Structural Geology Syllabus

GEOL 3004 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY FALL 1998

SYLLABUS

Instructor: Dr. Steve Kline, Center for Energy Studies (CES)--south building. Phone: 968-0202
Office hours: 2:00 to 5:00 pm, MWF; 8:00 - 12:00 T-Th (may be in field some Tuesdays)
Class time: 9:00-9:50, MWF; Lab: 2:00-4:00, Th
Text: Davis, GH, & Reynolds, SJ, 1996, Structural Geology of Rocks and Regions, 2nd Ed, Wiley
Recommended book: Geologic Dictionary. (Bookstore has some)

Course Outline/Schedule

DATE	TOPIC / READINGS
W 8/19	Introduction. Chapter 1
Th 8/20	Lab: Intro to orthographic projection methods for solving structural problems.
F 8/21	Geologic contacts. p. 645-655
M 8/24	Primary structures. p. 656-662T
W 8/26	Primary structures. p. 656-662T
Th 8/27	Lab: Orthographic solution to apparent dip problems
F 8/28	Primary structures. p. 656-662T
M 8/31	Kinematic analysis. Chap. 2, p. 38-50
W 9/2	Kinematic analysis. Chap. 2, p.51-54, 83-85
Th 9/3	Lab: Orthographic solution to "3-point problems".
F 9/4	Dynamic analysis. Chap. 3, p. 98, 103-106, 113B, 115-117T, 122-142, 149
M 9/7	NO CLASS: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
W 9/9	Dynamic analysis. Chap. 3, p. 98, 103-106, 113B, 115-117T, 122-142, 149
Th 9/10	Lab: More problems using orthographic projection
F 9/11	Dynamic analysis. Chap. 3, p. 98, 103-106, 113B, 115-117T, 122-142, 149
M 9/14	*Faults. Chap. 6, p. 269-292*
W 9/16	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 269-292
Th 9/17	Lab: Still more problems using orthographic projection
F 9/18	*LECTURE EXAM #1*
M 9/21	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 292B-303, (+ 515-533)
W 9/23	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 292B-303, (+ 515-533)
Th 9/24	Lab: MAJOR LAB PROJECT: Subsurface intrepretation from drill hole data
F 9/25	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 319-339
M 9/28	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 319-339
W 9/30	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 340-357
Th 10/1	Lab: *LAB EXAM*
F 10/2	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 340-357
M 10/5	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 357-371
W 10/7	Faults. Chap. 6, p. 357-371
Th 10/8	Lab: MAJOR LAB PROJECT: Subsurface intrepretation from drill hole data
F 10/9	Folds. Chap. 7, p. 372-382
M 10/12	Folds: Chap. 7, p. 382B-392
W 10/14	Folds. Chap. 7, p. 393-403
Th 10/15	Lab: MAJOR LAB PROJECT: Subsurface intrepretation from drill hole data
F 10/16	*LECTURE EXAM #2*
M 10/19	Folds. Chap. 7, p. 404-413T
W 10/21	NO CLASS. ARKANSAS ENVIRONMENTAL FEDERATION MEETING.
Th 10/22	Lab: MAJOR LAB PROJECT: Subsurface intrepretation from drill hole data
F 10/23	Folds. Chap. 7, p. 413B-423
M 10/26	Joints. Chap. 5, p. 204-214T
W 10/28	Joints. Chap. 5, p. 214-226
Th 10/29	Lab: Stereographic projection
F 10/30	Joints: Chap. 5, p. 249-251, 261-268
M 11/2	Foliation and lineation. Chap. 8, p. 424-436T
W 11/4	Foliation and lineation. Chap. 8, p. 436-449
Th 11/5	Lab: Stereographic projection
F 11/6	*LECTURE EXAM #3*
M 11/9	Foliation and lineation. Chap. 8, p. 449B-460
W 11/11	Foliation and lineation. Chap. 8, p. 461-472T
Th 11/12	Lab: Stereographic projection
F 11/13	Foliation and lineation. Chap. 8, p. 472-478, 485B-492
M 11/16	Plate tectonics. Chap. 10, p. 564-596, 613-617
W 11/18	Plate tectonics. Chap. 10, p. 564-596, 613-617
Th 11/19	Lab: Constructing geologic cross sections
F 11/20	Plate tectonics. Chap. 10, p. 564-596, 613-617
M 11/23	Plate tectonics. Chap. 10, p. 564-596, 613-617
*W 11/25*6 F 11/27 NO CLASS, THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS
M 11/30	Plate tectonics. Chap. 10, p. 564-596, 613-617
W 12/2	Miscellaneous loose ends.
Th 12/3	Lab: Constructing geologic cross sections

GRADES will be determined based on the following point system:

3 lecture exams @ 15 points each	45
8 labs @ 2 points each	16
1 lab @ 3 points	3
1 lab exam @ 6 points	6
1 major lab project + report @ 12 points	12
1 field trip @ 3 points	3
1 final exam @ 15 points	15
TOTAL	100

Each of the items above will be given a grade based on a scale of 100%. So if you get a "92" on the first exam, you get 92% of the 15 points allotted to that test (= 13.8 points), etc. etc. Or looked at from another perspective, that grade of 92 will be 15% of your grade. The final grade will be based on a standard scale of 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, <60 = F.

Note that 40% of the grade is attibutable to lab-type procedures, 60% to exams. It seems only fair to give a lot of credit to labs, because a lot of your time will be involved in those projects. Most people=s grades will be helped by lab grades; but sometimes there are people who have fundamental problems with the geometric nature of many of these kinds of labs. I hope to help those individuals overcome those problems! If the difficulties cannot be overcome through such help, I will also make a way of lessening the negative impact that persistent lab grades would have on your final grade6If your lab average is lower than your lecture-exam average, then I will make a mathematical adjustment to make the lab average to total 25% and the lecture exams + final exam to total to 75%, so that your grade will reflect your strengths.

There will be a FIELD TRIP that will last two days (a Friday/Saturday or entire weekend). This is among the most important parts of the course. Missing the trip will result in loss of credit (see above).

ATTENDANCE: You are expected to attend all scheduled class/lab time. Unexcused absences of more than a week's-worth of class and/or lab time will put you in jeopardy of being dropped from the course with a grade of F. Students with truly extenuating circumstances necessitating absence should contact the instructor as soon as possible to establish an excused absence, and any missed work must be made up promptly.

LABS will normally be due at the end of the day on the day after the lab is given out (due 5 pm Friday). Late labs will loose 5% credit if turned in Monday before the beginning of class. If you turn it in after class, later that day, you loose 10%. If turned in Tuesday first thing in the morning, that will be 15%off; if turned in later that day, I will count 20% off. The last chance will be Wednesday before class, with 25% off. Labs will not be accepted after the return of graded labs (which usually includes posting of an answer key), which will be, whenever possible, the Wednesday following the day the lab is introduced.

Course goals: The main goals of the course are that you will learn to distinguish primary structures from tectonic structures; to understand the significance of primary structures, especially with respect to use as stratigraphic facing criteria in complex structural terranes; to recognize and be able to describe, using standard terminology, the major tectonic structures (faults, folds, joints, foliations and lineations); and to know the basic factors regarding origins of structures and their implications to the geologic history of the terranes in which they occur. The goals of the lab exercises include (1) field recognition of bedrock structures, (2) ability to solve simple geometric problems involving structures (such as predicting at what depth a known stratum could be expected to occur at different locations), (3) ability to plot and read structural data presented in stereonet format, (4) ability to synthesize structural data and write a report involving structural interpretation.

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