  the research-grade modern analytical tools
  available in the GPS Division
• In the GIS lab, you will experience the advent
  of digital geology
• The problem sets are meant to be interesting and
  creative, to look at real problems, and to show
  how mathematics and computers are essential tools
  of modern Earth science. It is important to
  budget the appropriate amount of time (neither
  more nor less) to the problem sets!

3
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

• Goal of this course to teach the essential
  foundations of Geology and Geochemistry that any
  Earth or Planetary scientist needs in order to
• Place their own work in context (and, thereby,
  pass their oral exam)
• Understand where any Division Seminar speaker is
  coming from
• Know the vocabulary of geological discourse (in
  English)

4
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

• What is the difference between Geology
  Geochemistry?
• Geology is direct observation and interpretation
  of field relations to understand the history and
  present state (e.g. hazards and resources) of the
  solid Earth and its regions
• It includes structural geology, geomorphology,
  stratigraphy, paleontology, petrology,
  mineralogy, volcanology, etc.
• Geochemistry is the application of principles of
  chemistry to understanding the Earth (solid,
  ocean, and atmosphere)
• Fundamental principles such as radioactive decay,
  conservation of elemental and isotopic mass,
  thermodynamics and kinetics bring rigor and
  certainty to geological interpretation
• Likewise, geophysics and geobiology bring the
  reductionist rigor of physics and biology to the
  interpretation of geological observation and
  inference
• The other sciences are needed to limit the
  speculation of geologists to the realm of the
  plausible, but geology is the central anchor of
  all Earth science it provides the problems to be
  solved, the framework for connecting various
  problems, and the record of actual (as opposed to
  possible) events.

5
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
We will cover a handful of big topics...
Origin, Composition, and Age of the Earth
Dynamics of the lithosphere (plate tectonics,
magmatism, metamorphism)
Observation of rocks minerals, structure,
morphology
Differentiation of the Earth (core, mantle,
crust, continents)
Chemistry of the oceans and atmosphere
History of the Earth, of life, and of climate
Geochemical approaches to the Earths deep
interior
6
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

• Logic of the lecture sequence
• Lectures 1-9 are Geology
• The basic principles are the understanding of
  geologic time and the unifying framework of plate
  tectonics
• The use of observable, active processes and
  environments to interpret records of ancient
  processes and environments
• The classification of plate boundaries and
  interiors to organize knowledge by making each
  specific region an example of a more general
  class
• Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, surficial,
  structural, morphological, and stratigraphic
  approaches all use these two organizing
  principles
• Lecture 4 is a small exception it uses chemical
  thermodynamics to explain the melting of rocks
  and the nature of minerals

7
Ge 101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

• Logic of the lecture sequence
• Lectures 10-19 are Geochemistry
• The tools of nuclear, electronic, and physical
  chemistry are explained at a sufficient level to
• understand the origin and abundances of atoms,
  the bulk composition of the Earth and its major
  reservoirs, and the interrelationship between
  composition, origin, and evolution of these
  reservoirs
• How geochemistry puts real numbers on geologic
  times, fingerprints sources of material involved
  in geological processes, reveals the history of
  climate and the circulations of the atmosphere
  and ocean, and constrains theories of the Earths
  deep interior