Geological_Sciences_401_Syllabus

Geological Sciences 401
Global Tectonics and Earth Structure
Fall, 2015
Revised October 26, Labs and Paper dates revised
Revised October 25. Labs revised.
Revised October 7. Calendar fixed, Marquette due dates changed
per class.
Subject to Revision
Instructor:
Kazuya Fujita
Office: 15 Natural Science e-mail: fujita@msu.edu
Phone: 355-0142
Office Hours: TTh 10:20-11:20 (tentative; except 9/10, 9/24, and as
further
announced), and by appointment or as rescheduled.
Laboratory Instructor:
Matt Karl
Office: 214 Natural Science e-mail: karlmatt@msu.edu
Phone: 884-4938
Office Hours: 1-3 PM Tuesday and by appointment or as
rescheduled.
Objectives:
 2-D and 3-D visualization: Be able to describe and graphically represent
structural and subsurface features
 Structural Geology: Understand and analyze the basics of deformation
and their observation in the field
 Plate tectonics: Understand the development of the theory and basic
kinematics of plate motions
 Internal Structure of the Earth: Understand how seismic waves resolve
shallow and deep structure
 Sea-Floor Spreading: Understand the formation, evolution, and
subduction of the oceanic lithosphere
 Orogenic Activity: Be introduced to continental tectonics (mountain belts,
intra-plate seismicity)

Course Outline (Subject to change without notice, please check back
frequently):
Note: Topics and the sequence of topics are subject to change. Lecture
examinations will only cover material actually covered in class plus any readings
specifically assigned. Pages or sections refer to the text book (van
der Pluijm and Marshak, Earth Structure, 2nd Edition) and are subject to revision
(use index and headings to see if something looks wrong; I will generally update
after lectures). Other readings are posted on D2L or linked below.
Tier II: This is a tier II writing course. Your labs are expected to be written up as
complete sentences and/or paragraphs (writing skills). There is a 5 page report
and a field notebook based on the Marquette trip which will be reviewed and
returned (research, writing, and synthesis skills), as well as a poster (research
and presentation skills).
Note 1: Every year, topics are rearranged, cut, expanded, or restrung. The
below is based on last year, so please expect (possibly significant) modification
of topics as the term proceeds. Exam, paper, and field trip dates are fixed
and will not change after September 3; lab topic may “evolve.” The
readings will probably be posted post-facto in many cases; so use common
sense and the index in preparing for lectures. Because of the enrollment and the
timing of Thanksgiving this year, the timing of papers and presentations has been
altered making the due dates are a bit more compressed than desirable.
Note 2: Because the field trip is a week earlier than desired, some topics will be
omitted or only covered briefly prior to the trip. These will be returned to after we
return.
Note 3: Things are a bit compressed at the end – it is highly recommended that
you turn in the final version of the Marquette paper before you leave for
Thanksgiving.
Note 4: Dr. Fujita will be on travel September 10-13, 24-27 (Marquette), and
probably some other dates.
Lecture
Sep 02 (01) Introduction, field trip info, attitude (measuring lines and
planes)
(sections part of 1.2, 1.4, 1.5)
Sep 09 (02) Stereographic projections and stereonets (sections 1.3,
parts of 2.2,
appendix 1, material not in text; the Wikipedia discussion
on
stereographic projections appears to be generally correct)
Sep 11 (Fri) Drivers please contact Heidi Lynde in 207 NS by 5 PM.

Sep 14 (03) Stress, brittle failure (joints, faults) (sections 1.3, 2.4.4, 3.1,
3.6.1, 4.2, 6.1-6.2, 7.1, 7.3.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.7.1, 8.1-8.2, 8.3.2,
8.4.0, 8.5.0, 8.5.1, 8.6.4, 19.1, 19.3.1, 19.3.3, 19.3.4,
19.3.5,
19.3.6)
Sep 16 (04) Types of faults, ductile behavior (folding) (as above and
sections
8.2, 10.1-10.5, 16.2, 16.3, 18.2-18.3, and material not in
text)
Sep 17 (Thu) Field trip payment absolutely due to Ms Smith in 153 NS
by 5 PM ($86.00)
Sep 18 (Fri) Emergency contact information due to Heidi Lynde by
5 PM.
Sep 21 (05) Fabric, superimposed folding, and shear indicators
superimposed folding, (sections 10.6, 11.1-11.3, 11.5,
11.6)
PARTS OF PRE-TRIP MATERIAL WILL BE DEFERED
TO
AFTER TRIP
Sep 23 (06) shear indicators, relative dating, sedimentary structures,
geologic
maps and field notebook (sections 1.1, 2.1-2.2, 12.1, 12.3,
12.4.1
12.6.1)
Sep 24-27 Marquette Field Trip (REQUIRED). Depart 8:30 AM on
September 24, return 7:00 PM on September 27. (Dr.
Fujita,
Mr. Karl, and Mr. Svoboda).
Sep 28 (07) Marquette overview and reprise
Sep 30 (08) Stress, rheology, failure of materials, Mohr diagrams
(sections
3.4-3.11, 4.11, 6.7.2)
Oct 05 (09) Stress-strain diagrams, fracture of materials I
(sections 5.3, 5.4, 5.6, 6.3, 6.4,1, 6.4.2, 6.6, 6.8.2, 6.9.1,
8.5.2, 18.8)
Oct 07 (10) Fracture II, strain indicators, other structure tidbits.
Oct 12 (11) Strain, mathematics of folding, numerical modeling,
(sections 4.4-4.7,
4.11, 5.1, 10.7, and material not in text).
Oct 14 (12) Rheology in the Earth, earth structure, geodynamic models
(sections
3.13, 5.5, 14.3, part of 14.4.1, part of 14.4.2, 14.7.1,
14.7.2, and
material not in text) (at regular lab time)
Oct 16 Marquette activities and field notebook due by 6:00

