Office (Duncan Hall 223) telephone: 408 924-5020
Fall 2005 office hours: W 10a–noon, Th 1:30p–3p, and by appointment
e-mail: sedlock@geosun.sjsu.edu
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Assignment for 9/1/05: View both of these animations (QuickTime):
Pacific Ocean basin 80 Ma to present . PAC-NA boundary since 38 Ma
Required text: The San Andreas fault system, USGS Professional Paper 1515; order from: http://store.usgs.gov/scripts/wgate/ZWW20/!?~theme=gp&OSTORE=USGSGP&~OKCODE=STARTMATL&g_matnr=13652
Prerequisites: Graduate standing
Scope of Course: The geologic and tectonic evolution of the Bay Area since about 30 Ma, including but not limited to the development of the San Andreas fault system, late Cenozoic uplift of the Coast Ranges, and modern deformation.
Nature of course: In the first few class meetings, I will provide background information in lecture form. In the remaining class meetings, I will briefly outline an aspect of the plate boundary to set the stage for a presentation by a student.
A detailed schedule will be distributed after the first class meeting.
All students will be expected to read one or two papers per week in preparation for the class meeting, and to participate in discussions of the material presented in class. Students giving presentations are expected to supplement the assigned readings with material from other papers, maps, etc., selected in consultation with me. We will also take one field trip that will extend beyond class time.
Attendance: Regular attendance is the sine qua non of your enrollment. Do not take this course if you must frequently miss class, arrive late, or leave early. Discuss expected absences with me in advance.
Mere attendance will not earn you a very flattering grade; I expect questions and discussion appropriate to your background and interest in the topic.
Grading: Your grade will be determined from the following criteria:
effectiveness of your presentation(s) (~25%)
5-page paper based on your presentation topic (~25%)
frequency and effectiveness of participation (~50%)
Below is a tentative schedule outlining the topics we will investigate in this seminar. Other readings will be assigned as the semester progresses.
8/25 Introductions, geography and tectonics of modern plate boundary
Review of important structural terms
Sedlock leads discussion, no assigned reading; homework (Atwater videos)
9/1 Mesozoic to Miocene plate motions and tectonic history of California
Sedlock leads discussion
9/8 Evolution of the San Andreas fault system
9/15 Modern plate motions, modern slip distribution
9/22 Modern slip distribution in the Bay Area I
9/29 Modern slip distribution in the Bay Area II
10/6 Seismic hazards
10/13 Field trip to Hayward fault in Fremont; return to SJSU at about 6:30 pm.
10/20 TBA
10/27 Late Cenozoic shortening in California
11/3 Late Cenozoic shortening in the Bay Area
11/10 Late Cenozoic sedimentation in the Bay Area I
11/17 Late Cenozoic sedimentation in the Bay Area II
11/24 Thanksgiving—No class
12/1 Crustal structure beneath San Francisco Bay
12/8 Origin of San Francisco Bay