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Just so that readers of this website don't conclude that the
Global Semester was limited to a bunch of kids making trouble around the
world, there was an academic side of the trip. The below notes are
actual summaries of Dr. Jacobel's course about Physical Geology. Prior
to even starting the trip, Global students had to write two papers and do a
considerable amount of preparatory work over the summer.
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Themes
One of the things which I find fascinating as I travel is to regard the
changing landscape and ponder its origins, to imagine what it must have been
like several hundred million years ago, and the forces which have acted to
shape it to its present form. Nearly everyone who has seen the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado or the Teton Range of Wyoming has been inspired with
thoughts of this kind, and yet even the most "ordinary" (i.e., familiar)
landscapes have a history which is no less fascinating. The hill on which
the campus is located was once a part of the floor of a vast inland sea and
more recently was covered, carved, and re-shaped by an enormous ice sheet.
This area of inquiry belongs to a branch of geology known as geomorphology,
literally a description and interpretation of land forms. It spans a range
of topics from plate tectonics (continental drift) to climatology and the
factors which contribute to diastrophism (large scale deformation of the
earth's crust). The geological history of a region and the prevailing
climate dictate what flora and fauna will become a part of the ecosystem of
that area. Ultimately, they
determine to a large extend what economic uses man can make of the land
(e.g., potatoes are not grown in North Carolina, and wheat is not grown in
western Washington). If such things as agriculture, lumbering, mining, and
raising livestock are a part of our technology (in a broad sense), then
clearly geological factors determine what technology is possible in a given
area, i.e., geology is an antecedent of technology. Thus the study of
geomorphology can be not only interesting for its own sake, but also can
tell us many things about the economic geography and technology of a particular
area. It would seem that with the growing interdependence of world
nations on each other for resources and produced goods, this is an
appropriate area for us to consider as the science component of a Global
study.
The Antecedents of Technology
Many of the kinds of things we hope to learn about the technology of a
country can be gained from first-hand observation and experience. This
is, after all, what an experiential education is-all about. We will be
taking field trips, you will be traveling on your own at times within a
country, and in this way we should be able to amass a fair amount of
information. However, we can't go everywhere and see everything.
Imagine the plight of a foreigner in the United States who wants to "see it
all" in four weeks—or even to see "The West" in that time. We shall
have to rely on reading about some things, and others will be more
meaningful if we have some preparation so that we know what to look for.
For these reasons I would like each of us to become the resource person for
one area related to our study. During the summer you are to research your
particular topic and write a paper which is due when we leave (see other
sheet). As we travel, you will then be able to make contributions to our
study groups from your background in this area.
A host of topics presents itself when one considers the antecedents of
technology (that is, those things on which technology depends). Many
geological topics are certainly among these, but others diverge in differing
directions. In the lectures I plan to cover much of the geological
material which is relevant to our studies: this will be my research
assignment for the summer. The list below is intended to provide a
basis for your ideas. You may select a topic from the list directly,
or you may use it to generate an idea of your own. In any case, you
must consult with me on a topic before you leave for the summer.
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Tropical Climate: General
discussion of tropical weather systems with particulars about the regions
which we shall visit.
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Natural Resources: Minerals and
their uses, renewable resources—timber, the ocean, fisheries.
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The Green Revolution: Genetics
in agriculture specific to the areas we will visit.
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Agricultural Base: Crop types, soils,
geographical distribution, relation to climate, imports, exports, relation
to diet and nutrition, role of government.
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Manufacturing and Industry:
Types of technology in use. Relation to resources, Role of government,
home industries. Importation of raw materials, exports, food packaging and
production.
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Transportation: Systems in industry,
farm to market, air, water, rail, road, passenger.
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Energy Production: Hydroelectric
generation, fossil fuel, nuclear. How does each country provide
electricity, space heating, and energy for industry? Animal fuels.
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Pollution: Industrial, noise, air,
water, Japan—problems in general, heat, waste disposal, sanitation,
waterborne diseases.
Texts
1. Brown, Lester R., World Without Borders, Vintage, New York,
1972.
2. Schumacher, E. F., Small is Beautiful, Harper and Row, New York,
1973.
3. Calder, Nigel, The Restless Earth, Viking Press, New York, 1972.
4. Oxford World Atlas, Oxford University Press, New York, 1973, or
Goode's World Atlas, Rand McNally, Chicago, 1978.
