General Geology Course

Lesson 1 • Geologic Time and the Rock Record

Introduces relative and absolute dating methods and the geologic time scale. Enables students to place geological events in chronological context.

Lesson 2 • Earth's Internal Structure

Describes the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core using seismic evidence. Provides the structural context needed for understanding rock formation and tectonics.

Lesson 3 • History of Geological Thought

Traces key ideas from catastrophism to uniformitarianism and plate tectonics. Shows how paradigm shifts shaped modern geological interpretation.

Lesson 4 • Earth Materials Overview

Surveys minerals, rocks, and fluids as the primary materials geologists study. Sets the stage for detailed mineralogy and petrology chapters.

Lesson 1 • Crystal Chemistry and Structure

Explains ionic bonding, silicate structures, and crystal lattice geometry. Connects atomic-scale chemistry to the macroscopic properties students observe in the field.

Lesson 2 • Physical Properties of Minerals

Covers hardness, cleavage, fracture, luster, color, and streak as diagnostic tools. Students apply these properties to distinguish minerals in hand specimens.

Lesson 3 • Common Rock-Forming Minerals

Profiles feldspars, quartz, micas, pyroxenes, amphiboles, and olivine. Provides the mineral literacy required for igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock classification.

Lesson 4 • Mineral Identification Techniques

Demonstrates optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and spectroscopic methods. Prepares students to select appropriate analytical tools for mineral characterization.

Lesson 1 • Crystallization and Differentiation

Covers Bowen's reaction series, fractional crystallization, and magmatic differentiation. Shows how a single magma body can produce diverse rock types.

Lesson 2 • Magma Generation and Properties

Explains partial melting, magma composition, viscosity, and volatile content. Establishes the physical and chemical controls on eruptive behavior.

Lesson 3 • Extrusive Rocks and Volcanic Landforms

Describes lava types, pyroclastic materials, and the landforms they create. Connects eruptive style to magma composition and tectonic environment.

Lesson 4 • Intrusive Igneous Rock Classification

Classifies plutonic rocks by texture and mineralogy using standard schemes. Introduces batholiths, stocks, dikes, and sills as common intrusive bodies.

Lesson 1 • Clastic Sedimentary Rock Classification

Classifies conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, and shales by grain size and composition. Introduces textural maturity as an indicator of transport distance.

Lesson 2 • Sediment Transport and Deposition

Covers fluid flow, grain settling, bedload transport, and depositional sorting. Connects hydraulic principles to the textures observed in sedimentary rocks.

Lesson 3 • Chemical and Biogenic Sedimentary Rocks

Examines limestones, cherts, evaporites, and coal as chemically or organically derived rocks. Links their formation to ocean chemistry, climate, and biological productivity.

Lesson 4 • Sedimentary Structures and Facies

Interprets cross-bedding, ripple marks, graded bedding, and bioturbation as process indicators. Introduces facies models for fluvial, deltaic, and marine environments.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Metamorphism

Defines metamorphism and distinguishes it from igneous and sedimentary processes. Introduces temperature, pressure, and fluid activity as the three controlling variables.

Lesson 2 • Metamorphism and Tectonic Settings

Links regional, contact, and dynamic metamorphism to specific plate boundary environments. Prepares students to use metamorphic rocks as tectonic indicators.

Lesson 3 • Foliated Metamorphic Rock Types

Classifies slates, phyllites, schists, and gneisses by texture and mineral content. Connects foliation development to directed stress and deformation history.

Lesson 4 • Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rocks

Describes hornfels, quartzite, marble, and skarn as products of contact or isochemical metamorphism. Distinguishes them from foliated equivalents by texture and setting.

Lesson 1 • Plate Tectonics Theory and Evidence

Reviews seafloor spreading, paleomagnetism, and hotspot tracks as evidence for plate motion. Establishes the driving mechanisms and plate boundary types.

Lesson 2 • Geologic Mapping and Cross-Section Construction

Applies structural data to produce geologic maps and balanced cross-sections. Develops the spatial reasoning skills central to field geology and subsurface interpretation.

Lesson 3 • Stress, Strain, and Rock Deformation

Defines stress and strain tensors and distinguishes elastic, plastic, and brittle behavior. Explains how temperature, pressure, and strain rate control deformation style.

Lesson 4 • Faults: Types and Tectonic Significance

Distinguishes normal, reverse, thrust, and strike-slip faults by geometry and kinematics. Links fault types to extensional, compressional, and transform tectonic settings.

Lesson 1 • Mass Wasting and Slope Stability

Classifies landslides, debris flows, and creep by material and movement type. Evaluates triggering factors and slope stability for hazard assessment.

Lesson 2 • Glacial Processes and Landforms

Describes glacial erosion, transport, and deposition and the landforms they produce. Introduces glacial history as a record of past climate change.

Lesson 3 • Arid and Aeolian Environments

Covers wind erosion, dune formation, and desert landform development. Distinguishes arid geomorphic processes from humid-region equivalents.

Lesson 4 • Coastal and Marine Processes

Examines wave action, longshore drift, tidal processes, and coastal landform evolution. Addresses shoreline change in the context of sea-level rise.

Lesson 1 • Geologic Hazard Identification and Assessment

Evaluates earthquake, volcanic, flood, and landslide hazards using geological data. Introduces probabilistic hazard assessment and risk communication methods.

Lesson 2 • Hydrogeology and Groundwater Systems

Explains aquifer types, groundwater flow, and well hydraulics. Connects subsurface geology to water resource management and contamination risk.

Lesson 3 • Mineral and Energy Resource Geology

Surveys ore deposit types, petroleum systems, and coal geology. Links geological controls on resource formation to exploration and extraction strategies.

Lesson 4 • Environmental Geology and Land Use

Addresses contaminated land, waste disposal geology, and land-use planning constraints. Integrates geological assessment into environmental impact evaluation.