"This is a course in how the world itself works---not just the processes of the planet itself, but how these processes affect life on earth. Things like acid rain, ozone in smog, and the greenhouse gases. These are things that should be important to anyone, because our future is tied to the health of the planet and an understanding of how it works"
--
C.A. Thornton

So...what is Physical Geology?
I'm *sooo* glad you asked! Physical Geology explores the way the earth works. I often describe this course as a course in "how the world works." When this course is over, news events on volcanic eruptions and earthquakes will all make a new kind of sense to you, as you'll understand the processes that has shaped the earth from its beginnings.


So what do we do in Physical Geology?
Well the way I teach it, we look at the Scientific Method and Science as philosophy (a part of all my science courses). We also look at minerals and how they form rocks, and from there we explore the different types of rocks and how they are formed.

We talk about geological time, and how it is measured, and then begin a discussion of different environments found on earth, such as deserts, oceans, and glaciers. These environments produce sediments, and the sediments, with time, are changed into rocks. We'll discuss how we recognize that these rocks were deposited in different environments, and how they stack up to produce rocks that show the order in which they were deposited.

We'll also talk about mountain building, earthquakes, landslides, and climate change. We finish the semester by looking at a single, fantastic theory that unites many observations made in geology. These observations, such as the shape of the seafloor, why mountain chains are where they are, and the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes, are clues to a process going on in the interior of the earth called Plate Tectonics.

Below is the general outline of the course. Though it may not be for the current semester, the outline stays basically the same from semester to semester.