David W Peate Teaching

Classes taught at the University of Iowa

12:001/3 Introduction to Earth Science (aka Earth History and Resources)

I team teach this introductory geology class every Spring semester. The goal of the course is for students to gain some level of understanding about the Earth and the processes that have shaped its surface and interior. Students should finish the course with a firmer appreciation of why studying the Earth through the Geosciences is important, and also how their daily lives are impacted by geological processes: e.g. natural hazards, mineral resources necessary for modern society, environmental change.

next offered: Spring 2012

12:150 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

This course is team taught with Tom Foster. I teach the first half of the class (up to Spring Break) on Igneous Petrology, and then Tom Foster takes over to teach Metamorphic Petrology.
The first part of the course focuses on: (i) how magmas are formed, (ii) the processes that produces the wide diversity of igneous rock types, and (iii) why magmas formed in different tectonic settings can have different compositions. Students will be given a solid foundation in the techniques used to study igneous rocks, including petrographic observations, experimental petrology and phase relations, major and trace element compositions of rocks, radiogenic and stable isotope compositions, mineral compositions, and modelling methods.

next offered: Spring 2012

12:149 Elements of Geochemistry

This class provides students with a basic introduction to Geochemistry and it is taught every other Fall semester. It is suitable for any senior undergraduate and graduate students in Geoscience, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering that wish to learn how basic chemical principles can be used to infer the processes that formed our planet and modified its evolution through time. Major topics of study include: origin of the elements, chemical differentiation of the Earth and the Solar System, geochronology, applications of radiogenic and stable isotopes, trace element behaviour, chemical equilibrium, elementary thermodynamics and kinetics, carbonate and silicate stability relationships, chemical weathering, oxidation-reduction processes, characterization of surface waters, ocean chemistry, geochemical cycles, and geo-archaeology.

next offered: Fall 2012 (taught in alternate years to Geochronology)

12:253 Geochronology

Geochronology – the science of determining the absolute ages of Earth materials – is critical to all areas of Geoscience, including stratigraphy, palaeontology, Quaternary geology and geomorphology, hydrogeology, tectonics, igneous and metamorphic geology. The aim of this graduate-level course is to provide students with a range of important skills for their research and professional careers, in particular (i) how to evaluate published ages, to understand the assumptions and potential sources of uncertainties of different dating methods, and to understand exactly what event is being dated, and (ii) how to select and sample suitable materials for geochronology and to choose a suitable dating method and analytical technique. The topics covered include: basic systematics of dating techniques; sample selection and preparation; analytical methods; error analysis and assumptions; linking geological time scale and radiometric dates; standard Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf & Re-Os isochron methods, Pb-Pb and U-Pb dating (including carbonates and zircons); K-Ar and Ar-Ar methods; U-series disequilibrium methods; low-T thermochronology (U-Th-He & fission track); 14C and other cosmogenic nuclides; TL and other luminescence methods; extinct radionuclides; Sr isotope stratigraphy; magnetic reversals and orbital tuning of marine sediments from oxygen isotope & astronomical data.

next offered: Fall 2013 (taught in alternate years to Elements of Geochemistry)

12:257 Tectonics and Petrology Seminar

I teach this class on rotation with other faculty members. The goal is to provide a forum for senior undergraduate and graduate students to discuss topics of interest in Tectonics, Petrology and Geochemistry on a regular basis. It is an opportunity for students to read and critique current literature, as well as to improve their presentation skills. The format of the class is a presentation of paper(s) ('PowerPoint' or overheads: 10-15 mins) by a student, followed by a discussion of the papers lead by the presenter: all students are expected to participate in the discussion.
Theme in Fall 2010: Origins and Environmental Impact of Large Igneous Provinces.

next offered: unknown