Geology Curriculum Then and Now


Contributed by David M. Abbott, Jr., CPG-04570


David Abbott has sent this transcription of the questions his father assembled for the final exam for his Geology 2 course at the University of Nebraska in the Spring term of 1936. Abbott has his father’s red leather bound notebooks for Geology 1 and Geology 2, one of which is illustrated on the right side of this page. As Abbott notes, “Reflecting on these questions reveals a lot of differences in geologic understanding between then and now and some real changes in the course content.” One marvels at the attention to detail required to answer some of the paleontological and stratigraphical questions. Do we still require this kind of detailed learning?


REVIEW SHEET FOR GEOLOGY 2


1. How does one distinguish between Physical and Historical Geology?


2. Give the general geologic time table. 3. Give the table of correlation of rocks and time divi-


sions. 4. How do you correlate outcrops? 5. Name the planets in their order from the sun.


6. What are the various hypotheses for the origin of our Solar System? On what do they base their theories?


7. What distribution do the Cryptozoic or PreCambrian rocks have? What types of rocks are represented in the Pre- Cambrian?


8. What does one know of the climate, life, and economic products of the Pre-Cambrian?


9. Discuss and give the divisions of the Cambrian. Upon what basis is it divided? Where is the oldest Cambrian found?


10. How may fossils be preserved? What value are they to a geologist?


11. What is meant by “The Law of Recapitulation”? 12. Diagram and name the land masses during Cambrian


time.


13. What is overlap? Diagram the sediments settling in the Appalachian Geosyncline showing conformable area and overlap area.


14. Is there any evidence of an unconformity at the top of the Cambrian? Where? Where are the main outcrops of Cambrian rocks in the United States?


15. What was the dominant life of the Cambrian? What economic products are found in the Cambrian?


16. Are the fossils of the Cambrian of a simple or more complex type? Explain.


17. What were the four domes of early Ordovician time?


18. What do you know of the nature and distribution of the Ordovician rocks? Of their economic products?


19. What was the dominate life of the Ordovician? Sketch the fossils remains of the organism. 20. Why are graptolites good index fossils?


www.aipg.org 21. Who was Murchison? What did he do?


22. What do you know of the seas of Silurian time? How did the Silurian period close?


23. How and where was the Medina Sandstone formed? Give the Silurian section at Niagara Falls.


24. Tell what you know of the life, climate, and economic products of the Silurian. Do we find any vertebrate life in the Silurian?


25. What organisms were dominant in the Silurian? The Devonian?


26. Why is the Devonian system so well


known? 27. To what is the term Eria applied?


28. Tell of the climate and economic prod- ucts of the Devonian?


29. Tell of the disturbance at the close of the Devonian.


30. Give the type sections for the Silurian and Devonian.


31. What was the nature of the North American continent at the opening of the Mississippian? What is the distribution of the Mississippian rocks?


32. What is the importance of the Berea Sandstone and Bedford Limestone?


33. Tell of the climate, life, and economic products of the Mississippian.


34. What Revolution begins in the Late Mississippian?


35. Give the type section for the Mississippian.


36, For what economic product is the Pennsylvanian noted?


37. Tell of some of the crustal distur- bances during the Pennsylvanian.


38. Tell of the climate, plant and animal of the Pennsylvanian.


39. Do we have Pennsylvanian rocks exposed in Nebraska?


40. Tell of the distribution and types of rocks of the Permian.


41. What were the land animals of this age? 42. How did the Permian close?


43. What took place at the close of the Triassic?


44. Tell of the plant and animal life of the Triassic. What were the economic products?


Oct.Nov.Dec 2017 • TPG 25


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