General:
Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to provide you with an understanding of how the Earth works and
how it affects you. As an inhabitant of Earth, it is important that you understand the processes that shape
the landscape, cause natural hazards, influence climate change, and produce natural resources.
Knowledge of how the Earth works can also help you in your daily lives. For example, it is useful to be
able to evaluate potential geologic hazards when buying a home, make informed decisions about the use
and conservation of natural resources, and better appreciate features you might encounter in the
mountains, at the beach, when visiting a national park, or Middle Earth (New Zealand).
We will be exploring Earth Science topics as they are exemplified through the ever and
rapidly changing environment of the North Island of New Zealand with both in-class, and field-based examples.
Required Text:
- Grotzinger, J. & T. Jordan, Understanding Earth, 6th (or 7th) Ed., Freeman Press, 672 (650) pp., ISBN: 1429219513 (1464138745), 2010 (2014).
Because the material is largely duplicative between the two versions, students may use either of the above editions of this book. Chapter numbers described in the outline correspond to both versions.
I don't normally recommend E-editions for majors (great reference), but you may want to consider
going entirely digital, and get some E-edition for this semester.
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