Fall  2007

GEOLOGY 1047

People and Volcanoes

Tu-Th, 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM, HH 216

 

 

 

Week      Date                      Lecture Topics                                                                     Reading                                 Other     

I              Sept.4-7                 Introduction                                                                         -------                      

                                                Geologic Time, Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes             1-22                                        Choose Volcano

 

II             Sept. 10-14           Geological Time, Plate Tectonics, and Volcanoes        22-46                                     Vol. Assigned

                                     Library and Researching Volcanoes                       Rm 115 Lib                    Volcano Poems

 

III           Sept. 18-22           People and Volcanoes                                                        Your Volcano                       Writing I                                                               

No Class on Thursday                                                       

 

IV           Sept. 24-28           People and Volcanoes

                                                Lab on lava flows                                                                                                               Poems Due           

 

V             Oct. 1-5                  Field Trip Preview-Volcanoes and                                                                                                                                                                   

Minnesota’s North Shore                                                   Field Trip, SATURDAY 6th

 

VI           Oct. 8-12               People and Volcanoes                                                                                                        Outline Due

                                                Lab-pyroclastic Rocks

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

VII          Oct. 15-19             Volcanic Types, Work on Presentation                                                                           Field Trip Report

                                                                                                                               

VIII        Oct. 22-26             First Presentations                                                                                                               Writing I Due

                                               

IX           Oct. 29-Nov. 2      Volcanic Types, and Hazards, Hazards Project                                                            Hazards Web 

                                                Sign up for Review                                                                                                              Exercise      

                                                               

X             Nov. 5-9                Volcanic Hazards, Work on Exercise                                                             

 

XI           Nov. 12-16            Volcanic Hot Springs                                                                                                          Volcanic Hazards 

                                                                                                                                                                                                Due

                 

XII          Nov. 19-23            Mineral Resources and Volcanoes                                                                                   Outline Due

                                                No Class            

 

XIII        Nov.26-30             Mineral Lab

                                                Presentations                                                                                                                        Writing II Due     

                               

XIV        Dec. 3-7               Presentations

 

XVI        Dec. 10-14           Presentations                                                        

 

 

Text:  Volcanoes in Human History by J. Zeilinga de Boer and D. Sanders

Instructor: Ron Morton, HH 215,726-7218, rmorton@d.umn.edu

Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 Tues, 2:00-3:00 Wednesday, or by appointment

 

 

 

 

Grading:

Poems              5%

Writing I          12%

Writing II         18%

Lab I                5%

Lab II               5%

Field Trip         8%

Hazards           7%

Presentation I    15% (includes outline)

Presentation II   25% (includes outline)

 

Also this is a seminar class- you are expected to attend.  If you are going to be absent please let me know. 

Too many unexcused absences (ie more than 2) will result in a lower grade!

 

Course Description:

From 3.7 million year old footprints in volcanic ash through world changing eruptions like Tambora and Santorini to robots investigating Mars, this course explores the fascinating and dangerous relationship of humans and human civilizations with volcanoes.

 

Liberal Education Goals and Objectives:

The class will expose students to basic geological (plate tectonics, geological time) and volcanological (kinds of volcanoes, how they erupt, products of eruptions) concepts and the larger scientific principles of observation and interpretation. Students will see how these concepts impact humans and human civilizations. The class is also an example of how science can be integrated with history, mythology, sociology and art.

 

Disability:  Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this course, are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the quarter.  Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation.