GEOLOGY 5533 - MARINE GEOLOGY
TENTATIVE SYLLABUS - FALL SEMESTER, 2003
| INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY |  |
| JUMP TO GRADING POLICY | |
| RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES | |
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BACK TO DR. STEPHEN K. BOSS HOME PAGE
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Stephen K. Boss, Department of Geosciences, University of Arkansas
OFFICE: 202 Ozark Hall. Wednesdays, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Phone: 575-7134 or 575-3355
e-mail: sboss@uark.edu
TEXT: Marine Geology by Kennett, J.
WEEK 1
| 8/25 | M | INTRODUCTION |
| Policies & Procedures in GEOL 5533 | ||
| 8/27 | W | OVERVIEW & HISTORY OF MARINE GEOLOGY |
| Pre-World War II Exploration of the Oceans | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 8/29 | F | OVERVIEW & HISTORY OF MARINE GEOLOGY |
| Post-World War II Exploration of the Oceans | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 2
| 9/01 | M | NO CLASS - LABOR DAY HOLIDAY |
| 9/03 | W | GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE OCEAN BASINS |
| General Concepts & Controls | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 9/05 | F | GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE OCEAN BASINS |
| Structure & Composition of Oceanic Basement | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 3
| 9/08 | M | LAB: GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE OCEAN BASINS |
| 9/10 | W | OCEAN BASIN TECTONICS |
| Principal Features of Ocean Spreading Centers | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 9/12 | F | OCEAN BASIN TECTONICS |
| Principal Features of Ocean Subduction Zones | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 4
| 9/15 | M | LAB: OCEAN BASIN TECTONICS |
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| 9/17 | W | GLOBAL GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES |
| Salt Balance of the Ocean | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 9/19 | F | GLOBAL GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES |
| Seafloor Hydrothermal Vents | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 5
| 9/22 | M | LAB: GLOBAL GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES |
| 9/26 | F | INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN MARGINS |
| Catalog of Ocean Margin Features | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 6
| 09/29 | M | LAB: INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN MARGINS |
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| 10/01 | W | PASSIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS |
| Early Rift Phenomena | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 10/03 | F | PASSIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS |
| Late Rift Phenomena | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 7
| 10/06 | M | LAB: ELECTRONIC OCEAN REFERENCES |
| 10/08 | W | ACTIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS |
| Accretionary Prisms | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 10/10 | F | ACTIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS |
| Ocean Trenches & Volcanic Arcs | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 8
| 10/13 | M | LAB: PASSIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS |
| 10/15 | W | OCEAN CIRCULATION |
| Wind-Driven Circulation | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 10/17 | F | OCEAN CIRCULATION |
| Thermohaline Circulation | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 9
| 10/20 | M | LAB: ACTIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS |
| 10/22 | W | OCEAN-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTIONS |
| Deep-Water Formation & Climate | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 10/24 | F | OCEAN-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTIONS |
| El Nino & the Southern Oscillation | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 10
| 10/27 | M | LAB: OCEAN CIRCULATION |
| 10/31 | F | INTRODUCTION TO SEA-LEVEL |
| Tectonics vs. Eustasy vs. Climate | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| NOTE: LAST DAY TO DROP CLASS |
WEEK 11
| 11/03 | M | WORK ON TERM PAPERS |
| 11/05 | W | WORK ON TERM PAPERS |
| 11/07 | F | WORK ON TERM PAPERS |
WEEK 12
| 11/10 | M | LECTURE: SEA-LEVEL VARIATION |
| 11/12 | W | SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY |
| Basic Concepts | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 11/14 | F | SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY |
| Tectonics + Eustasy + Climate | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 13
| 11/17 | M | LAB: SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY |
| 11/19 | W | INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN SEDIMENTS |
| Global Distribution of Sediment Types | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 11/21 | F | NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY |
WEEK 14
| 11/24 | M | INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN SEDIMENTS |
| Global Distribution of Sediment Types | ||
| 11/26 | W | CALCAREOUS SEDIMENTS |
| Shallow vs. Deep Water | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 11/28 | F | SILICEOUS SEDIMENTS |
| Animal vs. Vegetable | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 15
| 12/01 | M | LAB: OCEAN SEDIMENTS |
| 12/03 | W | PALEOCEANOGRAPHY |
| Oxygen Isotope Stratigraphy | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 12/05 | F | PALEOCEANOGRAPHY |
| Carbon Isotope Stratigraphy | ||
| Required Reading |
WEEK 16
| 12/8 | M | LECTURE: PALEOCEANOGRAPHY |
| Strontium Isotope Stratigraphy | ||
| Required Reading | ||
| 12/10 | W | NO CLASS - DEAD DAY |
NOTES ON GRADING POLICY FOR THIS COURSE
Your grade for this course will be determined by your performance on the laboratory assignments, your term paper and the three regular examinations. Your overall grade for the course will be apportioned as follows:
Additionally, you may expect grades to be determined according to the following guidelines:
A 90% or better
B 89% - 80%
C 79% - 70%
D 69% - 60%
F 59% or below
TERM PAPER
Because this is a 5000-level course, you are required by the University of Arkansas to complete a formal writing assignment. Your term paper can be on any topic related to Marine Geology (this covers all subject areas from the deepest ocean to the coastal zone; estuaries, coral reefs, atolls, ocean tectonics, etc. are all fair game). A complete term paper will be supported by a list of relevant scientific references from the formal literature (a few citations from "popular science" journals such as American Scientist or Scientific American are permissable, but the majority of your references should come from primary academic journals).
The main purpose for the term paper is to 1) satisfy the University requirement for writing in upper division courses, 2) allow you to investigate an area of interest to you in more detail, 3) make you aware of the breadth of scientific literature on these topics, 4) develop your familiarity with primary scientific papers as opposed to text book summaries.
Your grade on this proposal will constitute 20% of your final grade for the semester, so this is not an assignment to take lightly. To facilitate your progress with this proposal, I have established several "milestones" at different times prior to mid-term so that you do not wait until the 11th hour to begin your work. I think you will find that reading articles from the primary scientific literature and gaining comprehension of their content will take some practice on your part - however, it has been my experience that once you have read a number of papers on a given topic (usually about 10), you begin to gain insight into the nature of the topic being studied and the salient points which are the focus of the research. Once you arrive at this level of understanding, the reading usually becomes much easier and you will find that you not only anticipate which arguments are going to be addressed but, indeed, you gain the ability to formulate hypotheses of your own. This is a skill which cannot be acquired except through studious effort on your part!
Details of your term paper preparation can be viewed by following this link Click button to view term paper information
NOTES ON RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES DURING THIS COURSE
The University of Arkansas does not observe religious holidays. However, the Campus Council has passed a resolution concerning individual observance of religious holidays as it pertains to class attendance. In accordance with the wishes of the Campus Council, the following policy regarding religious observances will be adhered to in this course:
When members of any religion seek to be excused from class for religious reasons, they are expected to provide their instructors with a schedule of religious holidays that they intend to observe, in writing, before the completion of the first week of classes.