GEOS 112: Introduction to Earth Science |
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Geologists study the structure and history of the Earth and try to
understand the processes that formed our planet over its long history.
Much of our knowledge comes from studying modern environments, such as
streams, ocean beaches, deserts or mountain ranges, and trying to
understand the traces they leave in rocks. In this course you will be
introduced to basic minerals and rocks, the processes that currently shape
the face of the Earth, and how we can apply this knowledge to reconstruct
the Earth’s past. You will learn how geologists figure out the age of the
Earth, how to make mountain ranges, why dinosaurs once roamed the
Connecticut valley, leaving only footprints but no bodies, and why, only
25,000 years ago, huge glaciers covered a good part of the Northern
hemisphere including all of Connecticut. Laboratory exercises let you apply your classroom knowledge to local geological problems. We will, for example, reconstruct the geological history of the Trinity campus, learn how to make simple maps, and use Trinity’s field station at Ashford, CT to study, among others, soils and wetlands. |
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| Group of Geology students at Castle Crag, Meriden | |
