Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

The learning process designed for this subject is based on the following:

The basis of the course are lectures, in which the necessary material for the understanding of explanations and for discussion is provided. Class attendance is therefore essential.

Learning is complemented with practicals in which the student must to elaborate individual works related to the topics assigned by the responsible teacher. Searching of references in databases, critical reading and synthesis of information constitute the basis for writing their own works that should include: i) methodology, ii) discussion of selected data and iii) conclusions.

Practicals attendance is necessary for the proper development of the work and the written manuscript.

Finally field practicals where different geostructural units of the Iberian Peninsula are visited, are the complementary training of this subject; assistance is essential.

5.2. Learning tasks

The program includes the following activities: Lectures, laboratory classes, and field practices. In every activity questions are proposed followed by a discussion on the issues proposed.

5.3. Syllabus

1.- History of knowledgement in Historical Geology. From Geosyncline to Plate Tectonics

2.- Origin of Earth. Origin of Lithosphere, atmosphere and hidrosphere

3.- Evolution of Earth during Precambrian times. Orogenies, paleogeographic reconstructions. Continental movements during Precambrian.

4.- Lower Paleozoic, stratigraphy and paleogeography. Caledonian orogeny. News oceans and continental movements. Folded Chains.

5.- Upper Paleozoic, stratigraphy and paleogeography. Variscan orogeny. Continental drift and  plates collission. Variscan and Appalachian chains.

6.- Mesozoic, Stratigraphy and paleogeography, climate evolution. Triassic system. Jurassic System. And Cretaceous System. Stratigraphy, climate and paleogeography.

7.- Cainozoic Stratigraphy and paleogeographic evolution. Paleogene and Neogene times.

8.- Alpine orogeny. News oceans, movement and plates colission. Alpine Chains.

9.- Geology of Spain. Structural domains of Iberian peninsula. The Iberian Massiff, his situation in the variscan chain. Division and zones of Iberian Massiff.

10.-The Precambrian of Iberian Massiff, Precambrian-Cambrian Boundary in Spain. Paleogeography of Iberian Masssiff.

11.- Paleozoico f Northern section of Iberian Massiff. Variscan evolution.

12.- The Paleozoic of southern section of Iberian Massiff. Evolution model for contacts in diferents section of Southern Iberian Massif.

13.- The Iberian Massiff in the European Variscan Chain. Globals reconstructions. Tectonic frame at the end of Paleozoics times.

14.- Tectonic structure and his evolution of the Iberian Massiff.

15.- The Alpine orogeny in Iberian Peninsula. Basins and tectonic phases. Main structures in the alpine domain of western Mediterranean sea.

16.- Pyrinean cordillera, general structure. Division: zones and domains. Central and western Pyrinees, Vasco-Cantabrian Mountains. Main caracteristics.

17.- Alpine tectonic structure of the Pyrinean mountains. Profils ECORS, ESCIM, IAM. Alpine structure of Cantabrian mountains.

18.-Stratigraphy and paleogeography of mesozoic basins.

19.- Compresive stages in the Pyrinees. Cainozoic tectonic evolution. South western pirynean basin. South central pyrinean basisn.

20.- Betic cordillera. . External and internal zones, origin and facies evolution. Structural frame of Betic cordillera. Palinspastic reconstruction and paleogeographic evolution.

21.- The Betic cordillera and  relationship whith Western mediterranean evolution. Paleogegraphic evolution and reconstruction

22.- Intraplates chains. Costero-catalana and Iberian Chins. Central System and Toledo Mountains. Evolution of extensive basisns durin Mesozoic and his tectonic inversion.

23.- Antepais Cainozoic basins. Ebro basin,Duero basin, Tajo basin and Guadalquivir basin.

24.- Cainozoic Intramountain basins of Iberian, Costero-catalana, and Betic chains

25.- Origino f life. The Archean, Proterozoic and origin of metazoan, Ediacara fauna.

26.-Life explosion on the Cambrian. The invertebrates diversification and first cordates. Excepcional sites: Burgess shales.

27.- The Ordovician and Silurian periods. Marine environments and continental plants. Devonian and Carboniferous periods: the main groups of marine invertebrates and vertebrates. Placoderms fishes, other groups of fishes. Anfibean origin and  first reptilian.

28.- The Permian period and continental vertebrales groups. Mass extinction. Filetic relations in Mesozoic and paleozoic groups.

29.- The Mesozoic. Triassic period: Recovery of biologic groups. Jurassic period: Ammonites, sponges and corals expanssion. First birds. Cretaceous period. Marine and continental groups expansion. Invertebrate and vertebrate development. Mass extinction at the end of period.

30.- The Cainozoic. Mammals expansion. Plioquaternary: The glaciations. Diferents levels of beaches in the Iberian margin. The latest Neandertals and  Homo sapiens  expansion.

31.- Magmatisme in iberian peninsula

32.- Variscan and alpines mineral deposits in Iberian peninsula.

5.4. Course planning and calendar

Starting of of the lectures: First week of the second semester

Starting of the laboratory classes: Second week of the second semester. Bibliographic work.

Calendar of field trips: published in the Department's website.

Work presentation: May

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources