"If someone offered you a chance to hop in a time machine and travel back millions of years through Earth's history, would you accept?"
- GEOL-20 student
"If someone offered you a chance to hop in a time machine and travel back millions of years through Earth's history, would you accept?"
- GEOL-20 student
Class overview
Welcome to Historical Geology! GEOL-20 is all about telling stories from rocks and fossils. You will learn to reconstruct the geologic events from the changing environment that shaped the Earth and the evolution of life. We'll discuss rising and falling seas, mass extinctions, Snowball Earth, and many other past events to understand the present and consider our future. We are so lucky to live in an area where the geologic record is relatively easy to discover: on our field trips we will decipher stories of the Monterey Bay area written in the rocks and fossils over geologic time.
Who is this course for?
The course is a great fit for those interested in geology, geography, archaeology, biology, history, oceanography, chemistry, engineering, climate, art, and how Earth systems work. It's a great general education choice if you like hands-on learning, being in the field, and have a curiosity about the planet!
GEOL-20 is currently offered each spring.
Transfer information
This 4-unit lecture/laboratory science course is transferable to UC and CSU. More information.
Class meetings:
Monday & Wednesday
9:30-10:50AM
Lab meetings:
6 Friday mornings
2/7, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21
Field trips:
3 Fridays
4/11, 4/25, 5/2
Instructor: Lisa Gilbert
I am the Chair of the Geology, Oceanography, and Environmental Science Departments. I graduated from Aptos High and went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences and Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Oceanography. My speciality is marine geology. My passion is helping students discover more in themselves than they realized was there, especially in how they relate to the natural world.
Questions? Email lisa.gilbert [at] cabrillo.edu
"Lisa's warmth immediately put me at ease and made me feel so welcome."
"Historical Geology rewards imagination and intrigue and because of that, it has become one of my favorite disciplines. "
- GEOL-20 student
If there's a waitlist, sign up and then email the instructor for their waitlist policy!