Earth Sciences 088F: Course Website

Welcome to the Earth Sciences 088F Lecture Resources page.  All lectures for the 2006 academic year as well as other articles of interest will reside here for your convenience.  The following list will allow you to download powerpoint presentations used in the course.

It is emphasized that each powerpoint presentation will be posted the evening before the lecture date and will remain here for one week only.  If you want a copy of any of the lectures as a ppt or pdf file, it is up to you to download it during this time (they will not be reposted).


NOTE: For those people who have not picked up all their marked work, please refer to message at bottom of page for details.

Here's the course outline
(Word format) or (PDF format)

Your Teaching Assistants Are:

David Dillon: davidd@uwo.ca (Biol. & Geol. Sci. Bldg., Rm. 188c) (Instruction Assistant)
-contact David if you have specific questions about the 3 very short practical assignments

Scott Parsons: sparsons@uwo.ca (office: Biol & Geol. Sci. Bldg., Rm. 17)(Marking Coordinator)
-contact Scott on any issues about grading issues for assignments

Duncan Bain: dbain3@uwo.ca (office: Staging Bldg. 209)
Ayumi Mae: amae@uwo.ca (office: Staging Bldg., Rm. 213)
Jessica Metcalfe: jmetcal4@uwo.ca (office: Staging Bldg. 112)
Guangrong Ning: gning@uwo.ca (office: Biol. & Geol. Sci. Bldg., Rm. 20)

All of the above people are available for help.  Please contact them in advance if you need an extended period of time for questions.

For questions regarding the lecture material, contact Cam directly (ctsujita@uwo.ca, office: Biol. & Geol. Sci. Rm.  110)


Planned lectures (and corresponding Powerpoint Presentations) in order of appearance

Week 1

Sept. 7   Introduction to Medical and Forensic geology
(Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)

Week 2

Sept. 11    The Earth System: Connections among the great spheres
(Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)
Read this overview on the components of the Earth System
(note: the "Anthrosphere" is an additional component discussed here)

Sept. 12  Medicine and Myth to Modern: Early thoughts on geology and human health
(Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading: A summary article on Medical Geology in Geotimes (link)

Sept. 14 Tales of the Crypt: Early history of  forensic geology
(Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading: A summary article on Forensic Geology (link)

Week 3

Sept. 18   Big Circumstance: Earth’s early history and why our planet is unique
(Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading: Here is a fairly good primer on the early Earth (link)

Sept. 19    Minerals
(Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading: An online tutorial on minerals

Sept. 21    Minerals Exercises (download PDF file); Due 4:00 pm, Sept. 28

David Dillon's pre-assignment presentation on minerals: (Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file). 

Note: TAs for this course were introduced today.  See above for names, office numbers and email addresses.

Week 4

Sept. 25    Earth Rocks  !: Igneous Environments
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading: A primer on igneous rocks (link).

Sept. 26    Earth Rocks II !: Sedimentary and Metamorphic Environments
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading:
1. A brief primer on sedimentary rocks (link)
2. A brief primer on metamorphic rocks (link)

Sept. 28    Rock Exercises (download PDF file); Due 4:00 pm, Oct. 5
                   There are no pre-assignment slides for this one (refer to lecture slides and links below)

Internet Resources (for those who requested this): Here are some exercises that might aid your rock identification skills
Identify Igneous Rocks (link)
Identify Sedimentary Rocks (link)
Identify Metamorphic Rocks (link)
Note: some terms here are slightly different than those used in Dave Dillon's lecture exercise (for example granoblastic is simply called nonfoliated in here) but the basic ideas are the same.  Also, there are many rocks here that you are not required to know.

Also, I provide here a simplified account of many of the things we have already talked about (link)

Week 5

Oct. 2        Rocks as time machines: principles of geologic time
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file)
Reading: Here is a primer for discussion on geologic time (link)
Here is a simplified black and white version of the geologic time scale

Oct. 3        To Be or Not to Be: Tissue preservation and information loss
                    (Powerpoint presentation) or (PDF file)
                    Reading: A summary of various modes of preservation (link)

Oct. 5        Fossil (Paleontology) Exercises (download PDF file); Due 4:00 pm, Oct. 12
Use these notes for the purpose of identifying phylum and class of fossil organisms (PDF file).

Week 6

Oct. 9        Thanksgiving (no lecture)

Oct. 10        The Dancing Plates: the plate tectonic revolution
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Reading: A summary of the principles of plate tectonics (link)

Oct. 12.        Plate Tectonics cont'd
(continuation of same presentation as Oct. 10)

NOTE: INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHORT WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT ARE NOW READY FOR DOWNLOAD.  Download as PDF File here
Note: regarding the use of references for this assignment, DO NOT use encyclopedic sources such as Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Brittanica or Encarta as primary reference sources (these can assist you in finding useful articles, but should not be cited directly- take some time to look for more scholarly sources).  Any other reputable sources of information are acceptable.

