Course Overview

The Earth is a dynamic planet. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, massive landslides, all common news headlines, are evidence that material and energy are continuously being redistributed within the Earth's lithosphere. Rock deformation is a consequence of this motion. Deformation is accommodated by formation of brittle structures such as joints, shear fractures, faults, and ductile structures such as folds and mylonites. These processes are important to the formation, destruction, and recycling of the lithosphere. If we are to have a meaningful understanding of how the Earth evolves, we must have knowledge of the processes by which rock deform.

More importantly, we live at the fuzzy boundary between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; the interface where fluids and rock interact. The migration and trapping of fluids (e.g., water, hydrocarbons, mineralizing ore fluids, magma) through rock is principally controlled by fractures, faults, and folds. A knowledge of how rocks deform is essential to all professions working with Earth materials. Geologists, Geophysicists, Geological Engineers, Mining Engineers, and Petroleum Engineers routinely apply principals of Structural Geology in practical applications, such as exploring and developing economic deposits in mines or oil fields, mitigating the destructive effects of natural hazards such as earthquakes and landslides, evaluating sites for the disposal of hazardous waste, monitoring the movement of contaminant plumes through the groundwater. It is the work of these professionals that is so important to improving the quality of life on the planet.

Goals

This class introduces geologists and engineers to the method of detailed structural analysis. You will analyze the formation of fractures, joints, faults, shear zones, folds, cleavage, and lineations, using both qualitative and quantitative methods of Descriptive Analysis, Kinematic Analysis, and Dynamic Analysis. Upon completion of this course you will be able to recognize and interpret structures and systems of structures from the macroscopic (e.g., outcrops) to regional scale (e.g. mountain belts) to solve problems that are of interest to you.

Instructor

Dr. John P. Hogan, Office McNutt 330, Phone 341-4618

Office Hours

Monday 1:00-2:00 pm, Wednesday 1:00-2:00 pm, and by appointment.

Lecture

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; 8:30 am to 9:20 am; Room 204 McNutt Hall

Text  Required

Structural Geology of Rocks and Regions (2nd edition); George H. Davis and Stephen J. Reynolds; John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Readings

To succeed in this class, you absolutely must read the textbook. Reading assignments should be completed prior to class as  familiarity with this information is necessary for understanding the topics covered during lecture.

Weekly Reading and Lecture Schedule and Review Materials

Homework

Home work problems will be due at the beginning of the following class unless stated otherwise. Late assignments will receive no credit.

Answer Keys

Homework Assignment Four

Labs

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 1:30-4:20 p.m. McNutt 308.  Permission to switch lab sections, for any length of time, will be at the discretion of the Lab Czar. Requests must be made before Friday noon of the preceding week.

Lab assignments will be due a week later at the beginning of lab unless stated otherwise. Late assignments will receive no credit.

Lab Czar:  Joy K. Drake

Lab Instructors
 

Absence from Class  (2000-2001 Undergraduate Catalog page 40)

"Work missed due to absence from class must be made up to the satisfaction of the instructor concerned. Excessive absences from class may result in the student being dropped from the course at the request of his or her instructor".

I will adhere to the University attendance policy for both the lecture and the laboratory for unexcused absences. If you notify me or the Lab Czar in advance we will try and work with you to accomodate your schedule (e.g., meetings, field trips, team events).

Class Note Books

The key to success in any class is taking good notes. I suggest using a three ring binder  for a notebook. This will allow you to keep your class notes, handouts, homework problems, and laboratory assignments organized. Notebooks may be periodically collected for review by instructors.

Exams

Exams will cover the following materials: lecture, lab, texts, and outside readings. Completion of the reading, homework and laboratory assignments, as well as attending lecture and taking good notes, will significantly improve your performance on the exams.

                       The exam schedule, graded assignments, and respective weightings are listed in the following table.
 

Grading Policy

I primarily grade on the university scale: 70 to 79 "C", 80 to 89 "B", and 90 and above "A". The final grade for the course will be based on the final grade distribution for the class. In the past final grades for the class were adjusted up one to two percentage points.
 

This syllabus may be subject to change during the course of the semester.
 

Homework
 
 

Additional Information

Results for Exam One WS2000 "Strain"

Results for Exam Two WS2000 "Dynamic Analysis and Deformation Mechanisms"

Results for Exam Three WS2000 "Joints, Shear Fractures, and Faults"

Examples of  Tests From Previous Years

TEST ONE (Stress and Strain) From Spring 1999. Note This test covers both Stress and Strain, whereas more recent tests treat these subjects seperately.

Answer Key for Test One: Page One; Page Two; Page Three; Page Four; Page Five. Please check your exam against the answer key. If you still are unsure about the answer, or have a question concerning the test, please make an appointment and I will do my best to answer your questions. I absolutely want to eliminate any confusion that remains as the concepts of stress and strain are fundamental to understanding how geologic structures form. We will be applying these concepts throughout the rest of the semester.

TEST TWO (Joints and Faults) From Spring 1999.

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