- Docente: Gian Gaspare Zuffa
- Credits: 8
- SSD: GEO/02
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Ravenna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Environmental Sciences (cod. 0104)
Learning outcomes
The course is aimed to offer a first theoretical and
practical contact with the Earth Planet as a System and it's
particularly focused toward rock forming processes.
This will include: (1) learning space/time dimensions of Earth
processes; 2) skill for integrating theory and field/laboratory
evidence, from observation to synthesis and construction of
models. The course will also introduce elementary items
for reading topographic and geological maps.
Course contents
Introduction to Earth sciences, history of geology, plate tectonics
theory. Minerals, the rock forming material: structural features,
properties, classification.
The structure of the Earth interpreted from the study of
earthquakes and seismic waves. Plate
tectonics. Lithology: the rock cycle, the more important rock
types. Igneous rocks: genesis of magma and environment of
formation. Intrusive and effusive igneous rocks. Sedimentary rocks:
types, classification and genetic settings. Metamorphic rocks:
metamorphic environments and types of metamorphism. Methods to
recognize and classify the more important rock types.
Basic informations on stratigraphy and geochronology, absolute and
relative age, chronostratigraphy.
Bedding in sedimentary rocks, basic concepts of structural geology:
faults, folds, thrusts.
Major marine and terrestrial depositional environments; fluvial
environments, deserts, glaciers, coasts, oceans.
Basic notions of cartography: reading and interpretation of
topographic and geological maps.
Readings/Bibliography
- Marshak S.. la terra. ritratto di un pianeta. Zanichelli ed. Bologna
- or
-
Press F., Siever R., Grotzinger J., Jordan T.H.,. (2006) CAPIRE LA
TERRA (2 Edizione italiana condotta sulla quarta edizione
americana, a cura di P: Fredi). Zanichelli. Bologna, 576p.(66€)
Recommended text books: - B. D'Argenio, F. Innocenti, F.P. Sassi. Introduzione allo studio delle rocce. UTET Torino
- L. Aruta, P. Marescalchi. Cartografia - lettura delle carte. Flaccovio ed.
- UNDERSTANDING EARTH, 2004, Press F., Siever R., Grotzinger J., Jordan T. H., fourth edition, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 567p., Appendix, 14p; Glossary, 17p., Index, 18p
- Mike Leeder and Marta Pérez-Arlucea, 2006, PHYSICAL PROCESSES IN EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 318p.
Teaching methods
The approach to education is primarily centred on the
student and his/her capacity to learn, demanding more protagonism
and higher quotas of involvement since it is the student who ought
to develop the capacity to handle original information and access
and evaluate information and concepts in a more varied form
(library, teacher, internet, laboratory, etc.).
This relates implicitly with the changing role of the teacher,
from being the structurer of knowledge, the key player in the
teaching and articulation of concepts, as well as the supervisor
and director of work of the student, whose knowledge he/she
assesses.
Assessment methods
Two written tests, Oral examination, visual classification
of rock samples. Individual reports on field excursions are
required and will be evaluated.
Teaching tools
35-mm slide projector, LCD projector (power point
presentations), overhead projector, mineral and rock collections,
normal equipment for field geology work such as, maps, hammer, hand
lens, camera, etc..
Links to further information
http://www.ig.uit.no/webgeology/
Office hours
See the website of Gian Gaspare Zuffa