You will need to purchase the three texts listed above plus one of the
atlases. The Oxford emphasizes North America and Western Europe in its
more detailed
maps (not useful to us this time), but has generally larger scale maps and
more color throughout. Goode's is more complete, but the maps are smaller.
The choice is yours; I have ordered 15 of each. The paperbacks by
Schumacher and Ehrlich are to be read this summer (see below) and you will
not need to bring them when we leave. We will need about one atlas for
every two people (preferably about 7 of each one) on the Global, and you
will a11 need to bring the book by Calder. We will work out the
details on the atlases in May.
Organization of Course
The course is divided structurally into 5 areas as outlined below.
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Essay. In order to set
the tone for our experiences, I have selected two recent paperbacks on the
theme of technology, resources, and energy usage on a global scale. The
authors both take a dim view of the policies of the developed nations
(us), and both make suggestions for improving the world situation. We will
no doubt have our own views when we return. Before you leave for the
summer, I will give you an essay topic which will cover these readings.
This is worth 15% of the course grade and will be due (in exchange for
your plane ticket) on the day we meet in New York.
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Research. As a way of gaining
some familiarity with particular situations or problems which we will
encounter on the Global, I will expect you each to research a topic from a
list I will get to you shortly. You will then become the resource
person in our discussions and study of these areas during our travels and
you will present your findings to the group. A good place to begin
your search for information would be the Encyclopaedia Britannica
(available in most libraries), although you will probably need to go
beyond this. For this reason, you may want to plan to do your digging
before you leave for (or after you return from) parts unknown during the
summer. The atlas will be useful in this assignment too. I
will give you more details with the topic list, but I want something on
the order of 5 or 6 pages, again due in New York as above. This will
be worth another 15% of the grade plus your later contributions to the
course. My reasons for asking you to do 30% of the course work over
the summer are twofold. First, both of these assignments will enable
us to understand better what we will experience and team while we travel.
We are, after all, participating in an academic program. The second
reason is simply that having done this amount of (imminently useful) work
as preparation, it will lessen
the work toad during the time we travel. For example, I won't ask
you to write any papers during our travels.
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Lectures. In each of the four
major countries we will plan roughly 3 hours/week of discussion, lectures,
and class presentations. These will be supplemented by and/or
substituted with as much "field experience"-- trips, tours, etc.—as we can
utilize. I will be learning right along with you, and so my format
presentations will cover only the relevant geology. Otherwise, I
will act as a facilitator to help us understand and digest what we are all
learning and experiencing.
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Discussion Groups. We
will form discussion groups of 5 or 6 people to study selected topics
which will be related to the research areas you choose for your paper.
Within your groups you will pool your background knowledge, your
experiences and observations within the country, and your ideas, and
present the results to all of us. This should be our primary mode of
communicating the experiential aspects of our learning to each other. I
expect to have you grade each other in this area on the basis of
contributions to the group and the quality of the presentation. This
will count another 30% of the grade. You may discover interesting study
topics as we travel, but in any case, I will present a possible list when
we begin our meetings in September,
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Integrative. The material
from my lectures, the field experiences, the discussions, and the group
presentations will be covered in one or two exams. These will be
mostly in the form of short answers or short essays in which you will be
asked to integrate your various learning experiences and to draw
conclusions from your observations. Some of it will unavoidably be
concept learning, but much of it will go beyond this. The exam(s) will
total the remaining 40% of the course grade, and I will schedule them so
as not to interfere with the exams in your other courses.
Grading
A summary of the grading is as follows:
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Essay on paperbacks (due in New York
on day we leave) 15%
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Research paper (also due in New York)
15%
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Contributions to discussion groups and
presentations (graded by peers) 30%
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Exams covering my lectures, field
excursions, discussions, integrative 40%
Lectures and
Discussions
The class will meet formally for eight sessions in each of the major
countries (roughly twice each week). Half of these sessions will be lectures
in which information on geology will be presented which elaborates on
assignments given in the text or introduces material relevant to our
travels. The other sessions are for group presentations and class discussion
which will cover the technological themes of the course and draw on our
observations and investigations. Our mode of operation in these sessions
will be for a group of about five people to gather, study, and present
information from their research and investigations to the class and to
organize discussion which involves everyone in integrating their
observations and ideas on this theme. Each person is required to join three
such groups during the course. Exams will cover material from these sessions
plus the lectures and the text. In addition, each person will receive a
grade for their work in these groups which is determined by other members of
the class. (See earlier handout for details of grading).
