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Geology studies deal with the Earth's evolution, its structure and
internal processes, the plate movement and tectonics that create the
oceanic and continental crust, its surface processes, the relationship
between air, water and fauna and the Earth's rocks, and the influence
of mankind on these systems. During the various courses, a student
will be introduced to minerals
and fossils and learn about: mountain
formation, earthquakes, geodynamics, volcanoes, rock formation,
groundwater movement, floods, landscape evolution, age determination,
the formation of the earth, and many other topics. Laboratory work
will introduce a student to sophisticated equipment for mineralogy
and petrography and to acquire analytical knowledge and skills in
determining the structure and composition of solids and solutions.
During a 3 year study period a geology student will typically will spend
35-50 days in the field, acquiring knowledge on the geology and landscape of Israel and learning new methods in
geological mapping.
For those inclined to marine sciences, there are also 7-14 days of
sailing and sea work. Our study programs thus allow students
become excellent field geologists with essential skills in all environmental topics..
An outline of some of the courses and subjects taught in Geology:
Plate Tectonics and Geophysics
The dynamic Earth: how is the core formed? How do mountains
rise? How is the ocean created and destroyed at plate boundaries?
Earthquakes: What is the Richter scale? Why do earthquakes
occur? Can one predict earthquakes?
Tectonics: Why are volcanoes and earthquakes concentrated
around the Pacific Ocean rim?
Geodynamics: What drives plate tectonics? What happens at
the core-mantle boundary?
Geophysical methods: Why is the Earth round? How does one
perform ultrasound measurements on the Earth?
Numerical methods in Earth Sciences: How to create computer
simulations of air movement in the atmosphere, etc.
Geology of Israel: How was the Red Sea formed? What caused
the Judean Mountains to form?
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Northern Negev and Dead Sea Valley field trip: How were the
craters formed? How does one know this? Why is the Dead Sea so low?
Southern Negev field trip: Did the Eilat region once look
like the Andes? Why did the Paran River change its course?
Northern Dead Sea Rift Valley field trip: When did the
Kinneret Lake (Sea of Galilee) and the Hula lake form? Why did the Hermon
Mountain rise? Where is the plate boundary in our region located?
Greeceand Alps field trips: What is the mechanism that
buried rocks to depths of 50 kilometers or more ? What processes allowed
these rocks to reach the surface ?
Applied geophysics: How does one do a seismic survey in the
field? How does one determine the seismic risk of a fault?
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Minerals and rocks
Minerals, rocks, maps, and stratigraphic cross sections:
What gives minerals their symmetry and ordered mineral structure? How
does one know where to drill for oil?
Optical mineralogy: How do minerals polarize light? How
does one identify them under the microscope?
Sedimentary petrology: How does limestone form? What can
one learn from sandstone about the river in which deposited the sands?
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Igneous and Metamorphic petrology: What is the igneous
source under the Hawaii volcanoes? How does granite form? How do
metamorphic rocks form by the effects of heat and pressure
Igneous and metamorphic mapping: What kind of history did
the Eilat rocks experience? Were there ever 5000 meter high mountains
in the area?
Volcanism field trip: When were the Golan Heights covered
by lava? How does one discover a buried volcano in the Tabor River?
Summer mapping camp: How does one create a geological
map? How does one uncover the stories hidden within the rocks?
Mapping camp A: How does one create a geological map from
air photos? How do rocks fold?
Thermodynamics of natural processes: How does one
reconstruct the formation conditions of a rock based on its minerals? When
do rocks melt? At what temperature and pressure does a metamorphic rock
form?
Advanced igneous petrology: How does one read and understand
papers on igneous subjects? How does the crust form?
Advanced metamorphic petrology: How does one determine
mineral compositions? How does one understand the formation conditions
of a mineral based on its composition?
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Geochemistry
Introduction to Geochemistry: How were the elements
formed? The solar system? The earth and its atmosphere?
Geochemistry of fossil fuel: How is oil formed? Coal? How
does one recognize the rock source for fuel production?
Geochemistry of groundwater: What determines the groundwater
composition? How does water react with rocks?
Introduction to soil sciences: How do soils form? How do
they react with water?
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Geochemistry of radioactive isotopes: How does one date
rocks? How do isotopes act as tracers of earth processes.
