Ge 104. Introduction to Geobiology. 9 units (3-1-5); first term. Prerequisite: instructor’s permission. Lectures about the coevolution of life and Earth. Basic concepts in geology and biology are presented in the context of significant events in Earth’s history. The course provides a brief introduction to essential concepts in biology and geology to provide a common foundation for all students. Important geobiological processes and major events are discussed, including fossilization, the earliest records of life, evolution of photosynthesis and the oxygenation of Earth’s environment, origin of animals at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary, extinction of invertebrates at the Permian-Triassic boundary, and the Eocene-Paleocene thermal crisis. A weekend field trip to modern and ancient geobiological sites.

Ge 112 a. Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, and Geomorphology: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. 12 units (3-5-4); first term. Prerequisite: Ge 11 ab. Systematic analysis of transport and deposition in sedimentary environments and the resulting composition, texture, and structure of both clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks. The nature and genesis of sequence architecture of sedimentary basins and cyclic aspects of sedimentary accumulation will be introduced. Covers the formal and practical principles of definition of stratigraphic units, correlation, and the construction of a geologic timescale. Field trip and laboratory exercises.

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