Download GEOLOGY 735: Regional Tectonics

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