Geochemistry of stable isotopes: How does one know how cold
it was during ice ages? How does the ocean balance its isotopes?
Geochemistry of sedimentary processes: How did the salt
in Mount Sedom form? How are fossils preserved?
Environmental geochemistry: How does one determine the
purity or the toxicity of water?
Biogeochemical cycles: What are the factors controlling
the carbon and oxygen cycles on the surface of the Earth?
Biogeochemistry of corals: What is the connection between
element concentration in water and the state of the coral?
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Hydrology
Hydrology of groundwater movement
Israel's water sources
Groundwater contamination
Geochemistry of groundwater
Environmental hydrogeochemistry
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Geomorphology
Geomorphology: How do canyons form?
Quaternary geomorphology: How hot was it here during the
ice age?
Climate and the physical environment: How does rain evolve
into a flood?
Field methods in the Quaternary research: How do we
recognize an active fault? How does a delta evolve?
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More about Field trips and the geology of Israel
Geomorphology: How are canyons formed? How does a river
take over another river?
Negev field trip: First exposure of students to rocks and
geological structures in the field.
Northern Negev and Dead Sea Rift Valley field trip: How
did phosphates form? How did Mount Sedom form? How did the ¿craters¿
(Makhteshim) of the Negev form?
Judean mountains field trip: What kind of sea was in the
Jerusalem region during the Cretaceous period?
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Southern Negev field trip: When did the Arava region
form? How does a continental crust evolve?
Central Negev field trip: What is the Syrian arc? What is
allochtonous chert?
Mount Sedom field trip: How did such thick layers of salt
form? How did they rise?
Carmel field trip: Where can one find a volcano in the
Carmel? Where can one find coral?
Galilee field trip: How can one rotate 10 km size
blocks?
Northern Dead Sea valley Rift field trip: When did the
Sea of Galilee form? How did the land of the prehistoric man unfold?
Golan and Galilee volcanism field trip: How did Birket
Ram Lake form? How dangerous is Mount Avital?
Sea of Galilee basin field trip: The Sea of Galilee as a
complete ecological system. The water quality in the Sea of Galilee.
Geology of Israel: What did the landscape look like 100
million years ago? How did the Dead Sea Rift valley form?
Water sources in Israel: What kind of problems evolve from
usage of treated water? What will be in the end?
Geological field trip to Greece: Orogenic processes. what
caused the Island of Santorini to erupt?
Field trips as part of the courses: Many courses include
1-2 days of field trips.
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More on Stratigraphy and Mapping
Minerals, rocks, maps, and cross sections: Why is Ruby so
red? How does one reconstruct a movement on a fault plane?
Summer mapping camp: How can one make a map and a cross
section of the rocks in Timna and Eilat?
Introduction to paleontology and stratigraphy: What kind
of fossils exist in Israel? Why does one find gas near the Gaza strip?
Sedimentary petrology and petrography: How is chert
formed? What can one learn about fossil rivers from sandstone?
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Introduction to soil sciences: How do soils form? How can
one preserve them?
Engineering geology: Where is it dangerous to build a
nuclear power-plant station? When will a Kurkar cliff collapse?
Mapping camp A: Geological mapping based on air photos,
recognition of deposition environments.
Mapping camp B: Deciphering geological structures in
the field.
Structural mapping camp: How does one decipher the evolution
and chronology of a fold?
Igneous and metamorphic mapping camp: How did 10 kilograms
of mountain evolve and erode above the Eilat region rocks?
Environmental geology camp: How to use a field geological
and hydrological data base in environmental planning.
Field methods in the Quaternary research: The determination
of the Dead Sea water levels in the past and understanding their
meaning.
Applied geophysics: How does one do a seismic survey in
the field? How does one determine the seismic risk of a fault?
Mapping the sea floor: How does one perform geology during
diving in the sea? What does coral tell us about paleo sea levels?
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Environmental topics
Groundwater contamination
Geochemistry of groundwater
Environmental geochemistry
Introduction of soil sciences
Climate changes
The ozone in the atmosphere
Biogeochemical cycles
Biogeochemistry of corals
Karst, paleoclimate and environmental
Quaternary geomorphology
Earthquakes
Natural Hazards ¿ earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and
storms: What causes them and how to protect against them?
Eilat bay ecological system
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(08.02.10)
