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Jan 14, 2025
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GS 106 General Science: Earth Science
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 3
Credits: 4
Introduces various branches of the earth sciences. Includes basic terminology, fundamental processes, and respective interrelations.
Prerequisite: Placement into WR 115 (or higher), or completion of WR 090 (or higher) with a grade of C or better; or consent of instructor.
Differential Fee Yes
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Distinguish between the three main types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic).
- Describe the different kinds of volcanoes and how they form.
- Describe the formation landforms in the context of Plate Tectonics.
- Identify and describe the external and internal earth processes of the earth’s dynamics.
- Identify the hazards associated with earth processes, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, rivers, and weather.
- Identify the various parts of Earth’s hydrologic cycles and how they interact.
- Discuss the Earth’s oceans and their interaction with the atmosphere and continents.
- Explain the nature of the earth’s weather and climate phenomena. Discuss the implications and causes of modern climate change.
- Describe the formation of the solar system and planet.
- Discuss the formation of the Moon and its relationship with Earth.
- Discuss the principles of geologic time.
Statewide General Education Outcomes:
- Gather, comprehend, and communicate scientific and technical information in order to explore ideas, models, and solutions and generate further questions.
- Apply scientific and technical modes of inquiry, individually, and collaboratively, to critically evaluate existing or alternative explanations, solve problems, and make evidence-based decisions in an ethical manner; and
- Assess the strengths and weaknesses of scientific studies and critically examine the influence of scientific and technical knowledge on human society and the environment.
Content Outline
Text: Neser, Laura (2023). Introduction to Earth Science. Blacksburg: Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences. https://doi.org/10.21061/introearthscience. Licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0.
- Rocks and Minerals
- Minerals
- Identify the physical properties of various minerals
- Identify the most common rock-forming minerals
- Rocks
- Igneous rocks
- Distinguish between various lava types
- Explain volcanic processes
- Sedimentary rocks
- Clastic
- Nonclastic (chemical)
- Biochemical
- Metamorphic rocks
- Describe the rock cycle
- The Dynamic Earth
- Plate tectonics
- Describe the internal structure of the earth
- Explain the evidence for the theory of plate tectonics
- Describe the different types of plate boundaries
- Divergent
- Transform
- Convergent
- Hot Spots
- Earthquakes
- Summarize elastic rebound theory
- Describe the different types of seismic waves
- Explain how the magnitude and intensity of earthquakes are measured
- Hypothesize the hazardous effects of building in earthquake zones
- Describe the ways in which earthquakes are predicted
- Structural Geology
- Water
- Hydrologic cycle
- Groundwater
- Define the water table
- Describe the various types of aquifers
- Recognize the various hazards associated with groundwater
- Describe how caves are formed
- Surface water
- River dynamics
- River types
- Drainage patterns
- Assess the environmental impact of human-constructed dams
- Glaciers
- Describe how glaciers form
- Describe how glacier dynamics
- Distinguish between the different types of glaciers
- Explain the process of glacial erosion
- Glacial deposition
- Ice Ages
- Oceans
- Wave anatomy and formation
- Ocean currents
- Coastal features
- The Atmosphere and Weather
- Vertical structure of the atmosphere
- Solar energy and causes of seasons
- Global circulation patterns
- Weather
- Atmospheric moisture
- Atmospheric stability
- Clouds
- Violent weather
- Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various models of weather forecasting
- Modern climate change
- Foamtion of the Solar System
- The sun
- The planets
- The moon
- History of the Earth
- Relative geologic time
- Absolute geologic time
- Radiometric dating
- Compute the ages of rocks using radiometric dating techniques
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