The following is a list of lecture topics and discussion themes. Many of the
latter closely parallel your research work of this summer. Talk to each
other about your interests, form a group or part of a group, and sign up for
the topic(s) you wish. If anyone
has ideas or suggestions for additional or substitute topics, please let me
know.
Reading assignment for the first lecture is Calder, Chapter 1, chapter 2 and
chapter 4 to page 98.
Egypt
Lectures:
Earth Origins and Historical Geology
The Ideas of Plate Tectonics (an
overview)
Africa and Tectonics - Rift Valleys
and New Seas
Geomorphology of Egypt
Discussion:
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A Critique of the Summer Reading -
Discussion of Brown's and Schumacher's ideas, elaboration of the essay
developed this summer.
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Resources and Technology in Egypt -
How have these factors influenced contemporary politics in the Mid East?
Give a discussion of both natural resources and technological
development in Egypt and explore how this ties in with political
developments.
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Impact of the Aswan Dam - What has
been the impact of the dam technology, agriculturally, economically,
environmentally, politically and even symbolically? Discuss agriculture
in Egypt, climate, reasons for the dam and the reality in 1978.
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Social and Economic Progress in
Egypt - Discuss how "progress" (define this) and economic growth are
taking place. What are the bureaucracies involved? How does
technological change take place in an industry for example? What are
some of the industries and what jobs do people perform there?
India
Lectures:
Indian Tectonics and Geology
Mountain Building in the
Alpine-Himalayan System
Climatology and Ice Ages, Glaciation
Origins of Life, Drift and the
Fossil Record
Discussion:
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Agriculture in India - Relate the
local agricultural setting (Whitefield to Bangalore and other areas
surrounding the ECC) to agriculture in India as a whole. Describe crop
types, methods of farming, markets, exports, diet, etc. Relate library
research to local observation.
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Ecology of Southern India -
Discussion of tropical weather systems and their effect on agricultural
practices and lifestyle. Description of the region physiographically—a
rundown of plant communities, forests, fauna. A discussion of genetic
manipulation of seed types for India and the food problem.
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Technology and Appropriate
Technology - Discussion of the natural resource base of India, exports
and manufacturing. Discover and explore examples of intermediate level
technology or of any technology you are able to observe.
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Socioeconomic Implications of
Technology - What makes a country rich and how is a standard of living
defined? How is technology advancing in India? How is it subsidized,
what are the bureaucracies involved, etc.?
The first exam will be scheduled near
the end of our stay in India.
Taiwan
Lectures:
Island Arc Systems of the Pacific
The Geology of Island Arcs
Geomorphology of Taiwan
Earthquakes
Discussion:
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Taiwanese Economy - Characterize the
growth of the Taiwanese economy in the last 20 years. What factors
predispose the economy to this kind of growth and how do they operate?
What has been the effect of growth on the people of Taiwan? What
specific kinds of industries have been developed?
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Scenario Exercise——Energy Sources -
What would happen if the world were to quite rapidly change to a nuclear
economy instead of oil? How would this change things politically,
economically, environmentally? How could this occur? Discuss
factors for and against, possible alternatives.
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Visit to a Manufacturing Plant - I
would like us to be able to tour a factory or work center, perhaps a
place which sews down camping gear. A group could study this industry,
analyze its growth and development and the evolution of its technology.
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Report on the Status of Nepal -
Discussion of the impact of tourism on the economy of Nepal. What
problems has this created for the agricultural system? How has the
environment been effected?
Japan
Lectures:
Igneous Environments and Volcanoes
The Growth of Continents by
Accretion
Geology of Japan
Mountain Building at Continental
Margins
Discussion:
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Pollution - Discussion of the
general problem, background, climatic factors, etc. What are attitudes
toward pollution? Do they have Japanese environmentalists, for example?
How is it being dealt with both legislatively and technologically?
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Agriculture and Resources from the
Sea - A discussion of the sea food industry, controversial practices and
problems. Characterize the Japanese diet and discuss the use of land for
agriculture and agricultural practices.
