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THE GEOLOGY OF MAINE (PVSC Spring 2024 6-week In-Person course) • Register • View Cart •

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THE GEOLOGY OF MAINE (PVSC Spring 2024 6-week In-Person course)
Instructor: Stephen Norton
Classes are held at UMA-Bangor, Texas Ave. Eastport Hall Room 135 and will be recorded.


Maine is underlain by an enormous variety of types of bedrock, but the bedrock is exposed in less than 5 percent of the state. However, certain types of rocks are responsible for the height of our mountains and other rock types are responsible for the flat low-lying areas. A small percentage of Maine is covered with water. The rest (greater than 90 percent) is covered by glacial deposits from the Last Glaciation of Maine. Thus, we will spend more than half of our time understanding the glacial deposits on which we log, farm, and alter by building houses, industries, and installing roads. In order, the course will expose you to:




  1. How do geologists “tell time” for when and how long different processes occurred?


  2. How did the rocks of Maine (and by extension, elsewhere) form, deform, and change?


  3. Why did we have cycles of glaciation, how do the cycles end, and how do glacial deposits influence the topography of the land surface? Will we have another cycle, and if so, when?


  4. How do the various landforms develop during glaciation and deglaciation?


  5. At the end of this course, you will understand better the geology that is obscured by vegetation and I hope you will not be able to drive across Maine without wondering about the landscape. Why do we drive for miles without seeing a stone wall while a different drive is laced with stone walls? Why are our lakes so variable in depth, color, and productivity?




I try to involve students in the topics dealt with in class, and I try equally hard to not just lecture. I will use “chalk” and PowerPoint. Student participation provides feedback to me during our classes to help me assess how well the material is coming across. Thus, I ask a lot of questions and I encourage you to do the same. I hope students will not be so intimidated that you do not venture a response. My goal in this course is to help you acquire tools that will enable you to enjoy Maine more while you walk, hike, drive, canoe, bike, and sit by a campfire.



 

Instructor: STEPHEN A. NORTON
Steve is a retired University of Maine Professor Emeritus, in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences. His career (1968-present) has evolved from being a student of the solid earth to the field of environmental geochemistry. His current research focuses on the interaction of water, geologic materials, and humans, under near-Earth surface conditions, including Maine lakes. Steve tries hard to involve students in the topics we deal with in the class, and he tries equally hard to not just lecture. Student participation provides feedback during classes to assess how well the material is coming across. You will be asked friendly questions.

Register Activity Ages Grades Days Date/Time Fees
 
  Registration ended.Thank you!
THE GEOLOGY OF MAINE (PVSC Spring 2024 6-week In-Person course) 
N/A N/A Th  03/28/2024 - 05/02/2024
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
UMA-Bangor campus 		$35.00 Fee
* Adjustments and discounts will be applied during checkout if applicable. *

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