| INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY |  |
| JUMP TO GRADING POLICY | |
| RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES | |
| WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT? | |
GEOLOGY 5543 - PLATE TECTONICS
TENTATIVE SYLLABUS - FALL SEMESTER, 1999
| INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY | |
| JUMP TO GRADING POLICY | |
| RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES | |
| WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT? | |
BACK TO GENERAL GEOLOGY HOME PAGE
BACK TO DR. STEPHEN K. BOSS HOME PAGE
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Stephen K. Boss, Department of Geosciences, University of Arkansas
OFFICE HOURS: 202 Ozark Hall, Wednesdays 2:00 - 5:00 pm OR BY APPOINTMENT
Phone: 575-7134 or 575-3355
e-mail: sboss@comp.uark.edu
TEXT: Plate Tectonics, 1998, Strahler, A.N., GeoBooks Publishing, Cambridge, MA, 554p.
WEEK 1
| 8/23 | Mon | Introduction and Class Policies |
| 8/25 | Wed | Mythology of Plate Tectonics |
| Read: No Readings - be sure to attend lecture | ||
| 8/27 | Fri | History of Plate Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 2 |
WEEK 2
| 8/30 | Mon | Exercise #01: A Geologist's Toolbox |
| Read: Ch. 2 | ||
| 9/01 | Wed | History of Plate Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 2 | ||
| 9/03 | Fri | History of Plate Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 2 |
WEEK 3
9/06 Mon NO CLASS - LABOR DAY 9/08 Wed History of Plate Tectonics Ch. 2 9/10 Fri History of Plate Tectonics Ch. 2
WEEK 4
| 9/13 | Mon | Exercise #02: Earth Statistics |
| 9/15 | Wed | Structure of the Earth |
| Read: Ch. 3 | ||
| 9/17 | Fri | Structure of the Earth |
| Read: Ch. 3 |
WEEK 5
| 9/20 | Mon | Exercise #03: Hyspometric Distribution of the Earth |
| Read: Ch. 3 | ||
| 9/22 | Wed | Structure of the Earth |
| Read: Ch. 3 | ||
| 9/24 | Fri | Global Magmatism and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 3 |
WEEK 6
| 9/27 | Mon | Exercise #04: Seismology and Global Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 4, 5, 6, 7 | ||
| 9/29 | Wed | Global Seismicity and Plate Tectonics |
| Ch. 6 | ||
| 10/01 | Fri | Ocean Basin Tectonics - Oceanic Lithosphere |
| Read: Ch. 4 |
WEEK 7
| 10/04 | Mon | Exercise #5: Physiography of the Ocean Basins I |
| Read: Ch. 4 | ||
| 10/06 | Wed | Ocean Basin Tectonics - The Mid-Ocean Ridge System |
| Read: Ch. 4 | ||
| 10/08 | Fri | Ocean Basin Tectonics - Slow Spreading Ridges |
| Read: Ch. 4 |
WEEK 8
| 10/11 | Mon | Exercise #6: Physiography of Ocean Basins II |
| Read: Ch. 5, 6 | ||
| 10/13 | Wed | Ocean Basin Tectonics - Fast Spreading Ridges |
| Read: Ch. 4 | ||
| 10/15 | Fri | Ocean Basin Tectonics - Ocean Islands & Seamounts |
| Read: Ch. 6 |
WEEK 9
| 10/18 | Mon | Exercise #7: Physiography of the Mid-Ocean Ridge System |
| Read: Ch. 5, 7 | ||
| 10/20 | Wed | Convergent Plate Boundaries - Subduction Zones |
| Read: Ch. 8 | ||
| 10/22 | Fri | Convergent Plate Boundaries - Ocean-Ocean Convergence |
| Read: Ch. 8 |
WEEK 10
| 10/25 | Mon | Exercise #8: Physiography of Convergent Plate Boundaries I |
| Read: Ch. 8 | ||
| 10/27 | Wed | Convergent Plate Boundaries - Ocean-Continent Convergence |
| Read: Ch. 9 | ||
| 10/29 | Fri | Convergent Plate Boundaries - Continent-Continent Convergence |
| Read: Ch. 9 | ||
| NOTE: LAST DAY TO DROP CLASS |
WEEK 11
| 11/01 | Mon | Exercise #9: Physiography of Convergent Plate Boundaries II |
| Read: Ch. 9 | ||
| 11/03 | Wed | Transform Plate Boundaries |
| Read: Ch. 9 | ||
| 11/05 | Fri | Triple Junction Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 7, p.212-218 |
WEEK 12
| 11/08 | Mon | Exercise #10: Physiography of Transform Boundaries |
| Read: Ch. 20 (p.505-517) | ||
| 11/10 | Wed | The United Plates of America |
| Ch. 9 + supplemental reading | ||
| 11/12 | Fri | THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER |
| A Plate Tectonic History of Arkansas | ||
| Read: Ch. 9 + supplemental reading |
WEEK 13
| 11/15 | Mon | Exercise #11: Physiography of Arkansas |
| 11/17 | Wed | The Rock Cycle and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: TBA | ||
| 11/19 | Fri | The Rock Cycle and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: TBA |
WEEK 14
| 11/22 | Mon | The Rock Cycle and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: TBA | ||
| 11/24 | Wed | Continental Accretion and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: Ch. 13 | ||
| 11/26 | Fri | NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING |
WEEK 15
| 11/29 | Mon | The Geochemical Balance of Earth and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: TBA | ||
| 12/01 | Wed | The Geochemical Balance of Earth and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: TBA | ||
| 12/03 | Fri | The Geochemical Balance of Earth and Plate Tectonics |
| Read: TBA |
WEEK 16
| 12/06 | Mon | FAREWELL, ADIEU, AUF WIEDERSEIN, GOODBYE |
| Course Review & Evaluations | ||
| 12/08 | Wed | NO CLASS - DEAD DAY |
NOTES ON GRADING POLICY FOR THIS COURSE
Your grade for this course will be determined by your performance on the assigned exercises and examinations. There will be weekly exercises designed to give you practice learning to use GIS, spreadsheets, image editors and Internet software. These weekly exercises will account for 50% of your grade, so they are not to be taken lightly.
In addition, there will be two exams: a mid-term and final. These exams will be take home, open book exams designed to test your comprehension of basic elements of plate tectonics and your newly acquired computing skills. Each of these exams will account for 25% of your final grade for the course.
Mid-Term Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Weekly Exercises 50% Finally, 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% |
| 59% or below |
Copyright © 1999 Dr. Stephen K. Boss All Rights Reserved
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.