Geology 51- 314/514: Sedimentology: Environments through Time
Fall 2021 (3 Credits)

Instructor: Eric Hiatt
Office: Harrington Hall 214 & 315
E-mail: hiatt@uwosh.edu
Phone: (920) 424-7167

Web site:
http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/hiatt/
Research Information:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric_Hiatt

Publications: Google Scholar
More Research:
https://uwosh.academia.edu/EricHiatt
General Background:
Eric Hiatt's Background

Office hours: On Collaborate Ultra 10:30-11:30 AM Monday & Wed., 3:15-4:00 PM M, W, & F and by appointment (email)

Important Dates:
First Lecture: Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Last day to add without instructor signature: Sept. 14
Last Day to Add with Instructor’s Signature: Tuesday, October 5
Early Alert: Wednesday, October 6 - Tuesday, October 12
Last day to drop without Late Drop Appeal: October 22
(here is a link to the Registrar's Drop-Add form)

Thanksgiving Break: November 24-28
Last day of semester: Friday, December 17
Graduation: Saturday, December 18

Things to consider before dropping a course. Information on repeating a course.

Schedule:

  • Lecture: Monday and Wednesday Online in Canvas, or 9:10-10:10 Harrington Hall 217.
  • Lab: Friday 9:10-11:20 PM, Harrington Hall 313.

 

Required for Lab: 10x-hand lens, textbook (see below), notebook.

Photo of students working

UW-Oshkosh Geology students examining structures deposited in glacial Lake Oshkosh in outcrop, Brown Co., Wisconsin.



Covid-19 Pandemic Requirements:
All faculty, staff, students, and guests to the University are required to wear a face covering while inside University buildings, including classrooms.

Prerequisites: Completed a science lab course.

Learning Outcomes: Geology is the scientific study and exploration of the Earth, including its origins, history and structure, as well as its environment and climate. The purpose of this course is to explore modern and ancient sedimentary environments and to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to describe, understand, and interpret sediments, sedimentary rocks and environments through time. The history of the earth is to a large degree written in sediments and sedimentary rocks. This history includes climate, the story of life, and the development of important economic resources. The ultimate goal of this course is to give you the ability to make careful observations, and from these interpret and understand modern and ancient sedimentary environments and climate.

What is a university education? A university is not like high school, a community college, or a technical school. The purpose of a university is to: 1) discover and develop new knowledge (in science and the arts), and 2) to bring knowledge to society through teaching. You will often hear your experience at UW Oshkosh described as a liberal arts education, which is a term that attempts to encapsulate the university experience, but is, in fact, only part of the larger university experience in science. At a university, you should learn how to problem solve, to think critically, explore fields and areas of interest, learn about cultures, and society -- in addition to learning general aspects and specifics of a range of fundamental topics and specifics within your major. At a university you are given many opportunities to learn from experts in various fields of study, and to explore the world of knowledge -- take advantage of these opportunities!

Assessment Laboratory* 25%
(Grades): Exam 1 20%
  Exam 2 20%
  Homework and quizzes 10%
  Final Exam 25%

 

 

 


* Laboratory grade includes assignments, participation, and field notebook. All lab assignments are due at the end of lab period, unless otherwise stated.

Here are some good resources for writing, properly citing sources, reference styles, and avoiding plagiarism, and here is a list of good resources to review writing, grammar, chemistry, math, and other sciences.

How to succeed in this course: You must attend and pass both lecture and lab, and turn in acceptable research reports to pass the overall course. Labs are informal and involve working with others; you must work well with others and show respect to fellow students. Rude, disruptive, and disrespectful behavior, including text messaging, will not be tolerated and can result in a lowered course grade and possible removal from the course. Repeated instances of rude, disruptive, or disrespectful behavior will result in a course grade of F and possible disciplinary action. If you have a valid excuse and must miss an exam, contact me BEFORE the exam date. If you have a valid excuse, you may take a makeup exam.