Oct 19 Examination I (Structural Geology, including
Marquette)
Oct 21 (13) History of Mobilism, Continental Drift to Plate
tectonics. (sections
14.4, 14.8; material not in text; see various supplements
under
Content => Supplementary Materials; also see relevant
sections in
USGS This Dynamic Earth)
Field notebook returned at exam
Oct 26 (14) Paleomagnetism (material not in text; see relevant sections
in
USGS This Dynamic Earth, and Content =>
Supplementary Materials
=> Paleomagnetism
Poster Presentation topic due electronically 5:00 PM
Oct 28 (15) Magnetic anomalies, sea-floor spreading. (section 16.7,
material not
in text; see relevant sections in USGS This Dynamic
Earth)
Nov 02 (15) Cooling and structure of the oceanic lithosphere (section
19.2.1, and
material not in text, see relevant sections in
Nov 04 (16) Transform faults, Hydrothermal Vents, odd things ridges do;
velocity
spaces. (sections 16.5, 16.7, 19.2.1, 19.5, and material
not in text)
Nov 09 (18) Velocity spaces, plates on a sphere (section 14.9 and
material not
in text; see Sleep and Fujita – Velocity Spaces under
Content =>
Supplementary Materials)
Lab 8 (Marquette-redo) returned in class
Nov 10 (Tue) Three peer-reviewed references for poster due
electronically
to Dr. Fujita by 5:00 PM
Nov 11 (19) Plates and Plates on a sphere (as above)
Nov 13 (Fri) Short Marquette paper due at 5:00 PM (absolutely no
extensions)
Nov 16 (20) Diffuse plate boundaries, relative motions focal
mechanisms
(section 14.8, 14.9 and material not in text)
Nov 18 (21) Island arcs (sections 17.1, 17.2, 22.2.5, 22.2.6 and material
not in
text; see also USGS This Dynamic Earth).

Nov 23 (22) Thermal models of slabs, island arc volcanism, deep
earthquakes
and the fate of slabs, back-arc basins (sections 17.2.0,
17.2.1,
17.2.5, and material not in text)
Short Marquette paper review returned in class
Nov 25 (23) Mantle and Core: Deep structure of the Earth, hot spots
(Sections
14.5-14.6, 22.1.4, and material not in text, see also
Nov 30 (24) Driving Forces, convection (section 14.10, and a lot of
material
not in text, see also USGS This Dynamic Earth)
Presentation abstract due electronically to Dr. Fujita,
8:00 PM
Dec 02 (25) Plate Tectonic Cycles: D”, Wilson cycle, Supercontinents,
isostasy, mountain building (sections 14.7.3, 14.8, 14.11,
15.8,
20.3, 21.2.3, 21.2.4, 22.3.4)
Dec 02, 03 (Lab) Poster presentations
Dec 07 (26) Terranes, reflection seismology and shallow structure,
(15.2,
15.3, 20.4 and material not in text).
Final version of short Marquette paper due at 5:00 PM
(Absolutely NO extensions),
Dec 09 (27) Marquette tectonic overview, Intraplate
tectonics (22.7 sort of)
Dec 11 All lab work due regardless of excused or not (no
exceptions),
5:00 PM to Mr. Karl.
Dec 17 Examination II (Global Tectonics and Geodynamics,
some cumulative material) (12:45-2:45)
Lab Schedule (subject to modification and changes in sequence,
especially after the field trip)
Labs must be written up in the manner required (Tier II).
Sep 03, 09 (01) Measuring Attitude; Field methods (Compass and
notebook) (lab and
around building area).
Sep 10,16 (02) Stereonets and folding.
Sep 17, 23 (03) Cross sections and block diagrams: Bedding and
Topography.