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Economic Growth and Technology -
Contrast the economic growth of Japan and Taiwan showing similarities
and dissimilarities. Discuss the role of energy imports (and other raw
materials) and the export of technologically advanced devices. How have
the Japanese achieved this tremendous growth? What are the implications?
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The Yen and the Dollar - Discuss the
factors which influence currency exchange rates. Analyze the currently
weak standing of the dollar in terms of these variables. What is the
role of "consumerism" in both economies? What technological factors
influence the relative standing of the respective currencies. If
Japan imports many raw materials, including most of its energy fuels,
how can it have a better balance of payments than the U.S.?
The final exam will be scheduled near the end of our stay in Japan.
Final Exam Physical
Geology and Technology
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Name and describe, four geological
features of the Pacific basin which are cases of general phenomena
associated with plate tectonic concepts.
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A Taiwanese businessman approaches you
to buy stock in his proposed Jade company which is to be located along a
large stream in the western foothills of Taiwan. The stream is to be the
source of Jade pebbles (mostly Nephrite, but this is ok) which wi31 then
be processed at the factory and shipped from a western port nearby.
From your knowledge of Jade forming environments and the geology of
Taiwan, comment on the advisability of this investment and support your
case with geological arguments.
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Models of the earth's interior based
on temperature and pressure studies of peridodite and a hypothetical
geotherm show a liquid or semi-liquid Asthenosphere layer in the earth's
upper mantle at a depth between 100 and 300 km. Describe any experimental
evidence you are aware of which supports this model and tell how it does
this.
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Summarize the relevant experimental
evidence (at least three different kinds) indicating that deep sea
trenches are the sites where oceanic lithosphere is being consumed, and
tell how in each case this conclusion follows from the evidence.
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According to the ideas of plate
tectonics Taiwan and Japan are both islands which have been formed on the
margins of a subducting plate, though the details of the plate motion and
the mechanics of the formation process are somewhat different. These
differences have been manifest in some fairly gross dissimilarities in the
rock types which are indigenous in each place. In very general terms
describe the rock types which characterize each country referring if you
wish to geological regions or provinces. Point out the gross
differences in rock types which exist between Taiwan and Japan. You
may, if you wish, use the geological maps to aid you in these comparisons.
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Matching. Please be aware that there
are extra, i.e. incorrect, options to choose from. Simply write the word
that appears in the left hand column
on your paper, and after it the letter
corresponding to your answer.
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Melanges
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a. Plutonic rock. |
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Inland Sea
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b. Causes thrust faulting in
Western Taiwan |
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Manila Trench
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c. 55 to 70 million years ago.
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Hokkaido
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d. A splitting island arc.
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Greywackes
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e. assemblage of sediments and
ocean crust collected in a trench |
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Euogeosyncline |
f. an island of Japan. |
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gravity
slides |
g. Series of block faulted and
down-dropped basins. |
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Miocene Epoch
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h. Term front an older but still
useful way of describing mountain building. |
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Benioff Zone
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i. Uplift of Taiwan Central
Range. |
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Ancient Is.
arcs |
j. First sediments eroded from
an evolving island arc. |
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k. Marianas double arc.
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l. Part of dual subduction zone
south of Taiwan. |
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m. Origin of earthquakes in a
descending slab of lithosphere.
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n. Arc-trench gap, |
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o. Greenstone belt. |
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p. Green tuff rocks
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During the course of the global we
have had opportunity to discuss and observe all of the general cases of
possible types of plate boundaries. Describe four of these, give the
location where we have: observed it, and tell of one other location where
one might observe this same type of boundary.
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ESSAY. In the early chapters of the
novel Centennial author James Michener gives an outline of the
geomorphology of the Southern Rocky mountains to provide the reader with
thoughtful insights into the natural character of the region in which his
story takes place. You have gained some of these kinds of insights from
our study of the geological history and the forces which have shaped the
landscape of the places we have visited, and to a large extent provided
determining factors for the culture which evolved there. Choose one
of the countries (or a region of one) we have visited on the Global.
(You need not restrict yourself to the four "major" countries.)
Outline the geological history and discuss the events which have shaped
the present day landscape. Discuss factors in the natural
environment which influence or determine the lifestyle and economy of the
people of this region.
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