ESCI 103
Professor Timothy H. Heaton

This course is called Principles of Earth Science II (Historical Geology at most schools) and is the second course in the Earth Science general education laboratory sequence at USD. It is also required of Earth Science majors. ESCI 101 (Physical Geology) is a prerequisite.

Two sections of this course are taught every Spring semester, and a trailer section is taught in the Fall semester of odd years only. Laboratory sections accompany the course, and each student must register for one of the weekly labs.


*** Chapter 14 Web Quiz ***
Take this quiz before class on Tuesday, November 24th.
You may use your book and notes, but you are required to take the quiz on your own.

There will be a quiz on the Lab 7-9 material at the beginning of next week's lab. The materials from
Lab 7-9 will be available for review in the lab room (Patterson 119) all day Friday and Monday morning.

*** Grade Viewer ***
Exam 3 grades are posted!

Lecture Presentations (PowerPoint) are available by logging into Desire 2 Learn.


Class Handouts
Course Syllabus (Download in Word)
Chapter Outlines (Download in Word)
Precambrian-Cambrian stages of life
History of life in the oceans
Key animal phyla of the oceans
Blank Geologic Time Scale (in Word)
Other Links
Geologic Timeline
Understanding Evolution
Burgess Shale fossils
Events of the Geologic Periods
Paleogeographic Maps

Dr. Heaton's Practice Exams

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9
Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15
Chapter 16 Chapter 17

Practice Geologic Time Scale Structure Questions Other Earth Science Exams

Here are the absolute ages you
need to know for the time scale
(in addition to the Eons, Eras,
Periods, and Epochs):
------   0 years ago   ------
Cenozoic Era
------ 65 million years ago ------
Mesozoic Era
------ 251 million years ago ------
Paleozoic Era
------ 542 million years ago ------
Proterozoic Eon
------ 2.5 billion years ago ------
Archean Eon
------ 4.0 billion years ago ------
Hadean Eon
------ 4.5 billion years ago ------


Student Contribution Practice Exams

Please submit multiple choice or matching questions, not true/false or essay.
Be sure to put your name in parentheses at the end of the question.
(If you forgot you can edit your question or e-mail Dr. Heaton.)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9
Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15
Chapter 16 Chapter 17


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Timothy H. Heaton: E-mail, Home page, Phone (605) 677-6122, FAX (605) 677-6121