Introduction to Physical Geology

This course is an introduction to geoscience; the study of how the Earth works. Humans around the world are impacted every day by geologic phenomena, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and also by access to natural resources such as oil, metals, and water. I hope that students will develop a new appreciation of the natural world, an understanding of the physical processes that have gone into making the Earth as we know it, and an awareness of how Montana fits into the global picture. We will also delve into the nature of science: what is science?; what is the process of science involve?; what defines "good" science? This knowledge will help students make informed decisions about issues that affect humankind. Course enrollment is two sections of about 200 per semester. Lab sections are about 25 students.