Grade scale: 93% and up = A; 90-92 = A-; 87-89 = B+; 83-86 = B; 80-82 = B-; 77-79 = C+; 73-76 = C; 69-72 =C-; 66-68 = D+; 63-65 = D; 60-62 = D-; <60% = F

Graduate credit: Students enrolled in 514 (graduate credit) must meet with Dr. Hiatt to plan, develop and complete an additional research project. This project will involve a higher level of synthesis than is required of undergraduate students in this course. Graduate grade scale: 93% and up = A; 90-92 = A-; 87-89 = B+; 83-86 = B; 80-82 = B-; 77-79 = C+; 73-76 = C; 69-72 =C-; 68% or less = F.

Special Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with disabilities. Please contact Disability Services (424-3100 (voice) or 424-1319 (TTY)) or visit their web site at http://www.uwosh.edu/dean/disabilities.htm for the University’s accommodation request form and documentation requirements. Information related to an individual’s accommodation request will be kept confidential.

Academic Integrity: The Wisconsin Administrative Code states: “Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others academic endeavors.” (§ UWS 14.01) Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct are serious offenses with severe penalties. See the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Academic Misconduct Code for definitions of academic misconduct and details about procedures, sanctions, and other relevant information. Specific questions about the provisions in the Student Discipline Code should be directed to the Dean of Students Office. If you do not understand this statement, please see me as soon as possible.

Boogs_textbook

Required text: **Boggs, S., Jr., 2012, Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, 5th ed: Prentice Hall.

Previous editions (third or fourth editions) are acceptable also. Used versions sell for as low as $20-$50.

{Check online if you want to find the best deal (used or new).} (The UWO bookstore sells the 5th edition used for about $164.)

 

 


Geology 314/514 Lecture Schedule:

Week of: Topic and reading:
Reading in Text *
Sept. 6 Introduction to sedimentology; sedimentary cycles, climate, weathering processes, soils; sediment production. Read textbook Introduction p. xvii-xix. Compete Homework 1 (due Monday, Sept. 13)
chp. 1
Sept. 13 Description and classification of siliciclastic rocks; sediment maturity; introduction to stream flow; grain transport and deposition
chps. 2 & 3
Sept. 20 Terrestrial depositional systems; sedimentary structures
chp. 4
Sept. 27 Tectonic regimes and terrigenous clastic sediments; environmental classification concepts
chps. 5 & 8
Oct. 4 River systems; Exam 1 (Friday 10/8)
chp. 8
Oct. 11 Eolian depositional systems
chp. 8
  Required field trip: All day Saturday Date to be announced (Bring hand lens, sack lunch, note book, jacket)  
Oct. 18 Marine and deltaic depositional systems
chp. 9
Oct. 25 Interaction between life and sediments
chps. 6 &11
Nov. 1 Oceanographic controls on sedimentation. Shallow marine environments I. Exam 2 (Friday 11/5)
chp. 11
Nov. 8 Shallow marine environments II: Shelf and tidal flat depositional environments
chps. 9 & 11
Nov. 15 Pelagic Sediments; Petroleum: origin, occurrence, environmental concerns
chp. 10
Nov. 22 Monday only: Deep water marine environments; Thanksgiving Break (Nov. 24-28).
chp 7, p. 229
Nov. 29 Tropical environments, carbon cycle, and biochemical and sediments
chp. 5
Dec. 6 Chemical sediments, and carbonate rocks and evaporites. Reefs
chp. 12
Dec. 13 Monday Review, Final Exam (Wed. Dec. 15).

* Refers to chapters and pages in: Boggs, S., Jr., 2012, Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, 5th ed: Prentice Hall.
Here is a list of good resources to review writing, grammar, chemistry, math, and other sciences.

Important Dates:
First Lecture: Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Last day to add without instructor signature: Sept. 14
Last Day to Add with Instructor’s Signature: Tuesday, October 5
Early Alert: Wednesday, October 6 - Tuesday, October 12
Last day to drop without Late Drop Appeal: October 22
((here is a link to the Registrar's Drop-Add form)

Thanksgiving Break: November 24-28
Last day of semester: Friday, December 17
Graduation: Saturday, December 18

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