EEES 1010-004, Spring 2007,  Dr. James Martin-Hayden

•     Exploring Our Wonderful World

–   Learning the materials that comprise our planet

–   Investigating the processes that transform these earth materials and our environment

–   Discovering how to read the earth and the history stored in the rocks

•     A. Dr. Jamie Martin-Hayden

www.EEEScience.UToledo.edu/Faculty/Hayden/Default.htm

•      Hydrogeologist studying groundwater resources and contamination (Environmental Geology)

•      Special interest in the geology and hydrogeology of the Oak Openings Region

I. Introduction

•  Text: Essentials of Geology

•  •     Course Website

–  Syllabus

–  Homework Posting

–  Other important Web Links such as

•    Why Study Geology?
   Because geology is all around us.

–   1. Geological Resources

–   2. “The Environment”

–  3. Geological Hazards

–   4. Astrogeology

–   5. Engineering

–   6. Landforms and Surface Processes

–   7. Artistic Inspiration

–   The Cradle of Civilization sprung from geology of the region

•   Tigris River, Iraq

•     Why Study Geology?

–  The Cradle of Civilization (Fertile Crescent)

–  Development limited by availability, e.g., soil, water, energy

–  Conflicts based on resources, e.g., water, minerals, oil…

•  Misuse of Resources 

•    These Maps illustrate the Fertile Crescent in 1973 (top) and 2000 (bottom). Permanent marshlands, pictured in green, have shrunk 90 percent in that period. Illustration courtesy United Nations Environment Program  

•     Misuse of Geologic Resources Desiccation of the Aral Sea, Kazakhstan 

•     Overuse of Geologic Resources

–   1.7 billion are joining the consumer class and the environment won’t sustain this standard of living (Worldwatch Institute)

–   Emissions of Greenhouse gasses is accelerating global warming

–   Climate change is accelerating melting of glaciers and driving mass extinctions      (The Centre of Biodiversity and Conservation, Leeds University, UK)

•     Geology in the News

–   Two die in 6.5 magnitude Earthquake near San Lois Obispo California

–   Earthquake triggers mudslides

•     Assessing Risk

•     Earthquake
    Bam, Iran

–   A Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake hits a stone- and mud-house city of 100,000 in Iran 12-26-03

–   30,000 Dead

–   30,000 Refugees

–   US sends aid and releases sanctions

–   Relations improved

•     3. Geological Hazards

-Volcanoes

-Landslides

-Earthquakes

-Floods

•     4. Astrogeology

–   Geologists Study Mars

–   Canyons indicate a geologically active planet

–   Rock layers, Gullies, and Sand Dunes; all geological landforms

–   The largest chasm and volcano in the solar system

•     5. Geology in Engineering

•     6. Landforms and Surface Processes

–   Glaciers

–   Mass Wasting

–   Streams

–   Shorelines

–   Deserts

–   Ground Water

•     7. Geology in Art

•     Sub Disciplines
Areas of Study Which Rely on Geology

–   Environmental Geology (see boxes)

•   Environmental Sciences: how we influence the earth

•   Geologic Hazards: how geology influences us (chapter 4, 9, 10, and 16)

–   Engineering Geology

•   Geologic Materials

•   Foundations

•   Geotechnical engineering

•     Sub Disciplines (cont.)

–   Geological Resources (chapter 21)

•   Locating and characterizing amounts and quality

•   Extracting geologic resources

•   environmental effects

–   Historical Geology (chapters 8 and 20)

•   Deciphering Earth History and

•   Evolution of life

–   Astrogeology (See Boxes)

•   Using our understanding of the earth to study other planets

•     Objectives of Chapter 1

–   Introduce the broad field of Geology

•   Importance of understanding our planet

•   Sub disciplines of geology

•   How you might use geology (Box 1.3)

–   Origin and Structure of the Earth

•   Formation of the solar system (Box 1.5)

•   Differentiation of the proto earth

•   Zones of the Earth (Fig 1.7)

•     Objectives of Chapter 1

–   Earth processes and Plate tectonics

•   Crustal plates and boundaries (pg. 14-16)

•   Convection driving plate motion (Fig. 1.6)

•   Geologic phenomena and landforms at plate boundaries

•   Plate tectonics and the scientific method (box1.4)

•   Internal Processes vs. Surface Processes (pg. 12, 16, 19)

–   Introduction to the Geologic Time Scale

•   Sequence of evolution events and

•   general time spans

•     World Physiography/Basic Geography

–   Brushing up on basic geography will help you learn Plate Tectonics

•    -Continents (6), -Oceans (4), -Seas (Mediterranean and Red),

•   -Major Mountain Belts (N.A. Cordillera, Andes, Himalayas), 

•   -Major Island Arcs Philippines, Aleutian, New Zealand, Japan

–   New places to learn:  -Mid Ocean Ridges, -Oceanic Trenches 

•     Formation of Earth

–     Birth of the Solar System

–     Nebular Theory

•  Nebula compresses

•   Flattening of spinning nebula and collapse into center to form sun

•   Condensation to form planets, planetesimal, moons and asteroids during planetary accretion around 4½ billion years ago

•   (Meteorites are iron-rich and rocky fragments left over from planetary accretion)

•    Formation of the Planets

–   The mass of the center of the solar system began nuclear fusion to form the sun

–   The inner planets were hotter and gas was driven away leaving the "Terrestrial Planets"

–   The outer planets were cooler and more massive so they collected and retained the gasses hence the “Gas Giants”

•  Differentiation of the Planets

–   The relatively uniform iron-rich proto planets began to separate into zones of different composition: 4.6bya

–    Heat from impacts, pressure and radioactive elements cause iron (and other heavier elements) to melt and sink to the center of the terrestrial planets

•     Further Differentiation of Earth

–   Lighter elements such as Oxygen, Silicon, and Aluminum rose to form a crust

–   The crust, which was originally thin and basaltic (iron rich silicate), further differentiated to form continental crust which was thicker, iron poor and lighter

•     Crust and Mantle
Lithosphere and Asthenosphere

–   The uppermost mantle and crust are rigid solid rock (Lithosphere)

–   The rest of the mantle is soft but solid (Asthenosphere)

–   The Continental Crust “floats” on the uppermost mantle

–   The denser, thinner Oceanic Crust comprises the ocean basins

•     Lithospheric Plates

–   The Lithosphere is broken into “plates”    (7 major, 6 or 7 minor)

–   Plates that “ride around” on the flowing Asthenosphere

–   Carrying the continents and causing continental drift

•     Plates Shown by Physiography

•  Types of Plate Boundaries

-Convergent      -Divergent      -Transform

•     Geologic Phenomena at Plate Boundaries

–   Divergent

•   Volcanic activity

–  Fissure Volcanism,

–  some volcanoes

–  non-explosive, with “runny” lava

•   Earthquake activity: Shallow earthquakes

•   Physiographic features:

–  In ocean basinsàMid Ocean Ridges

–  Benieth continentsàContinental Rifting (splitting)

•   See floor spreading

–   Convergent 

•   Volcanic activity

–  Steep sided Composite Volcanoes, 

–  Explosive with

–  Gaseous lava

•   Earthquake activity: Shallow to very deep

•   Physiographic features:

–  In ocean basinsàIsland arcs of composite volcanoes and adjacent oceanic trenches

–  Benieth continentsàcontinental collision and mountain building

•   See floor: Oceanic plate subduction spreading