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GEOLOGY 735: Regional Tectonics Instructor Andrew Leier, office: EWS 212, email: [email protected]; phone: 803-777-9941; office hours by appointment and open-door policy Schedule Lectures: Mondays and Wednesdays 8:00-9:20 am, EWS 209 Exams: All exams and quizzes will be in class (no Final during Exam week). Course Overview • • • • • The course is a graduate level course focusing on the regional tectonics, including mountain building, basin formation, and the techniques used to study these. The class will involve lectures, presentation and discussion of papers, and exercises. The course will include sections on general tectonics, convergent tectonics, extensional tectonics, strike-slip settings, and methods in tectonic studies. The course will also include case-studies, where we will focus on the tectonic history of specific regions. 1-2 question quizzes will be commonly administered at the beginning of class to ensure participants are reading the assigned papers. Course Outcomes The course covers regional tectonics on the Earth. During this course students will: 1. Understand the fundamental principles of tectonics. 2. Become familiar with the multiple tectonic processes responsible for forming orogenic systems, including: divergent margins and extension; passive margin evolution; convergent margins; accretion of island arcs; formation of fold-thrust belts; formation of foreland basins; evolution of metamorphic core complexes; regional extension and normal faulting; transform faulting and extension. 3. Become familiar with the techniques used to reconstruct tectonic histories including: geochronology; paleoaltimetry; thermochronology; basin analysis; structural geology; balanced cross-sections; metamorphic and igneous petrology. 4. Gain experience reading geoscientific literature. 5. Gain experience in presentation of data to peers Resources There are no required texts. Material used in class will include lecture notes, geology articles, and exercises, all of which will be available on Blackboard. Collectively, these items will provide a comprehensive overview of the topics covered in Regional Tectonics, including pertinent articles and techniques. Grades Quizzes and Exams: 30% Presentations/Participation: 40% Exercises: 30% Tentative Schedule (01/11/2017) Date General Topic January 11 Class introduction Overview, review of syllabus January 16 MLK Day No Class January 18 Intro Overview, Intro Lecture January 23 Intro Crust, lithosphere, mantle Lecture January 25 Intro Overview, regions, settings, Isostasy Lecture January 30 Technique Isostasy Exercise February 1 Convergent margins Ocean-Continent margins, terranes Lecture February 6 Prospective Day No Class February 8 Prospective Day No Class February 13 Readings - Presentations North America, South America & Individ topics Readings/discussion February 15 Readings – Presentations North America, South America & Individ topics Readings/discussion February 20 Convergent margins Fold-thrust belts Lecture February 22 Convergent margins Fold-thrust belts and foreland basins Lecture/Exercise February 27 Technique Balanced sections, Foreland basins Lecture/Exercise March 6 Spring Break No Class March 8 Spring Break No Class March 13 Convergent margins Foreland basement uplifts & Rollback Lecture March 15 Readings-Presentations Mediterranean, Antler Orogeny, Laramide Readings/discussion March 20 Convergent margins Continent-Continent and Plateaux Lecture March 22 Readings - Presentations Altiplano, Western U.S., Tibet, Canada Readings/discussion March 27 Extensional settings Overview, Styles Lecture March 29 Technique Subsidence Exercise April 3 IBA Day No Class April 5 Readings - Presentations Low angle, high-angle Faults Readings/discussion April 10 Strike-Slip Settings Overview, styles Lecture April 12 Case Study Western US Readings/discussion April 17 Case Study Western US Readings/discussion April 19 Appalachians Appalachian orogen Discussion April 24 Exam due Take home exam exam