GEL 101 - Physical Geology

Credits: 4

Advisory: ENGL C1000
Corequisite: GEL 102

Description: This course focuses on the internal structure and origin of the Earth and the processes that change and shape it. Topics include plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, volcanoes, earthquakes, faults and folds, erosion, surface water, groundwater, desert landforms, and glaciers. The course may include extra credit field trips to areas of interest or alternative assignments as noted in syllabus.

Transferable
Transferable to both UC and CSU

General Education:

CalGETC: Transfer General Education Requirements ( 5- Physical and Biological Sciences- 5A: Physical Science )

Student Learning Outcomes:

Use the theory of plate tectonics to explain the origin and pattern of volcanoes, mountains and earthquakes.
Explain how geological environments form, change, and erode through time in word or diagrammatic form.
Describe how geologists understand Earth’s past by studying rocks, fossils, and the present-day landscape.
Outline ways geology influences where it is safe to live.

Total Course In-Class (Contact) Hours: 72
Course Duration (Weeks): 18
Weekly Student Hours (In-Class) Lecture Hours: 4