If you do well in this course, you will be able to:
- identify on sight several minerals and rocks that commonly occur on the earth's surface;
- distinguish the major classes of rocks and explain their origin;
- state the various processes of physical and chemical weathering and be able to recognize them in the field;
- explain the different agents of erosion and recognize the landforms they leave on the earth's surface;
- write an essay on one of the major theories of the cause of glaciation;
- distinguish the major categories of faults and folds that define the earth's surface and interior;
- diagram the earth's interior zones and discuss the mineral and rock composition of each zone;
- list the most common elements found in sea water and describe the tidal and wave motion of sea water;
- explain how oil and coal are formed, where they are, and how they are extracted;
- outline the theories of continental drift, sea floor spreading, and plate tectonics and the relationships between them.