GEOS 401
Global Tectonics and the Rise of Mountains Fall 2015
Division III
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

Fifty years after the sea-floor spreading hypothesis was first verified using magnetic anomalies, we have spectacular data sets from paleomagnetism, seismology, volcanism, the Global Positioning System, and digital elevation models that provide rich details into the kinematics and mechanisms of present and past plate motions. After an introduction to the theory of plate tectonics, local field trips will illustrate how field observations can be used to reconstruct tectonic environments in ancient mountain belts. We will learn how to use available CPS data to determine relative plate motions and how to portray them on Google Earth. Digital elevation models integrated with geologic maps and cross-sections will be used to construct 3D models. We will also explore ways in which tectonics, climate, and erosion affect each other during the evolution of mountain ranges. Class meetings will include lectures and discussions of assigned reading. Labs will include field trips and computer-based projects.
The Class: Format: lecture/discussion, three hours per week; laboratory, three hours per week; six field trips including one all-day trip
Grading: no pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: participation during seminar discussions; six 2-page written summaries of journal articles; and weekly lab reports based on field trips and laboratory projects
Extra Info: may not be taken on a pass/fail basis; not available for the fifth course option
Prerequisites: two 200-level GEOS courses or permission of instructor
Enrollment Preferences: senior Geosciences majors
Distributions: Division III

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