Physical Geology and Earth Systems

Instructor Information

• Instructor: Dr. Keiko Tanaka (Assistant Teaching Professor of Environmental Science)
• Email: ktanaka@university.alkimi.ai
• Office: Meridian Science Center 416
• Office Hours:
  • Monday & Thursday: 9:00–10:30 a.m. (In person, Meridian Science Center 416)
  • Friday: 9:00–10:00 a.m. (Virtual via Zoom; link posted in Canvas)
  • Also available by appointment.

Course Description

Earth materials, plate tectonics, mineral and rock formation, structural deformation, volcanism, earthquakes, and surface geological processes, with a weekly three-hour laboratory. GEOL 101 introduces students to the dynamic physical processes that shape planet Earth from its core to its surficial crust. We examine the chemical composition and crystalline structure of minerals, the genesis of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, and the fundamental paradigm of plate tectonics. Students explore volcanic activity, earthquake seismology, mountain building, structural deformation, and surficial landscape evolution driven by river systems, groundwater, glaciers, and coastal forces. Weekly three-hour laboratory sessions emphasize hands-on mineral and rock specimen analysis, topographic and geologic map interpretation, and field excursions investigating rock formations and fluvial geomorphology across the Merrow River watershed.

Prerequisites

None.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of GEOL 101, students will be able to:

1. Identify Earth Materials: Identify common rock-forming minerals, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks using diagnostic physical properties and hand-lens examination.
2. Explain Plate Tectonics and Deep Earth Processes: Describe plate boundary interactions, mantle convection, magmatism, seismicity, and the dynamic mechanisms driving continental drift.
3. Interpret Geologic Maps and Structures: Analyze strike and dip measurements, fold-and-fault geometries, unconformities, and geologic cross-sections to reconstruct structural histories.
4. Analyze Surficial and Hydrological Processes: Evaluate river hydrology, weathering rates, sediment transport, groundwater dynamics, and landscape evolution in the Merrow River watershed.
5. Investigate Geohazards and Earth History: Apply principles of stratigraphy, radiometric dating, and seismology to assess volcanic hazards, earthquake risks, and paleoclimate shifts.
6. Conduct Geological Field Observations: Record systematic lithologic descriptions, strike/dip data, and geomorphic features during field investigations along local geological exposures.

Required Course Materials & Approximate Costs

1. Stephen Marshak. Earth: Portrait of a Planet. 7th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2022. Approx. $65 digital rental, $120 print purchase.
2. Keiko Tanaka. GEOL 101 Physical Geology Laboratory Manual and Merrow River Field Guide. Alkimi University Copy Center, Fall 2026. Approx. $25.
3. Geological field toolkit: 10x achromatic hand lens, streak plate, and waterproof field notebook. Approx. $15.
4. Total estimated cost: $40 to $160.

Generative AI Policy (AI Level 2: AI Permitted with Disclosure for Specified Tasks)

In accordance with Alkimi University Academic Policies (Student Handbook §5.8), GEOL 101 operates under AI Level 2.

• What is permitted: You may use generative AI platforms to explore background geological terminology, study conceptual analogies for plate tectonic mechanisms, or review the formatting and clarity of problem set calculations.
• What is prohibited: You may not use generative AI to fabricate field observation data from the Merrow River valley, generate rock identification descriptions, complete laboratory worksheets, or access AI during exams.
• Disclosure: Any submitted field report or problem set that incorporates AI assistance for conceptual review or proofreading must include an explicit disclosure stating the tool used and the nature of the assistance.

Grading Components and Weights

• Midterm Exam 1: Earth Materials and Deep Time: 15% (In class, Friday, September 25)
• Midterm Exam 2: Structural Geology and Tectonics: 15% (In class, Friday, October 30)
• Laboratory Exercises and Field Reports: 25% (Weekly laboratory worksheets and Merrow River field reports submitted in Canvas before the start of the next laboratory meeting)
• Laboratory Practical Examination: 10% (In lab, week of December 7)
• Geoscience Problem Sets and Map Exercises: 10% (Canvas problem sets on topographic profiling, seismic triangulation, and geologic structures due Mondays at 11:59 p.m.)
• Comprehensive Final Examination: 25% (Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 3:30–5:30 p.m.)

Grading Scale (Alkimi University Standard)

• A: 93–100% | A-: 90–92%
• B+: 87–89% | B: 83–86% | B-: 80–82%
• C+: 77–79% | C: 73–76% | C-: 70–72%
• D+: 67–69% | D: 60–66% | F: Below 60%
• Extra credit: None is offered.

Course Schedule (Fall 2026)

Course Policies

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance at all Monday, Wednesday, and Friday lectures and Wednesday laboratory meetings is required. Laboratory sessions involve essential hands-on specimen examination and field trips to the Merrow River watershed that cannot be replicated outside class. Students are allowed up to two excused lecture absences with advance notice. Missing more than two laboratory sessions without official documentation will result in a failing grade. Students who miss the first two class meetings without notifying the instructor may be dropped. Students may miss class for religious observance without penalty if they notify the instructor in writing within the first two weeks of the semester (by Wednesday, September 9, 2026). Absences for university-sponsored activities (athletics, performances, conferences) are excused with a letter from the sponsoring office at least one week in advance.

Late Work Policy

Weekly laboratory reports and problem sets lose 10% per calendar day late and cannot be submitted more than three days past the deadline. Missed laboratory sessions due to undocumented absences cannot be made up because specimens and equipment are rotated weekly. In-class examinations and laboratory practicals must be taken at the scheduled times unless approved by university policy.

Final Exam Policy

The final examination (Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 3:30–5:30 p.m.) is scheduled by the University Registrar and can't be moved without the Dean's written approval (Faculty Handbook §5.5). A student with three or more final exams on the same calendar day may reschedule one of them. Requests go to the instructor of the middle exam by the last day of classes. For this term, send the request by Wednesday, December 9, 2026 (Student Handbook §6.4).