Plate Tectonics: Geology Overview

Geology Overview

Using the topics provided in the course syllabus, I came up with three categories in total.

My first category is “Basics of Geology” which includes:

• What is Geology?

• Plate Tectonics

• Inside the Earth

• How Mountains Are Made

I chose these specific topics because I felt that they all fell under the common theme of general/basic mechanisms and encompasses main theories and processes of Geology. In order to understand the former three topics, you must understand what Geology is. Plate tectonics is the “Big Idea” for Geology, a key theory that Geology is based on. You must also understand why plate tectonics are possible (because of the rock flow inside the earth) and its effects, which include how mountains are made.

My

second category is “Earth Rocks” which includes:
• Matter & Minerals
• How Rocks are Made
• How Rocks are Broken
• How Rocks are Baked
• How Earth Looks Today
I chose these specific topics because I felt that they all fell under the common theme of rocks and talks about what different the composition of rocks (matter & minerals), rock processes/cycles, and builds on these cycles (pun intended) to explain why the Earth looks the way it does today, compared to before.
My third category is “Water” which includes:
• Up a Creek
• The Water Beneath Our Feet
• Where Earth Meets Ice
• Where Earth Meets Wind & Water
• Humans & Earth
I chose these specific topics because I felt that they all fell under the common theme of water, such as talking about how and where the earth and water interact with each other, as well as what effects these have on each other and our general environment. As well as how we’ve shaped our planet since humankind inherited it, whether good or bad, but also what we could do in order to preserve our resources and precious planet for the next generation.

As I’m sure many people do, I found the matter and mineral section to be the most interesting and appealing, not just the pretty colors. I’m intrigued by the different/unique properties and structures of minerals such as an opal’s translucency, agate’s many layers, and galena’s cubic structure + its reflective metallic surface.