Geology

There are many reasons to study geology.  Some of us are motivated primarily by curiosity about nature and/or how the Earth works:  What is the chemistry various kinds of rocks?  Others want to mitigate environmental problems caused by global human civilization.  Whatever your motivation for learning geology, a solid grasp of the fundamentals will help you achieve your long-term goals.  This is what CoA geology is about.

Geology addresses the fundamental nature of the Earth, how it works and its history.

How old is the Earth and how do we know? Where do earthquakes occur and why?  Where do our resources come from?  What are rocks made of?  Where do different kinds of rocks occur in the context of plate tectonic environments?  Why did the dinosaurs go extinct?

Modern civilization is based on energy obtained primarily from burning carbon and hydrocarbons with the result that carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere have been steadily increasing since the industrial revolution.  What can we learn about today’s situation from prehistoric episodes of high carbon dioxide levels?

Current Course:  Geology 10 – Introduction to Geology.