GEOL 603 - Earth Science

(3 hours) Earth science is an introduction to astronomy and geology for graduate students in education. Sample topics from astronomy include the historical development of theories of the solar system from early Polemic theory through the Copernican Revolution, history of the moon’s orbit, eclipses; the causes of the seasons, reading star maps and globes; gravity and its effects on the sun, the planets, and black holes; and the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. Topics from geology include the historical development of plate tectonics theory, the geologic column, origin & development of mountain ranges, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, as well as rock & mineral identification, ice age theories, and the geology of the ocean floor.