CEE 437 Lecture 1

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CEE 437 Lecture 1

• October 1, 2002
• Thomas Doe

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Outline

• Course Introduction
• Geology and Engineers
• Brief History of Geology
• Global Structure
• Plate Tectonics
• The Rock Cycle

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(No Transcript)
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Geology Brief History

• Origins in late 18th and early 19th Centuries
• Catastrophism and Uniformitarianism
• Age of Earth
• Uniformity of Processes
• Plate Tectonics Revolution (1950s to 1980s)
• Neo-Catastrophism

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Siccar Point Unconformity
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Smiths Map of England
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Engineering and Geology

• William Smith and the English geological map
• Karl Terzaghi and insights to the distribution of
  earth materials
• Earth heterogeneity!!!!

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Global Structure

• Based mainly on seismic information and meteorite
  compositions
• Crust 25-75 km depending varyin under continents
  and oceans

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Global Structure
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Velocity Variation with Depth
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Development of Plate Tectonics

• Evidence from ocean floor magnetism and ages
• Evidence from seismicity
• Evidence from cross-continent correlations of
  rocks

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Global Seismicity
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Benioff Zone
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Sea-floor Spreading

• Mantle convection driven

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Seafloor Spreading Sediment Ages
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Evolution of Spreading Sea Floor Atlantic Analog
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Convergent Margins

• Ocean to Continent
• Continent to Continent

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Convergent Margin
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Rock Cycle
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Convergent Margin Subduction Zone
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Major Crustal Plates
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Evolution of Continents North American Craton
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North American Accretion