Field trips optional. Study of the history of the Earth as recorded in rocks. Description of continental structural development in terms of plate tectonics using North America as the principal example. Origin and evolution of life. Laboratory work includes studies of invertebrate fossils and geologic map interpretation.
Field trips optional.
Formerly called Historical Geology. Sem Hrs Explores how the ocean stabilizes the Earth's surface environment. Includes global temperature distributions, El Nino events, ozone depletion, and global warming. Considers the origins and evolution of the ocean basins, currents, circulation patterns, and physical and chemical properties of seawater. Investigates the impact of humans on the marine environment, including shoreline changes, pollution effects, and extraction of natural resources.