Fall
2020
Instructor
Dr.
Catherine A.
Rigsby
Office: 103-A Graham; (252) 328-4297; rigsbyc@ecu.edu
(email is always best!)
Office Hours: on-line
office hours by appointment via WebEx (https://ecu.webex.com/meet/rigsbyc);
just send me an email and we'll set it up!
Teaching Assistants
Patrick Tomasic Matthew Banaszynsk
Ariana Donini
Rachel Wheatley
Course
Format and Goals
GEOL 4010/4011 is a combined lecture/lab/field-project course. Co-registration in the lab is required, as is participation in all field projects. Please note that the 2020 7.5-week version of this course covers the same material and requires the same amount of work as previous full-semester-length versions. The amount of time spent on course work is the same as for a full-semester-length course. The work is simply done on a condensed schedule. This is an important consideration. Please remember to schedule your time, both inside and outside of scheduled meeting hours, accordingly.
Modern sedimentology is an interdisciplinary endeavor. To do it well, one must have a working knowledge of all of the basic sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, physics, and geology), as well familiarity with mathematics and basic statistics. In this course, we will rely on that foundation, plus all of your previous geological training, as we investigate how sediments are eroded, transported, and eventually deposited (physical sedimentology), how sediments occur in a variety of naturally occurring modern and ancient environments (depositional systems and facies analysis), and how we can use our understanding of sedimentatry processes and products to make interpretations about major events in Earth history (large-scale controls on sedimentary systems).
This course is taught as a "capstone" course. As such, it requires you to integrate and utilize all of your previously acquired knowledge in a professional manner. To ensure success, your goals should include (1) becoming adept at observing, describing, and interpreting sediments in a way that will allow you to answer questions about their origin and fate, (2) working in teams to develop robust data sets, and (3) developing a professional-level ability to communicate your understanding of sediments and sedimentary systems in high quality geological reports.
The course
syllabus is your aid to survival! The full
syllabus includes the
prospectus
(this page), the combined lecture
and laboratory
schedule, and all web pages linked to those pages. Keep them handy and in
mind at all
times! Neither the
lecture schedule nor
the laboratory schedule will change significantly without advance
notice from
me. But,
this semester more than ever, changes may be necessary. So, be alert and
listen for the change announcements.
*** As of 26 AUGUST, this class is online. ***
Class and laboratory meetings will conducted synchronously, during the scheduled meeting times, via WebEx.
Students will be given the opportunity to continue laboratory work in-person (in small groups and using all appropriate COVID-19 precautions).
- Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 - 11:45 am., Rm. 106 Graham (attendance required) WebEx link: Join Class
- Labs:
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 - 3:20 p.m., Rm. 106 Graham (or in other
locations, as announced
during lecture
and/or as noted in the lab syllabus) (attendance
required, plus additional individual/small group work
outside of scheduled class and lab times)
- Field Projects: as scheduled (see below and on associated web pages) (Virtual plus in-lab experiences; partially synchronous and partially asychronous; real-time attendance required for synchronous portions of the field projects, plus additional individual/small group work outside of scheduled class and lab times)
Prerequisites
To enroll in this class, you must have successfully completed the following course prerequisites: GEOL 1600 (Earth and Life Through Time), 2000 (Quantitative Methods in Geoogical Sciences), and 3050 and 3051 (Minerology and Petrology I, with lab). To be best prepared for success in this senior-level course, I recommend that you also complete your basic science (biology, chemistry, and/or physics) and mathematics requirements, as well as min/pet II and field methods before attemping this course. Please note that GEOL 4011 (Sedimentology Laboratory) is a co-requisite (the lecture, GEOL 4010, and the lab, GEOL 4011, must be taken together) and that completion of all laboratory and field projects described in the course syllabus is manadatory.