Week 7

Just in ! It has become apparent that one of the TAs who marked the rocks assignment (rocks exercises assigned Sept. 28) incorrectly added the marks (i.e. did not include the marks on the last page of the assignment).  If it appears that the mark on your assignment is missing points you should have received on the last page of the assignment (i.e. questions 27 and 28), contact Scott Parsons to correct this (email address and office number listed above).  He wis currently out of town, but will be available Tuesday morning onward.

Oct. 16     Where Did We Come From ? Evolutionary trends through time
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
No readings for this lecture (lots of stuff in condensed form- would require too much reading and would cause too much confusion !)

Oct. 17     Where Are We Going ? Implications of long-term evolution on human health
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Again, no readings for this lecture.

Oct. 19      Midterm Exam- in regular classroom (Nat. Sci. 1) at regular time (5:30-6:20 pm)
On material up to including lecture of Oct. 12 (to end of plate tectonics)

COMMENTS ON THE MIDTERM EXAM: 

1. The midterm exam will be 50 minutes long; it will be held during regular class time (5:30-6:30 pm) and in the regular lecture room (Nat. Sci. 1) on Thursday, October  19.

2. Format of the Exam
a) The first part of the exam will be in chart form- you will fill-in-the-blanks and/or match terms with appropriate statements listed (1 mark each, 16 blanks to fill, 16 marks total)
b) The second part of the exam will be definitions (pick 7 definitions from about 12, 2 marks each, 14 marks total)
c) The third part will require longer explanations (pick 4 questions from about 6, 4 marks each, 16 marks total).

3. There will be some choice of questions in parts 2 and 3 of the exam.

4.  For the first part of the exam (fill-in-the-blanks), you should thoroughly look over the significant details of the various topics we have covered.  These include mineral names, elements contained in specific minerals, the basic structure of mineral examples covered, rock types, the meaning of terms relating to physical properties (for aspects of minerals and rocks, you are only responsible for details provided in Cam's lectures- any material in readings that has not been covered in lectures will not appear on the exam).  Know the details of examples for minerals, rocks and other topics covered in the lectures (there aren't a huge number of examples to remember).  That said, there will be no questions that will refer to specific numbers, historical dates, or chemical formulae of specific minerals (but other details should not be ignored).

5. For the second and third sections of the exam, emphasis will be made on the level of understanding of important concepts covered in the course (make sure you understand basic principles, examples that illustrate important concepts, and the meaning of important terms).  This includes the historical part on medical and forensic geology as well as geological concepts following this part.  If Cam stressed the importance of something in class, it has a greater chance of being on the exam.  Details such as specific dates of discovery, names of minor investigators, etc. are less important.  For rocks, make sure you know textures and composition and the rock types classified by these criteria.

6. When you study, make sure you understand the basic concepts before you concentrate on details (work from basic to more complex)- but DO NOT IGNORE THE DETAILS COMPLETELY (rather, when you are trying to remember the details, think about the context in which they were discussed- this usually improves your recall of the details !

7. The exam can be written in point form.

8. Make sure you budget your time- if a question is worth 5 marks, it obviously requires a more lengthy discussion than a question worth 2 marks.  Write down what you know for each question, and THEN go back and fill in any additional material that you might remember later.  If you do this, you won't run out of time.

Week 8

Oct. 23     Man, Metals and Mayhem:  geology of mineral resources
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Accessory reading for those of you who want to know a lot more about this topic.  Note that this is highly detailed (and no, you are not responsible for knowing stuff in here that was not covered in lecture)

Oct. 24    World Over a Barrel:  geology of conventional fossil fuels
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout).
Accessory reading (same as above) for those of you who want to know a lot more about this topic.  Again, note that this is highly detailed (and no, you are not responsible for knowing stuff in here that was not covered in lecture).

Oct. 26   Dust to Dust: effects of airborne particulates (and ground level ozone) on human health
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Background Reading: a short fact sheet on the problem of smog
Note: Short written assignment due today at 4:00 pm 

Week 9

Oct. 30     Too Little or Too Much ?: Trace elements and dose response theory
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Background Reading: Here is some shocking information on fluorosis (too much fluoride)

Oct. 31    Mercury and Madhatters: Implications of dose response
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Background Reading: Here is an interesting article on Madhatter Syndrome and its relevance to present-day populations.

