Regional Geology as a Unifying Theme and Springboard to Deep Time

Abstract

By focusing much of an introductory geology course on real features within a specific region, instructors can introduce concepts while gradually building the region s geologic framework. Then, approximately halfway through the course, and before discussion of radiometric dating methods, a summary lecture pulls together the course material to demonstrate deep time. This lecture walks through the region's geologic events, unconformities and stratigraphic thicknesses in the context of geologic rates to make the connection to deep time explicit. The lecture finishes with discussion of the radiometric age of the earth and why a sense of geologic time is important. This approach unifies course material within the context of regional geology. In turn, regional geology provides tangible and convincing evidence for deep time.