Coordinator: David Chapman     Email: dchapman@park.admin.utah.edu

Suggested topics and timetable

Links to the Semester's PowerPoint Presentations:

Energetics of the Earth

Natural Systems and Cycles

Mid-Ocean Ridge System

Weeks Dates Topics

Week 1:   Aug 26* Orientation, goals, methods

Weeks 2 and 3:  Aug 31, Sept 7 "Earth systems" approach

Lake Bonneville and the Wasatch Front (possible field trip Saturday, Sept. 11 plus BBQ)

Weeks 4, 5, and 6:  Sept 14,21,28 Tectonics of Western North America

Characteristics of critical tectonic elements (Col. Plat., Basin and Range, SRP, Cascades, Sierra Nev. etc., tectonic evolution of western N. America

Weeks 7,8, and 9:  Oct 5,12,19 Y6B - 6 Billion and counting

Humans as agents of geologic change

(Human population, resources, atmosphere, global warming, erosion, sedimentation, disasters, etc.)

Weeks 10, and 11:  Oct 26, Nov 2 Energetics of the Earth

heat flow, volcanism, mountain building, earthquakes

Weeks 12, 13, and 14:  Nov 9, 16,23 Lithosphere-hydrosphere interactions

Could consider a single system such as a mid-ocean ridge system, or could focus on the world's water.

Weeks 15, and 16:  Nov30, Dec 7 Most significant papers/discoveries in last century; most significant problems for the next century.

We will experiment with a format that encourages more active participation by more class members, more of the time.
For each topic:
 

1. The topic will be introduced by a topic leader - faculty, TA

2. After a discussion of source materials and major questions to be answered, each class member takes on an assignment to research a specific topic, or obtain specific data (from the library or web).

3. Each class member presents his or her data or research result.

4. Discussion centers around synthesis of the data.

5. Each class member writes an abstract (normal or extended) concerning the findings including a reference list of print and Web sources of information.