GE398 Mountain Belts

Course Description

This is a primary literature synthesis course designed to guide you through the anatomy and analysis of mountain belts formed at collisional plate tectonic margins. By the end of the course you should be able to: (1) piece together a broad-scale interpretation of the evolution of an active or ancient collisional mountain belt using data and interpretations gleaned from the primary scientific literature, and (2) apply modern microstructual and macro-structural techniques to better understand the deformation history recorded in collisional orogenic belts. In addition to these geoscience-centric goals, this course is also designed to improve your verbal communication skills and provide you with experience in accessing, reading, and assimilating scientific literature.

Instructor

Walter A. Sullivan (Bill)
Office: Mudd 206
Office hours: Open-door policy; current schedule [XLS]
Office phone: 859-5803
E-mail: wasulliv@colby.edu

Syllabus [PDF]

Anouncements

03.01.2009--Syllabus and course schedule have been updated

Resources on the web

GeoMapApp: Super-cool mapping freeware

Google Earth: A very powerful geology tool

Rick Allmendinger's website: Cool structural geology animations and great freeware including Stereonet

VIEPS/Mainz Deformation Microstructures Course: Online microstructural analysis tutorial with many good animations

Haakon Fossen's e-learning modules: Online structural geology tutorial

Structural Geology web portal: Some really cool structural geology resources. Be forewarned, lots of broken links.

North Dakota State U. MicroView: Excellent pictures of minerals and rocks in thin section

Lecture materials

1. Elements and geometry of collisional orogenic belts [PPT]

2. Deformation mechanisms, rheology, and tectonics

Brittle rupture and frictional sliding review lecture [PPT]
Diffusive-mass-transfer processes and microstructures lecture [PPT]
Dislocation creep, dynamic recrystallization, and LPO lecture [PPT]

3. Microstructural and crystallographic-fabric analyses

Instantaneous vs. finite deformation and flow geometry lecture [PPT]
Shear-sense indicators lecture [PPT]

4. Case study of the high Himalayas: Using microstructural analyses to understand channel flow student presentations—Reading list [DOC]

Sullivan Himalaya lecture [PPT]
Jessup et al., 2006 [PDF]
Searle et al., 2006 [PDF]

5. Case study of the northern Appalachian Mountains student presentations—Reading list [DOC]

Sullivan Appalachian lecture [PPT]
West et al., 1995 [PDF]

6. Case study of the Alpine orogeny student presentations—Reading lists [DOC]

Sullivan Alps lecture [PPT]
Molnar and England, 1990 [PDF]

Student presentations [Folder]

Quicktime movies [Folder]

Lab materials

Lab 2 (Feb. 16): Read Olympus guide to polarizing microscopy pages 1-18 [PDF]

Basics of optical mineralogy lecture [PPT]

Lab 8 (April 6): Read Law (1990) [PDF]