This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Calendar

SES # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Overview Handout: volcanoes and earthquakes prediction
2 T, t, and C; begin minerals  
3 Introduction to minerals and lab 1: mineral ID Predictions due
4 Introduction to minerals and lab 1: mineral ID (cont.)  
5 Igneous rocks and lab 2: rock ID  
6 Sedimentary rocks and lab 2: rock ID Lab 1 due
7 Metamorphic rocks and lab 2: rock ID  
8 Lab 2: unknown rock ID  
9 Relative vs. absolute dating; paleontology Lab 2 due
10

Seeing and depicting rocks; field techniques

Special guest lecturer

 
11 Quiz 1: rocks and minerals Handout: lab 3 preparation sheet; field trip Saturday
12 Rock deformation Map problem set
13 Putty lab and lab 3: rock structures  
14 Field techniques and topo map introduction Lab 3 due; field trip makeup paper due
15 Lab 4: topographic maps  
16-19 Lab 5: geologic mapping

Lab 4 due in Ses #16

Lab 5 due in Ses #19

20 Quiz 2: structure and mapping  
21 Lab 6: plate tectonics Geologic time quiz
22 Lab 6: plate tectonics and lecture  
23 Earthquakes Lab 6 due
24 Earthquakes (cont.) Earthquakes problem set, due in Ses #26
25 Volcanoes  
26 Lab 7: rheology Campus preview weekend
27 Lab 8: Stokes and Darcy flows Lab 7 due
28 Quiz 3: plate tectonics through volcanoes  
29 Lab 8: Stokes and Darcy flows (cont.) Reading assignment, due in Ses #30
30 Continent formation discussion 1 day after Ses #31 is drop date; lab 8 due
31 Geo movie Field trip Sunday
32 Formation of continents; weathering and rivers  
33 Glaciers  
34 Lab 9: glaciers  
35 Quiz 3.5: continents through glaciers  
36 Coastlines, deserts and dunes Lab 9 due; take-home assignment
37 Climate and tectonics No more tests; one assignment
38 Comparative planetology Take-home assignment due
39 Comparative planetology and awards