Required Course
Materials
- Almost all necessary course materials are provided electronically (on this web site). In addition to these materials, you wil need the following to complete the required work in this course:
- University-approved Face Covering/Mask, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes;
- Hand lens, 10x or 14x (such as this 10X Bausch & Lomb Coddington Hand Lens, this 14x Hastings Triplet Magnifier, or any similar lens);
- Graph paper, straight edge, calculator, colored pencils and other standard lab/drawing instruments;
- Access to Excel and Word (on a university computer or on your own laptop); and
- Grain size card (such as this Translucent card, this Sand Gauge; this Sand and Gravel chart, this Geotechnical Gauge, or another
similar item).
Reading
- There is no required textbook for this course. Nevertheless, you will likely benefit from having a text or text-like resource to aid your study. I suggest that you either find a reasonably modern sedimentology textbook in the ECU library or refer to on-line lecture notes such as those from MIT's Open Courseware site. The downloadable Sedimentary Geology lecture notes from the MIT site include most of the topics we will cover in this course.
- Supplementary
Reading may be assigned throughout the semester (and will be made
available in pdf format on this course website).
Field Projects
3 required
field projects (with virtual field trips), and accompanying written
reports, as
follows:
- August 20
(Thursday), Field Project #1 -- Tar
River
- September 10 (Thursday), Field Project #2 -- Shackleford Banks
- September 25
(Thursday), Field Project #3 - Quarry Project
These
projects are an integral part of the work you will do in this class.
Each project requires integration of previously learned
material
with the new concepts introduced in this course.
Project requirements and deadlines are included in the course
webpages. Two of the three projects include a laboratory
component
that must be completed in one of the geology laboratories on campus.
And, all three projects culminate with a formal,
professional qualilty geological report. Note that
it is impossible to complete the field projects (hence, almost
impossible to pass the class) without both participating in the virtual
field trips and completing the associated lab work.
This work requires coordination with class
co-workers, as
well as a substantial amount of out-of-classroom time. Please
arrange your schedule accordingly.
Exams
- Mid-term exam –
Available on-line by 5:00 pm on 09/08
(linked to the lecture syllabus), DUE at or before midnight (by 11:59
pm!) on Friday, September 4th.
- Final exam – Available on-line by midnight on 09/25 (linked to the lecture syllabus), DUE at or before (!) 3:20 pm on Tuesday, September 29th.
Grading
The grading
rubric for this course is detailed below. As a supplement to this
information,
I urge you to read "Understanding
Grades" – it is both interesting and useful.
- Field
projects (including field
work, lab work, all report drafts, and your meetings with the
Writing Consultant/Mentor) -- 40%
- Exams (average of both exams, not each) -- 30%
- Laboratory
Exercises (combined total) -- 20%
- Meaningful
participation in Classroom and Laboratory Activities and Discussions -- 10%
(note that it is not possible to achieve the full 10%
for participation without 100% attendance)
General
Expectations
- As
a senior-level capstone course for geoscience majors, Geol 4010/4011
requires a
high level of preparedness as well as the ability to organize one’s
time, to work in research teams, to
meet strict deadlines, and to apply previous learning to new situations. Because everyone
enrolled in this course is an upper division geosciences major
(or an upper
division or graduate student in a major
that emphasizes the importance of the geosciences to your discipline), I will assume that
you understand how to be a good student and will not bore you
with the details of
good scholarly habits. Everyone
enrolled in GEOL4010/4011 is expected to demonstrate both the
dedication to learning and the
organizational and research skills that are required of those
who gain
employment as a professional
geoscientist.
- This
course is writing
intensive (WI). It is part of ECU’s
Writing Across
the Curriculum Program and contributes to ECU’s twelve hour WI
requirement. As
such, the course
includes a significant focus on the development of writing skills. Success in
this course, signifies that you have demonstrated your ability to
complete the following tasks:
1.
Use
writing to investigate complex, relevant geological topics and
address
significant questions through engagement with and effective use of
credible
sources.
2.
