Some attention will focus on the role of the professional geologist and the knowledgeable layperson, as they consider together some current and potential problems arising from continued utilization and modification of our physical environment.
Students can expect considerable flexibility in the format of the course.
Computers are occasionally used in lab, but no prior experience is expected. This course has both lecture and separate lab periods that each student must attend. In this section of Geology 110 you will learn how geologists investigate the earth, with a focus on earth science topics relevant to us here in Springfield. Springfield area rocks, the geography of inland seas that covered Ohio in the Paleozoic era, Ohio glaciation, causes of glaciations and global climate change, global warming and the greenhouse effect, streams and floods, groundwater, and environmental policy. Labs will be tightly woven with the lecture material and will involve application of geological techniques of investigation to answer questions centered around the above topics.