EASC 328    3 Credit Hours

Structural Geology and Tectonics

This information is for second semester 2017/2018 academic year

Course Prerequisites

Mathematics (Geometry, Trigonometry) & EASC 213

Teacher responsible

Dr. Jacob M. Kutu

Availability

This course is available open to all visiting students who have fulfilled the prerequisites, and as a second semester course.

Course Content

This is a theory and practical course providing understanding of theoretical concepts of structural geology, field occurrences and relations of structures, and applications. This course is one core field of geology. The course covers: Definitions and study of the concepts and principles, kinds, genesis and evolution of geological structures; elements, analysis, interpretation and synthesis of geological structures; significance and applications of knowledge of geological structures to geological field mapping and map production, solution of geological problems, exploration and mining of Earth materials and resources, town-and-country planning, engineering and other scientific applications. The course is meant to give the student specialized knowledge of and career-training in the practice and application structural geology for the geological and mining profession.

Teaching

Language of instruction is English. This curriculum is a theoretical and practical course. It will be delivered by means of:

•              A series of graduated lectures as outlined in the course content below, accompanied by,

•              Practical hands-on laboratory work, field training,

•              Data processing and interpretation and report writing,

•              Student seminar sessions, and

•              Class exercises, assignments, tutorials, and examinations. 

Formative Coursework

There will be Interim Assessment, Lab Work and End of Semester Examination. Success in this course depends on reading widely on the topics to be treated, and is highly recommended.

Indicative reading

Condie, K.C. (1997) Plate Tectonics and Crustal Evolution; Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, Boston, Johannesburg, Melbourne, New Delhi, Singapore, 282 pp.

Cox, A. and Hart, B.R. (1986) Plate Tectonics: How It Works; Blackwell Scientific Publications, Inc., Palo Alto, Oxford, London, Edinburgh, Boston, Melbourne, 392 pp.

Davis, G.H. and Reynolds, S. J. (1996) Structural Geology of Rocks and Regions; John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, Chichester; 776pp.

Dietz, R.S. and Holden, J.D. (1970) Reonstruction of Pangea: Breakup and Dispersion of Continents, Permian to Present; Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 75, p. 4939-4956.

Encycleopaedia Britannica (1989, No. 16) Continental Landforms; p. 705 - 759.

Park, R. G. (1988) Geological Structures and Moving Plates; Blackie Academic & Professional (Chapman & Hall), London, Glasgow, New York; 337pp.

Prichard, H.M.; Alabaster,T.; Harris, N.B.W.; Neary, C.R. (eds., 1993) Magmatic Processes and Plate Tectonics, Geological Society Special Publication No. 76, London, 520 pp

Compton, R.R. (1985) Geology in the Field; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 398pp.

Roberts, J.L. (1982) Introduction to Geological Maps and Structures; Pergamon Press, Oxford, New York; 332pp.

Mikhailov, A.Ye. (1987) Structural Geology and Geological Mapping; Mir Publishers, Moscow; 535pp.

Mintz, L.W. (1972) Historical Geology: The Science of a Dynamic Earth; Charles E. Merill Publishing Co. (& Bell and Howell Co.); 785pp.

Muehrcke, P.C. (1978) Map Use: Reading, Analysis, and Interpretation; JP Publications, Madison; 474pp.

Ragan, D. M. (1985) Structural Geology: An Introduction to Geometrical Techniques (3rd edition); John Wiley & Sons; 393pp.

Powell, D (1992) Interpretation of Geological Structures through maps (An Introduction Practical Manual); Longman Scientific & Technical; 176pp.

Sornette, D.; Davy, P.; Sornette, A. (1990) Structuration of the lithosphere in plate tectonics as a self-organised critical phenomenon. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 95, B11, p. 17353-17361.

Turcotte, D.L. and Schubert, G. (2002) Geodynamics (2nd Edition) Cambridge University Press, 456 pp.

Winter, J.D. (2001) An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 697pp.

Whitten, E.T.H (1966) Structural Geology of Folded Rocks;  Rand-McNally, Skokie, Illinois; 663pp.

+ Any relevant materials from journals, periodicals, news papers, www-internet sources, field mapping data processing soft-wares

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