Welcome to the Geology of California Home Page!

Fulfills GE core requirements in Physical Science (area B1)

Required text: California Geology, by Deborah Harden, 2nd edition

Purpose: Purpose: This course is designed to help the student understand geologic processes and features of California through lecture, slides, exams, and one field trip. This exposure should allow students to understand California through a geologic viewpoint. Understanding natural processes should help students make informed personal and political decisions concerning geologic issues such as landslides, flooding, earthquakes, and volcanoes or environmental issues such as water ,land and mineral management.

Objective: Course content and objectives assume the student has limited scientific background. At the end of the course, the student should have:

1.       an understanding of basic geologic concepts and vocabulary;

2.       the knowledge to located, geologically identify, and distinguish the geologic provinces of California;

3. an understanding of the formation and limitations of natural resources

4.  an understanding of the geologic evolution of California through time; and

5. a better understanding of geologic hazards, mitigation and risk in California.

Course organization:

Weeks 1-7:

• Introduce students to the general geography and geologic provinces of California
• Volcanoes of California-where and why, What is the risk?
• Deserts in California

Weeks 8-12

• The Sierra Nevada-backbone of California
• Gold
• Glaciers
• The Coast Ranges- where we live
• The San Francisco Bay

Weeks 13-17

• Earthquakes in California, why?
• The San Andreas fault system
• Major California earthquakes
• Oil

This page was last modified by P. Jefferis on 08/25/06 . She is a lecturer in the Department of Geology at San Jose State University