Alessandro Grippo

SPRING session 2012

Professor: Dr. Alessandro Grippo, Ph.D.

4234 - Geol 5, Earth History
2221 - Geol 31, Oceanography

Both of these classes are accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology. Despite this, these classes will require constant, continuous attention and dedication. If you want to be successful you will need to be present in class, read materials ahead and study steadily. You will need to pay constant attention to the materials discussed during our meetings and dedicate a considerable amount of time to the class materials.

The pace of these classes is intensive and you can not afford to be absent or miss work. Absences will not only affect your grade but also your overall grasp and understanding of the subject.

As a student, you also need to recognize that your college education is above all a matter of opening yourself up to new dimensions of knowledge and understanding. You need to realize that these classes are intrinsecally interesting. I am here to illustrate and explain the materials to you, but the subject does not need to be made more “interesting” by me.

If you enrolled in any or both of these classes you should be able to move beyond your individual interests and take advantage of the opportunity of having scientific materials illustrated to you. It is you who need to expand your interest and mind, and not the opposite, me trying to fit geology or oceanography to your interests.

So, I will not try to make a class “more interesting” for you; the classes themselves are intrinsically rich in interesting concepts, and should be seen as one tool for you to open up to new ideas, concepts, and possibilities. These classes will give you more interests and ideas, and consequently they will make you more knowledgeable and interesting as a person.

 
GEOL 5 - EARTH HISTORYLast Updated  •  May 31, 2012    

This class is a 4-units, general education class that includes both lecture and lab; an introduction to the basic principles of geology and plate tectonics is followed by a more detailed study of sedimentary rocks and the principles of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology. Knowledge of these principles will help the students understand how Earth history can be deciphered through the study of the rock and fossil record. The main physical, chemical and biological changes that occurred in the 4.6 billion years of existence of our planet will be outlined.

If you already have a basic knowledge of geology (for instance, you already took Geology 1 or Geology 4) you might find yourself at a slight advantage. Nonetheless, you will see throughout the class that all materials will be explained thoroughly and the class is fully accessible to anyone with a genuine curiosity and desire to learn. You also need to be aware - again - that this class will require continuous and constant attention and that, in order to succeed, you will need to dedicate a considerable amount of time to study and work on its materials.

This class is fully transferable to UC and CSU, but it might not satisfy GE requirements at some universities.
Please verify with the college of your choice if that is the case.

4234 - GEOL 5, EARTH HISTORY lecture and lab


Syllabus:
Click here for a .pdf copy of the Syllabus

Class Hours:
Tuesday (lecture), 6:45-9:50, Drescher Hall, room 128
Thursday (lab), 6:45-9:50, Drescher Hall, room 128

Required Textbooks:
Lecture Textbook: S. M. Stanley, Earth System History, 3rd edition (2009), W. H. Freeman and Company, New York
Lecture Textbook: J. W. Schopf, Cradle of Life, 1st edition (1999), Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford
Lab Manual:H. L. Levin and M. S. Smith, Laboratory Studies in Earth History, 9th edition

About these textbooks, please note:
It is fine to buy a used copy of both Lecture Textbooks. If for any reason you can not find a copy of these two textbooks at the SMC bookstore, look on Amazon (links are provided by clicking on the book titles above) or at the UCLA bookstore.

For what concerns the LAB MANUAL, DO NOT BUY A USED COPY FOR ANY REASON; questions and exercises on the lab manual require that pages are teared off and turned in to me for grading after a lab. Many students who bought used copies in the past, either from the bookstore or from other students, soon found out that they had incomplete manuals in their hands, with several missing pages.

I will only accept lab work from the current edition of the lab manual (9th edition). I will not accept lab work neither from older editions (even if brand new: questions are different, and/or not in the same order or on the same page), nor from used copies of the new edition.
I will also not accept lab work on notebook pages. So, for the lab manual, just buy a brand new copy of the 9th edition.

Exams:
All exams include lecture, lab and home assignments materials.
The final exam will be partially cumulative: it will include a few questions on older materials covered in previous tests.

Exam dates are as follows:
exam 1 - Thursday, March 8, 2012: study guide (available since March 3, 2012)
exam 2 - Tuesday, April 24, 2012: study guide (available since April 12, 2012)
exam 3 - Thursday, June 7, 2012: (cumulative final exam): study guide (available since May 31, 2012)

Please, refer to the class syllabus for further information and/or details.


The principle of cross-cutting relationships, illustrated
from Death Valley National Park, California

 
GEOL 31 - OCEANOGRAPHYLast Updated  •  May 31, 2012    

This class is a three-units, general education class. An introduction to the basic principles of geology and plate tectonics is followed by a discussion on the chemical and physical properties of water, a description of marine environments and a discussion on the biological aspects of the world's oceans.

2221 - GEOL 31, OCEANOGRAPHY


Syllabus:
Click here for a .pdf copy of the Syllabus

Class Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 to 10:50, Math Complex, room 12

Required Textbook:
A. P. Trujillo, and H. V. Thurman, Essentials of Oceanography, 9th edition, Prentice Hall

It is fine to buy a used copy of the Textbook. If for any reason you can not find a copy of the textbook at the SMC bookstore, look on Amazon (a link is provided by clicking on the book title above) or at the UCLA bookstore.

Exams:
Exam dates are as follows:
exam 1 - Thursday, March 8, 2012: study guide (available since March 3, 2012)
exam 2 - Tuesday, April 24, 2012: study guide (available since April 12, 2012)
exam 3 - Thursday, June 7, 2012: (cumulative final exam): study guide (available since May 30, 2012)

Please, refer to the class syllabus for further information and/or details.


Shallow water waves in Santa Monica, California




© Alessandro Grippo 1994-2012 Los Angeles, CA

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