| Course Title: Historical Geology |
| Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026 |
| Term: Spring Semester 2026 |
| Description: This course digs into the geologic time scale in the context of the evolution and interaction of life, sediments, rocks, oceans, and air during the past few billion years. Some topics covered are: ice ages and greenhouse atmospheres, continental drift, extinctions and radiations of flora and fauna, the early evolution of earth, and absolute and relative dating of rocks. Students collaborate during class meetings to develop a nuanced understanding of the data and methods that define the geologic time scale in scientific literature. A final exam involves memorization of the geologic time scale and significant events in earth history. |
| Distribution(s): II - Math & Sciences |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Michelle Markley | 413-538-2814 | mmarkley@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026 | Lecture | Tuesday and Thursday | 09:00AM - 10:15AM | CLAP - Clapp Laboratory | 301 | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: two courses in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, or Geology. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| GEOL0001 | GEOL-1: Geology major and minor | This course counts toward the Geology major and minor. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 20 | Enrollment: 17 | Available: 3 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| Title: Earth System History Author: Stanley, Steven M Copyright: 2015 Edition: 4 Volume: ISBN: 9781429255264 Publisher: Macmillan |
Required | 160.00 |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is the complete book list for this class. |
| Instructor's comments about the book list: The older version of this text (the 3rd edition) is just as good. Find it used in the usual used textbook places. Email me if you have questions. We will start using this text during the first two weeks of class for sure. |