Prepare for Marquette.
Sep 30, Oct 01 (04) Stereonets (using poles) and cross sections, Marquette
Data
Exchange
Oct 07, 08 (05) Block diagrams and Cross Sections: Folds, Faults and
Other
Structures (see also visiblegeology.com)
Oct 14, 15 (06) Geologic Maps and sections
Oct 21. 22 (07) Geologic Maps: Igneous structures and other
complications
Oct 28, 29 (08) Marquette Data Reanalysis Lab
Nov 04, 05 (09) Geologic Maps III: Complex geologies
Nov 11, 12 (10) Magnetic anomalies (pattern recognition), Velocity Spaces
and Relative Motions
Nov 18, 19 (11) “Plate Tectonics Game”
Nov 25, 26 Reality check: no lab (Thanksgiving)
Dec 02, 03 Poster presentations
Dec 09, 10 (12) Shake Table (Dr. Fujita)
Grading
The course grade will be based 25% on the lab (including any quizzes) plus
associated homework, 35% on the two class exams (your better exam will
count 20%, the other, 15%), 25% on the Marquette field trip notebook,
analyses and report, and 15% on the poster project.
Final grades will be the better of "straight scale" (90% = 4.0, 85% = 3.5, 80%
= 3.0, etc.) or a "curve" based on the total point score at the end of the
term. Truth in advertising: I have always curved to some extent in all my
courses.
If you run into problems, be it academic, or of a personal nature that
interferes with class attendance and timely submission of assignments,
please see the instructor as early as possible so arrangements can be
made or alternatives developed. Waiting until the end will guarantee you a
failing grade and is unfair to you and to the instructors.
Field Trip
The field trip to Marquette on September 24-27 is an integral part of the
course and, with the resulting field note book, report, and activities,
constitutes 25% of your grade. You will be asked to sign an commitment

and agreement form on the first day of class that states the following (the
actual form is phrased slightly differently; see posted form on D2L):
1. You agree to behave in a manner that is fitting and appropriate as a
student and representative of Michigan State University and obey and
follow all University, Motel, State, and Federal laws, rules, and regulations,
including the University Rules of Conduct (specifically, but not limited to,
General Student Regulation 2.00 and its sub-clauses). You agree to follow
Motel regulations including, but not limited to, those governing noise, use
and hours of the pool, alcohol, responsibility for damage, and smoking and
that you will not have any alcohol in your room if you have a roommate
under the age of 21. You are also informed that that the motel charges a
penalty for smoking in the room and for any damage, missing items, and/or
excessive cleaning and that you agree to pay any such penalties imposed
that apply to your room. You agree not to carry alcohol in a university van.
2. You agree to use due care and diligence for your safety and the
safety of others during the trip, especially on the outcrops and along busy
roads and potentially unstable slopes. You are informed that the use of
rock hammers by students is prohibited unless explicitly authorized and
with appropriate safety gear. You understand that field work has inherent
risks and you will read about them and follow instructions to minimize
them.
3. You understand that the faculty leaders, according to University
regulations, have the right to terminate the trip at any time for all students
if (i) any student violates Michigan State University’s General Student
Regulations and/or violate laws, rules and regulations as stated above in
points 1 and 2, above; or (ii) the faculty leaders have reasonable cause to
believe that the behavior of any student constitutes a danger to the health
or safety of persons or property and/or threatens the viability of the field
trip in future years.
4. You understand the costs of the trip and the rooming arrangements
(double or triple occupancy, rooms with two beds and/or a roll-away) and
that you agree to pay the cost of lodging prior to departure. You also
understand that the final cost for lodging may vary somewhat from posted
or stated estimates depending on the final price quote, taxes, and the exact
number of participants and that the motel requires pre-payment which is
non-refundable. You also agree to cover the cost of your lodging should
you later become unable to participate and we cannot cancel or adjust the
cost of your portion of the room cost.
5. You agree to fill out a travel authorization and provide emergency
contact information and to treat the Brunton compasses with care and
return them in the same condition as you received them.

6. You understand that the trip proceeds regardless of weather (which
you will be prepared for), and that it is a required and integral part of the
course.
Note that this agreement specifically states that you will follow University
Rules of Conduct and all Federal, State, Local, University, and Motel laws,
rules and regulations and that the failure of any student to do so will result
in the termination of the trip for all students. A copy of this agreement
form will be posted on this site by August 24. Come prepared to sign it on
the first day of class.
We also need students who are willing to drive the vans; volunteers will
also be solicited on the first day of class.
Additional information on the trip will be posted on the class D2L site,
including information on possible places for meals. Unfortunately, there
are no facilities for cooking. The motel serves a limited continental
breakfast. You may not use University vans to go into town, but taxi
service is fairly inexpensive if you travel in groups.

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