GEOS 305 - tentative syllabus


Date Topic Reading etc.
Sept. 10th Introduction; soil - dirt - what's the difference?; soil forming factors I: parent material and weathering; vegetation and organisms;  
Sept. 17th soil forming processes - soil horizons soil description exercise - color, texture, visit to Zion Hill Cemetery
Sept. 24th soil forming factors II: time, landscape, climate, time, topography might postpone fieldtrip to Cedar Hill Cemetery until now
Oct. 1st soil taxonomy, the 12 soil orders classification exercise, based on profile images
Oct. 8th soil mapping Wintergreen Woods mapping exercise
Oct. 15th no - class (take-home exam)  
Oct. 22nd fieldtrip to Wintergreen Woods - soil profile descriptions soil profile description in the field
Oct. 29th clay mineralogy - XRD XRD analyses
Nov. 5th hydric soils  
Nov. 12th soils and landscapes - catenas  
Nov. 19th field trip  
Nov. 26th Thanksgiving - no class  
Dec. 3rd tbd - paleosols or soil monoliths  
Dec. 10th tbd  

Google questionnaireback to GEOS 305

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDVPSGxfUmVIZzh5QVhYanFoOGFid1E6MA..