GEOL 100: Physical Geology (Spring 2006)

Humans are intimately connected with the physical environment, even though we have only been present for a fraction of the vast history of the Earth.  We strive to understand how the Earth has evolved since its formation over 4 billion years ago and what types of processes have fostered these changes.  Our knowledge of the Earth is critical, not only for piecing together its history, but also to aid in the understanding of issues relevant to our present-day lives, such as: availability of natural resources, pollution, climate change, and natural hazards. 

During this course, we will perform a general survey of the physical Earth.  We will examine the minerals and rocks of which the solid Earth is composed, the processes that generate Earth's landforms, natural hazards associated with geologic processes, geologic time, and surface processes (e.g., glaciers, streams, groundwater).