GEOL 735: regional tectonics

 

learning outcomes

By the conclusion of this course, successful student participants will:

  1. 1.Demonstrate practical familiarity with and experience using techniques of regional tectonic analysis, including:

  2.     - isostasy                           - paleomagnetism                    - basin analysis

  3.     - gravity                             - geochronology                       - sequence stratigraphy

  4.     - flexure                             - structural geology                  - seismology

  5.     - sediment provenance     - thermochronology                  - geochemistry

  6. 2.Be familiar with the common regional tectonic settings on Earth with examples from the Recent and ancient.

  7. 3.Understand the major tectonic processes influencing the composition and dimensions of the lithosphere.

  8. 4.Be able to identify meaningful unsolved tectonics problems and develop and implement strategies for contributing to their resolution.

 

This course examines regional (100’s km) responses to plate tectonics with some emphasis on the sedimentary record of orogenic belts. Class meetings largely comprise lectures on (a) tectonic settings, processes and products, and (b) tools of tectonic analysis. Learning mostly derives from problem sets using real-world data when possible, but requires careful and insightful reading and discussion of influential literature. The course includes a 4-day field trip to examine classic tectonic features with dates and locations TBD by class consensus.

 

tectonic tools & applications

I intend to teach this course every even-year spring semester.

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

This course fulfills the solid Earth graduate student breadth requirement for students in the Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences.

logistics