Geology 365

Introduction

Structural geology involves the study rock deformation at scales ranging from the collision of continents all the way down to the movement of individual atoms within crystals. The organization of this course is designed to give you a tour of deformation within the Earth. We'll start near the surface, where brittle deformation (like faults and fractures) is common. Then, we will work our way deeper into the Earth and study how the character of deformation moves from brittle toward more ductile processes (like folding and shear zones). Along the way, we'll discuss different ways that structural geologists conceptualize these processes, with concepts called stress and strain. Last, we'll conclude by introducing ideas that allow geologists to link these different conceptual models for deformation.

Learning goals

Much of your success in this course will be measured on your ability to think like a scientist rather than your ability to recall facts (although a moderate amount of recollection of structures and terms is necessary, too). Upon your successful completion of this course, you will have learned a great deal.

• You will be able to separate observation from interpretation, and understand and articulate why this distinction is important.
• You will have a firm grasp of the strengths and limitations of the fundamental principles of structural geology, including strain, stress, and rheology.
• You will be able correlate regional structural patterns with the tectonic environments in which they form, with a particularly detailed understanding of the San Andreas fault system.
• You will understand how large-scale deformation is manifested at a range of smaller scales and, understand how to (carefully) make structural predictions at one scale based on observations at another scale.
• You will develop your critical thinking skills, your ability speak effectively in the vernacular, and your three-dimensional thinking skills. These skills will beneficial to you in the future regardless of your vocation.

Text

Fossen, H., 2010, Structural Geology: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 463 pp. Either version of the textbook will be fine.

Technology guidelines

• Note taking: Please take notes on paper rather than on a laptop - I make a lot of drawings on the board. Talk to me in person if you really want to use a device. No photographs of the board are allowed unless you ask permission.
• Calculators: It would be better if you used a real calculator rather than your phone (because phones are not going to be allowed, see below). Exceptions may be made for in-class work, but be sure to have an app with trig functions.
• Phones: We're going to try an experiment this term: No phones. At all. Ever. (Meaning I never want to see one out.) The labs can be quite challenging and I want you to be able to focus extended periods of time. You can use a computer if you need a calculator during lab.
• Note: No photographs of the board.

Academic Integrity

Standard rules of academic integrity apply to all assignments. Namely, your work should be your own. If you solve problems with other students, please list their names and explain the nature of your collaboration. Please review the College webpage about plagiarism. No ChatGPT or other generative AI will be necessary for this class. So don't use them, please.

Grading

This is the breakdown for grading.

• 30% - Exam
• 10% - Field trip
• 10% - Homework
• 10% - Laboratory exercises
• 30-35% - SAF Project
• 5-10% - Participation

Exam

There will be one mid-term for this class as a take-home, probably around Week 8.

Homework

There will be a weekly homework exercise involving a sketch and your observations and interpretations of a geologic structure. Take the time to make a careful sketch and think about what it might be showing you - these will hone your structural geology detective skills. (However, don't go overboard on the sketch - this is not an art class.) I may also occasionally assign short homework exercises based on the reading or course material. These are not designed to be stressful exercises, but just to ensure that you keep up with the work and have ample opportunities to practice using important concepts.

Labs

Labs are a great ways for you to practice and understand ideas and concepts discussed in class. Sometimes you will self-grade portions of a lab. I recommend you grade yourself with diligence, making sure to fix mistakes before moving on to other sections of lab. (Not doing so will only hinder your learning and possibly your performance on other graded activities.) Please be neat and turn in work on time.

San Andreas fault project

We will be focusing on understanding the evolution and deformation associated with the San Andreas fault system in California throughout this course. This project is an ideal way for you to apply all your new structural geology knowledge to understanding many aspects of a particular geologic problem. This project has three components:

• Discussions: Throughout the term, there will be three in-class discussions of primary literature related to the San Andreas fault system. For each discussion, you will be expected to read one paper. There will be an associated written assignment related to each discussion.
• Oral presentation: Each student will be required to present one paper from a list of papers that I'll supply. These should be 12-minute long, GSA-style powerpoint presentations.
• Video presentation: You will give another talk linking ideas from different papers that were presented during the term. This talk will be recorded and submitted.

Class participation

Class participation (and obviously attendance) is expected for all class and lab meetings. If you are too ill to attend class, please send me an email prior to class (if possible). Group work is common in class. Be prepared to work with different people--this is a life skill.

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8 January 2024