Earth and Life Through Time

"It strikes me that all our knowledge about the structure of our Earth is very much like what an old hen would know of the hundred-acre field in a corner of which she is scratching."

-Charles Darwin

This course examines the geologic history of the Earth including changes in the continents, oceans, atmosphere, climate, and life. You first gain the tools to interpret the past from the rock record, then you learn the story the rocks tell us—beginning 4.5 billion years ago as a swirling region of supernova debris and ending today, as the dynamic Earth system we know and love.

Topics we cover include:

• Tectonic and orogenic (mountain building) processes

• Sediment producing and sedimentary rock forming processes

• Interpreting sedimentary rocks

• Stratigraphy

• Igneous and metamorphic processes

• Aging rocks

• Geologic time

• Fossilization and the principles of evolution

• The history of Earth

This class is usually offered during fall semester.

Catalog Description:

A lecture- and laboratory-based course examining the history of the Earth system, including major events in plate tectonics, changes in the climate, and the evolution of the biosphere. Emphasis is placed using the tools of stratigraphy, geologic dating, and paleontology to interpret the physical and paleobiologic history of the Earth. The course consists of 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of lab per week. A full-day field study is required.

Sample Syllabus

Click here for a sample syllabus.