Produce
writing that reflects an awareness of context, purpose, and audience
and that
is appropriate in style and content for professional writing in the
geological
sciences.
3.
Demonstrate
that you understand writing as a process that can be made more
effective though
multiple drafts and revisions.
4.
Proofread
and edit your own writing, avoiding grammatical and mechanical errors.
5.
Assess
and explain the major choices that you make in your writing.
- As
is required for all WI courses, you must upload writing materials to
your
individual University Writing Portfolio.
For this course, you are required to upload
the following items:
1.
a
clean, final version of each field trip report;
2.
a
brief description (in your own words!) of the assignment for
which each report was prepared; and
3.
a
writing self-analysis document that includes answers to the
questions included within the University Writing Portfolio.
Detailed
written and video
instructions for accessing iWebfolio,
uploading
materials to iWebfolio,
and giving your instructor
access to your iWebfolio
materials are available at
the following website: http://www.ecu.edu/qep/.
Additional
information about ECU's Writing Program is
available at the following website:
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/writing/index.cfm .
- You are assumed to have a good understanding of the ECU student handbook, which outlines the student code of conduct, including the academic integrity policy and procedures, and of the Department of Geological Sciences Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct; of what it takes to earn high marks in an upper division science course; and of the civil and respectful behavior expected of all members of the campus community – both in the classroom and in the field. Punctual and alert attendance, of course, is expected. If you have special needs because of a covered disability, please contact Disability Support Services (located in 138 Slay). In case of a campus emergency, you may stay informed via the ECU emergency alert web site (don’t forget to sign up for text and e-mail alerts!).
- Remember that we are still in the midst of a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. This course is structured such that, if we all work together by taking necessary precautions to protect ourselves and others, follow all univeristy and department health and saftey guidelines, and stay alert to the changing situation, we should all remain healthy during the semester. However, if even only one or two people in the class do not take necessary precautions or do not follow university and CDC guidelines for staying healthly during a pandemic, the result can be very bad outcomes for those individuals as well as for their classmates and the entire campus community. We must make every effort to protect the health and safety of the entire campus community. To this end, I urge you to keep abreast of ECU coronavirus updates, adhere to the personal safety practices outllined on ECU's Protecting Our Pirates site, follow all course-specific field and labortory safety instructions; and utilize your scientific thinking skills to learn about the pandemic and to make decisions based on scientific data. This is an opportunity to help your fellow students (and others) by demonstrating behaviours and attitudes that are informed by science.
- sit in the same seat (and use the same lab work station) during each class/lab session (this will be very important if someone on campus becomes ill and contact tracing is needed);
- know
the symptoms of COVID-19;
- monitor your health by completing a daily ECU COVID-19 screening (you can do this from your cell phone by logging into PiratePort and enter ingyour cell phone number via the "Mobile Device Registration" menu);
- if you become ill, follow the guidelines in Return to Pirate Nations for Students, and immediately let me know of any changes in your ability to complete the required coursework;
- wash/sanitize your hands thoroughly and often, including immediately prior to entering classroom or lab spaces (this video demonstration of appropriate handwashing techiques is worth a watch);
- avoid touching your face (especially your mouth, nose, and eyes);
- properly cover all coughs and sneezes;
- maintain at least 6' of physical distance (both indoors and outdoors) between yourself and others who are not in your immediate household;
- disinfect all common surfaces you touch and all shared equipment you use (desks, countertops, keyboards, microscopes, etc., etc.) before and after you use them; and
- because social distancing alone is not enough to prevent the spread of cornavirus, wear a face mask whenever you are with others who are not in your immediate household (including during class sessions, when walking across campusor in town, when in the field, and when working in any ECU laboratory or computer room).
Stay informed. Stay alert. Stay safe.
| Prospectus | Course Schedule | Field Trips | ECU Geological Sciences | ECU |
Date
last revised:
08/06/20
http://core.ecu.edu/geology/rigsbyc/rigsby/Sedimentology/2020/prospectus.html