GEOS 401
Stratigraphy
Last Offered Fall 2008
Division III
This course is not offered in the current catalog

Study of the composition, sequence, and correlation of layered sedimentary rocks is traditionally applied to geologic mapping and the reconstruction of ancient environments. Through the use of various time scales, stratigraphy is the unifier of historical geology while also at the heart of conceptual debates over the uniformism or episodicity of geological processes. During the first half of the course, emphasis will be placed on the various methods of correlation based on physical means and the use of fossils. The second half of the course will focus on plate migrations and the relationships between climate and depositional environments as a model for the broad scale interpretation of sedimentary sequences. This part of the course will be conducted as a seminar, with students responsible for topics on the paleogeographic linkage of climate-sensitive facies and natural resources. As a final project, students working individually or in pairs will present a detailed analysis of North-American stratigraphic relationships during a specific interval of Cambrian to Cretaceous time. In sequence, these class reports will provide highlights of the geologic history of the North-American continent through Paleozoic and Mesozoic time.
After an initial group meeting, students will meet in pairs for one hour each week with the instructor. Each student will orally present a written paper every other week for criticism during the tutorial session.