Problems in Introductory Geology

A self-guided course of study in physical and historical geology

for sophomore-junior college review

by Russ Colson

(colson@mnstate.edu)

Course Description:  This independent study self-learning module provides a guided opportunity to practice applying concepts from an introduction to  Geology through science reasoning challenges, real-world geology problems, and self-guided labs and field work.  Problems include exercises in mineralogy, petrology, paleontology, stratigraphy, geochemistry, structural geology, and geophysics.  Online lectures provide a review and extension of concepts from an introductory geology course. 

Each of the lessons below provides both a topical review (sometimes brief enough that you may need to supplement with outside reading), often with recorded asynchronous lectures, and a set of self-guided lab exercises that engage you in applying the topical concepts to science reasoning challenges or real-world problems.  These are substantive online lessons and should be done slowly and carefully so as to figure out the concepts involved.  A significant part of the lesson involves you figuring things out, with the exercise of figuring it out being more valuable than the ‘answer’ that comes at the end.

These materials are appropriate for a 2 semester credit college course, meaning that 90 hours is a reasonable time to complete the course.

Rocks Stories:  The Foundation of Geology:

• Introduction to Stories of Long Ago (lecture) (Interactive text) (incl rock and mineral glossary) (questions)
• Sedimentary Rocks (lecture) (interactive text) (cool stuff)
• Igneous Rocks (lecture) (interactive text) (cool stuff)
• Metamorphic Rocks (pre-lecture comments) (lecture) (interactive text)
• Rock identification and story lab
• Bowen’s Reaction Series and igneous phase diagrams (lecture) (lecture test and interactive text)

Physical Geology-Geochemistry:

• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland Part 1 Lecture: Geochemical differentiation (12:57 min)
• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland Text Part 1 Text: Partitioning puzzles, interactive text
• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland Part 2 Lecture: Core formation, Ore formation and Pollutant migration (25:48 min)
• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland Part 2 Text: Core formation, Ore formation, and Pollutant migration, interactive text
• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland--Common Questions, text
• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland--Cool Stuff—text
• Gold, Pollution, and Farmland--M-ore puzzles Cr, Fe, Au, Al, and Dilithium crystals, interactive text

Physical Geology- Volcanoes and Earthquakes

• Volcanoes and Earthquakes Lecture Part I (11:02 min)
• Volcanoes and Earthquakes Part 1--Volcanos—interactive text
• Volcanoes--Common questions, text
• Volcanoes and Earthquakes part 2--Earthquakes-Lecture (6:24 min)
• Volcanoes and Earthquakes part 2--Earthquakes-Text, interactive text
• Places we can't see--Earth's interior Lecture (5:52 min)
• Places we can't see--Earth's interior, interactive text
• How Do We Know--Evidence, Reasoning, Conclusions. interactive text.
• Five Planetary Processes text
• Dating Surface Age with Craters—interactive text

Historical Geology:  Paleontology:

• Fossil lecture note pages (to print if desired).
• Fossils Lecture--Powerpoint video (17:16 min)
• Read Fossils—interactive text
• An Invertebrate Fossil Primer: Identification Lab

Historical Geology:  Stratigraphy

• Stratigraphy Lecture (13:17 min)
• Stratigraphy Text, interactive text
• Stratigraphy--Common Q/A, text
• Stratigraphy--Cool stuff, interactive text
• Transgressions and Regressions Lecture (6:33 min)
• Transgressions and Regressions Text, interactive text
• Transgressions and Regressions Common Q/A, text
• Transgressions and Regressions--Cool Stuff, text
• Cross-cutting Relationships Lecture (3:52 min)
• Cross-cutting Relationships Text, interactive text
• Cross-cutting and Stratigraphic puzzles lab, interactive text
• Radioactive Dating lecture
• How Does it Work--Radioactive Dating Text, interactive text
• How Does it Work--Cool Stuff, interactive text

Historical Geology:  Paleogeography and Field Work

• Sedimentary Depositional Environments Review Exercise (to be solved by previous knowledge, Googled info, or trial and error)
• The Paleogeography of North America: Lecture
• The Paleogeographic Mapping of North America: Interactive Text
• Selected Geology Stories from Minnesota, Part 1: Interactive Text
• Selected Geology Stories from Minnesota, Part 2: Interactive Text

Structural Geology and Mapping

• Structural Geology Part 1 Lecture
• Structural Geology, Part 1, Plate Tectonics: Interactive Text
• Structural Geology Part 2 Lecture
• Structural Geology, Part 2, Spatial Thinking and Mapping: Interactive Text

Mineralogy

• Atoms and Bonds: Lecture
• Mineralogy Basics Review: Atoms, bonds, and coordination:  Interactive text
• Mineral Groups: Lecture
• Mineralogy Basics Review: Mineral Groups and Silicate Types:  Interactive text
• Intro Mineral Lab: Mineral Properties and Identification

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last updated 7/20/2023