Nov. 2    The Hydrologic Cycle and Bioavailability: tracking contaminants
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Background Reading: Here is a brief article on the hydrologic cycle
IMPORTANT !!! INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR FINAL TERM PAPER

Your term paper for Earth Sciences 088F will involve solving a murder case based on forensic information supplied to you in three bulletins.  These will be posted in installments over the next week for you to consider in sequence.   Instructions for the report will be supplied soon.  For now, try to process the evidence provided in anticipation of the next "bulletin."
Here's Bulletin 1: (Download MSWord File 1 here) or as a PDF file
And Bulletin 2: (Download MSWord File 2 here) or as a PDF file
And Bulletin 3: (Download MSWord File 3 here) or as a PDF file

Now Read The Results From the Forensic Lab and Testimony of Eberth (Download MSWord File here) or as a PDF file

Here are the formal instructions for your term paper (the Pye-Hurd Case).  Please read the instructions carefully !
(Download MSWord File for Term Paper Instructions here)  or as a PDF file

IMPORTANT CORRECTION !  

A very astute student just brought to our attention that there was an error on Bulletin 3.  Under the subheading "Examination of Mr. Eberth's Backyard Shed," the last paragraph stated:
A white shopping plastic bag labeled “Canadian Tire,” found under the sink in the shed was found to contain three articles of interest: 1) A blood-splattered shirt; 2) a pair of jeans with blood stains on the knees; and 3) a receipt from a Canadian Tire store in Barrie.  Fortunately, although stained with dried blood, the black print on the receipt was still legible.  The time and date of purchase of a list of items, including a hunting knife, a blue tarpaulin, a roll of duct tape, a crowbar, a pair of work gloves, and a pack of Juicy Fruit chewing gum as 10:31 am, July 2, 2006.  
The paragraph should actually read: "A white shopping plastic bag labeled “Canadian Tire,” found under the sink in the shed was found to contain three articles of interest: 1) A blood-splattered shirt; 2) a pair of jeans with blood stains on the knees; and 3) a receipt from a Canadian Tire store in Owen Sound.  Fortunately, although stained with dried blood, the black print on the receipt was still legible.  The time and date of purchase of a list of items, including a hunting knife, a blue tarpaulin, a roll of duct tape, a crowbar, a pair of work gloves, and a pack of Juicy Fruit chewing gum as 10:31 am, July 2, 2006."

In other words, "Barrie" should be replaced with "Owen Sound." This will make a lot more sense now.  Sorry for the error.
As nobody else has asked about this, I assume the rest of you already recognized that this was an error (a person can't drive from Barrie to Owen Sound in 11 minutes), but in case you didn't, you know now !  


Week 10

Nov. 6    Arsenic and Old Lace: Examples of trace metal-related illnesses
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Background Reading: This article summarizes well-documented illnesses associated with trace metal toxicity (as well as fluoride).

Nov. 7   You Are What You Eat: Contaminants in food
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Note: The content of this lecture focuses on the recent concerns of PCB contamination in farmed salmon (a last-minute adjustment to content in view of its relevance to the average Canadian).
Background Reading: This article provides a good overview of the recent scare surrounding farmed salmon (high levels of PCBs and PDBEs)

Nov. 9    The Colgate Crisis: Fluoridation and health
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF handout)
Background Reading: Here is an article on fluoridation in Canada

Attention: Please note instructions for term paper above (listed under "Week 9")

Week 11

Nov. 13   Ancient Materials for a Modern Society: uses of geological materials in medicine
(Powerpoint Presentation) (PDF file)
Additional Reading: None for this one !

Nov. 14   Wake-Up Call for Walkerton:  forensics and groundwater contamination. 
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Additional Reading (For those who are interested) - News Report on Walkerton Inquiry

Nov. 16  Earthquakes and geophysical forensics
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Some basic information on earthquakes (for general interest)

Attention again: Please note instructions for term paper above (listed under "Week 9")

PLEASE NOTE AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION TO TERM PAPER BULLETIN 3 (PYE-HURD CASE)(SEE ABOVE, RIGHT ABOVE THE LECTURE TITLES FOR WEEK 1 ).

Week 12

Achtung !...Again: Instructions for term paper above (listed under "Week 9")- you only have less than a week left !

(ALSO, for those of you who haven't already realized this, there is an important correction to the Term Paper Bulletin 3 (Pye-Hurd Case)(see above, following the instructions for the assignment).

Nov. 20    Down and Dirty: The formation of soils
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Background Reading: A primer on soil formation here

Nov. 21    Dirt for Detectives: The use of soils in criminal investigations
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Background reading: A few interesting cases on how soils have been used in criminal investigations are provided here.

