MNS 354F: Marine Geology
- Spring 2002
Instructor: Henrietta N. Edmonds, Department of Marine Science
Office: L317, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas
phone: (361) 749-6772
email:
edmonds@utmsi.utexas.edu
Meeting
time: Tuesdays and Thursdays,
11-12:30
Place: ACES 2.402 (Austin) and MSI Video Classroom
(Port Aransas)
Most lectures will be delivered via the Austin-Port Aransas video link. I will be
in Austin on average one week out of every 3 or 4. When I am in Port Aransas, I will
not have defined office hours other than that I will always be at my desk
for the two hours before class ñ email is the best way to reach me (phone is good,
but long distance) and can be used any time. When I am in Austin, I will keep you
informed of my whereabouts and availability, but will always be available between
9 and 11 a.m. on class days, in the Marine Science office, ESB 102.
Course
Description
Readings
Requirements
Schedule
Web site
Lecture
notes (i.e., downloadable
images of my PowerPoint slides) will be available on this web site. You will need
a free PDF reader (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader) to download and view the files. While
we will endeavor to adhere to the indicated lecture schedule, changes may occur.
Some flexibility is built in, and any major changes will be announced well in advance.
You are expected to keep up with the indicated reading.
You will also find links
to various web resources
on the site, updated through the semester. News and class reminders will be posted as well. Please plan to check
the site fairly regularly.
Aims
of the course:
The goal of the course is to
develop an understanding of the processes controlling the structure and evolution
of the ocean basins, and the tools and methods used by marine scientists in developing
this understanding.
The history of the studies of plate tectonics and marine geology are heavily intertwined:
for instance, most modern plate boundaries reside in the oceans. The course will
therefore start with an introduction to plate tectonics, and the major types of plate
boundaries and intra-plate tectonic processes in the ocean. We will study the structure
and composition of oceanic crust produced at spreading centers, its subsequent alteration
by on- and off-axis interaction with seawater, its burial by sediments and consumption
in collision zones. We will look at the distribution and composition of major sediment
types, and the use of the sedimentary record for deciphering the geological, climatological,
and oceanographic histories of the oceans.
Readings
You are not required to purchase
a textbook for the course. Several books are on reserve in the Geology Library. Readings
from these texts and other sources will be assigned throughout the semester. These
assignments will be given in class and posted on the web site. You are responsible for any reading I assign.
Some of the books are included as background and reference material for those of
you with different backgrounds. All are available for 2 hour checkout.
The books on reserve are:
Marine Geology, by J.P.
Kennett
Marine Geology: A Planet Earth Perspective, by R.N. Anderson
The Sea Floor: An Introduction to Marine Geology, by E. Seibold and W. Berger
The Ocean Basins: Their Structure and Evolution, by the Open University Course
Team
Ocean Chemistry and Deep Sea Sediments, by the Open University Course Team
The Solid Earth: An Introduction to Global Geophysics, by C.M.R. Fowler
The Face of the Deep, by B. Heezen and C. Hollister
Photographic Atlas of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Rift Valley, by Ballard and Moore
Course
Requirements and Grading
Grading will be based on four
quizzes, a report, and a final exam. The relative importance of each to the final
grade is as follows:
In-class quizzes: 60% (four quizzes at 15% each)
Current events report: 10%
Final Exam (cumulative): 30%
Quizzes will be relatively frequent and are intended to give both me and you an ongoing
sense of your progress adn understanding of the course material. They will be a combination
of multiple choice, short answer, and more thought-provoking questions.
For the report, you must write
a five page (roughly) review or summary of a recent finding or news report having
to do with Marine Geology. You may hand this in at any time during the semester,
but it must be handed in before the last day of class, May 2.
Click
here for an example
of a recent news item.
Officialdom
Other course requirements
include class attendance. Anticipated absences from tests or the final exam
should be handled in advance through the infirmary or Dean of Students. Unanticipated
absences from the tests will be dealt with on a case by case basis and are likely
to involve an additional project of some sort. Unanticipated absence from the final
exam must be dealt with through the Dean of Students.
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated and will be handled according to the
rules of the University.
Please notify me of any modification/adaptation you may require to accommodate a
disability-related need. You will be requested to provide documentation to the Dean
of Students' Office, in order that the most appropriate accommodations can be determined.
Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities.
For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641
TTY.
The University calendar for the Spring 2002 Semester is available at http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/01-02long.html#Spring. Highlights include:
The last day to drop a course for a possible refund is January 30, 2002.
The last day to drop a course without academic penalty is February 11,
2002.
The last day to drop a course for academic reasons is March 25, 2002.
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