Nov. 23    Rock, Stock and Barrel: rocks and minerals nab the criminal
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Background Reading: None for this lecture
Note: Final Term Paper was originally due today at 4:00 pm.  The due date has now been extended to Thursday, November 30 at 4:00 pm (submit to drop box).  

Week 13

Nov. 27  Geophysics and forensics: use of technology to locate burial sites and other subsurface anomalies
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Additional Reading: None for this lecture

Nov. 28  Paleoforensics: Examining the hidden world of ancient remains
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Additional Reading (if you are interested): Some background on Otzi

Nov. 30    Fossil Fraud: Products of Trickery and Sensationalism
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file)
Additional Reading: None for this lecture
Note: Yes, you heard correctly.  The Final Term Paper due Friday, December 1, 2006 at 4:00 pm.   Policy for late submissions applies as usual (after 4:00pm, 10 %; each additional day 10 %, weekend 10 %).   

Week 14

Dec. 4    What Goes Around Comes Around: Humankind and the Earth System revisited
(Powerpoint Presentation) or (PDF file).
Additional Reading: Here is a National Geographic article on El Nino

Dec. 5   The Last Word: Final Housekeeping (e.g. final catch-up for lecture material).  Also note that Cam will be more than happy to help you with your questions until 4:00 pm, Thursday, Dec. 7).

Note on Final Exam:
The final exam for Earth Sciences 088F has been scheduled by the Office of the Registrar to take place on Saturday, December 9 at 7:00 pm (Natural Sciences Rm. 1).  

General Note: To confirm the time, date and room for your final exams, please refer to the exam timetable at the Registrar's website (link)- just select subject (EARTHSCI)  and type in course number  (e.g. ES088F) to view the information.

Before asking Cam for any details about the final exam, please read the items below:

1. The final exam will be based mostly on material after the midterm.  However, keep in mind that your understanding of some of the concepts and applications covered in this part of the course depends, in part, to how well you understand the basic principles covered before the midterm.  As such, the final exam can't truly be said to be based entirely on material after the midterm. 

2. The basic format will be the same as the midterm (but will deal with different material than the midterm), as follows:

Part 1: Association of various details relevant to the course material to terms, definitions, applications, or other items of significance (with choice of possible answers).
Part 2: Definitions of terms covered after the midterm (with some choice of questions).
Part 3: Questions requiring paragraph-length answers. (with some choice of questions).

3. The final exam is 2 hours long.

4. The exam can be written in point form.

5.  Cam is willing to answer questions about any the course content until 4:00 pm, Thursday, December 7, 2006.  After that, you're on your own.

6. Please do not ask Cam if he can supply any information on the content of the exam beyond what is listed on this page.  It's up to you to put the necessary work into understanding the material enough to explain concepts and realize the significance of any terms/concepts/applications covered in the course.

7. Do not ask Cam about your grade.  Official final grades are made available to you via the Office of the Registrar sometime after exams are over.

8. Cam will not entertain the possibility of assigning any extra project designed to raise a student's final grade.  Everybody must be evaluated in the same way and there are no second chances (you will need to get used to this if you are in university).

9.The same advice on studying for, and writing, the midterm exam applies to the final exam, namely : 

a. Emphasis will be made on the level of understanding of important concepts covered in the course (make sure you understand basic principles, examples that illustrate important concepts, and the meaning of important terms).  If Cam stressed the importance of something in class, it has a greater chance of being on the exam (but not necessarily guaranteed).  This also applies to recalling rock and mineral names-- if you truly understand the significance of the minerals/rocks dealt with in the course, you should be able recall their names.

b.When you study, make sure you truly understand the basic concepts before you concentrate on details (work from basic to more complex). Once you are confident that you understand the basic concepts, go back and target any terms that you think you would have difficulty in explaining, and make sure that you know their meaning and how they relate to the important concepts in the course.

c. You are not expected to know chemical formulae, or to write in specific dates of cases (or any other numbers for that matter) or names of specific accessory "characters" involved in the cases, but you might be required to at least recognize the names of places and of main people involved;  anything else is fair game.  

d. Make sure you budget your time- if a question is worth 5 marks, it obviously requires a more lengthy discussion than a question worth 2 marks.  Write down what you know for each question, and THEN go back and fill in any additional material that you might remember later.  If you do this, you won't run out of time.

PICKUP OF ALL UNCLAIMED MARKED MATERIAL

All marked assignments (including term paper) that have not yet been claimed can be picked up:


Where ?: Room 118, Biological and Geological Sciences Building (door to the left of your drop boxes)

When ?: Monday (December, 18) through Friday (December, 22) from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm