Courses

    Examines sources of energy and other resources in light of their availability, use, environmental impact, as well as their impact on policy, economics and values. As fossil fuels are the dominant energy source today, particular emphasis is placed on climate impacts and the carbon cycle. All material is assessed through the lenses of the physical sciences, policy, ethics and economics. Prereq., a two-course sequence in any natural science. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Same as ENVS 3520. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.

    Discusses the origin and distribution of conventional and unconventional petroleum resources, source rocks, types of traps and seals, reservoir rock properties, exploration methods (seismic data analysis and interpretation, formation evaluation, subsurface mapping), reservoir characterization and modeling, reserves calculations. Prereqs., GEOL 1010 and MATH 1300 or APPM 1350, or instructor consent.

    Discusses the evolution of life on Earth, beginning with the earliest origins and surveying the major steps that led to the rise of higher plants and animals. Covers modern ideas on the causes of periodic mass extinctions in both the marine and terrestrial realms. Emphasizes geologic evidence for the pathways of evolution, using examples from the ordinary to the bizarre. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.

    Examines the myriad forms of fluid behavior found on Earth, from the atmosphere to the inner core. Explores how basic principles of fluid physics may be used to understand a broad range of earth processes, including mantle convection, atmosphere and ocean dynamics, stream flow, lava spreading, and glacier motion, among others. Covers fundamental fluid concepts such as viscosity, pressure, convection, friction, and free-surface flow. Prereqs., MATH 1300, or APPM 1340 and 1345, or APPM 1350, or equivalent. Recommended prereq., GEOL 1010 or equivalent.

    Offers an academically supervised opportunity for geological sciences majors to work with public or private organizations. Projects are usually associated with students' career goals; each project has an academic emphasis. Prereq., junior standing and completion, with a B or better, of at least two courses for geology majors.

    Surveys historic and prehistoric natural disasters, their cause, and potential for recurrence. Meteorite impact, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides, floods, magnetic reversals, and major extinction events. Course formerly numbered as GEOL 4950. Prereq., one year science. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.

    Examines the ocean as a system influencing the Earth's surficial processes and climate. Composition and properties of seawater, ocean circulation, waves, tides, coastal-, shallow-, and deep-water processes, biogeochemical cycles, deep sea sediments. Laboratory emphasizes the use of oceanographic data. Prereq., one semester chemistry, physics, or geology. Same as GEOL 5060.

    Covers the primary forcings and feedbacks that determine Earth's energy balance and the resultant climate system on decadal to millennial time scales. Covers ocean/atmosphere circulation, the role of ice sheets in the climate system, monsoons, Holocene climate change and 20th Century warming. Includes coverage of the proxies available to reconstruct climates of the past and the archives that contain these proxies. Recommended for natural science majors only and recommended prerequisite of ENVS or GEOL introduction sequence. Credit not granted for this course and GEOL 3040.

    Covers acquisition and interpretation of environmental data by remote sensing. Discusses theory and sensors, as well as manual and computerized interpretation methods. Stresses infrared and microwave portions of the spectrum. Same as GEOL 5093 and GEOG 4093.

    Students are introduced to fundamental geophysics including seismology, geomagnetism, gravity, radiometric dating, and heat flow with applications to plate tectonics and exploration of the subsurface. Prereqs., MATH 1300, PHYS 1110, GEOL 1010, GEOL 2001 and either GEOL 2005 or GEOL 2700.

    Covers fundamentals of biogeochemical cycling, emphasizing water, carbon, and nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems; chemical interactions of atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere; and natural and human-managed environments. Prereqs., GEOL 3320 or EBIO 3270, and CHEM 1011 or higher. Same as ENVS 4160 and EBIO 4160.

    Constraining the timing of events and rates of processes is fundamental to earth science research. The field of geochronology and thermochronology is rapidly evolving. Cutting-edge aspects of geochronologic methods and emerging techniques will be especially emphasized. Lectures will emphasize the principles and assumptions of each technique. Seminar discussions will focus on recent papers that demonstrate state-of-the-art applications to diverse problems. Same as GEOL 5215.

    Studies weathering, mass-wasting, fluvial, wind, and marine processes and the resulting landforms. Prereqs., GEOG 1011 or GEOL 1010. Same as GEOG 4241. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.

    Examines the chemical, biological, geological, and physical processes affecting (and affected by) the chemistry of the oceans. Topics include: chemical separation in seawater; the marine carbon cycle and its long-term control on atmospheric CO2; the large-scale interdependence of nutrient distributions and biological productivity, chemical tracers of ocean circulation; and the chemistry of marine sediments, including early diagenesis. Prereq., CHEM 1113/1114 and intro geology and/or oceanography, or equivalent. Restricted to juniors/seniors.

    Investigates chemical and isotopic data to understand the composition of the solar system: emphasis on the physical conditions in various objects, time scales for change, chemical and nuclear processes leading to change, observational constraints, and various models that attempt to describe the chemical state and history of cosmological objects in general and the early solar system in particular. Prereq., upper-div undergrad or grad standing in physical science. Recommended prereq., upper-div undergrad Chem, Phys, or Math. Same as GEOL 5330 and ASTR 4330.

    Discusses the history and evolution of the vertebrates, including the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary patterns of the major groups. Lab focuses on comparative vertebrate osteology and fossil representation of major groups. Prereqs., GEOL 1010, 1020, and 3410, or instructor consent. Same as GEOL 5474. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Deals with controversies within the broad realm of geological sciences, including planetary geology, evolution, paleobiology, global change, environmental issues, plate tectonics, resources, other societal problems, or geologic thought in general. Students are provided the opportunity to analyze and debate scientific issues in the earth sciences. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Prereq., any 1000-level geological science sequence.

    Introduces concepts and methods of petroleum reservoir analysis and 3-D reservoir modeling using subsurface data (cores, well logs, 3-D seismic) and outcrop analogs. Examines petroleum system, petrophysics (lithology, porosity, permeability, capillary pressure, flow units), and sequence-stratigraphic, facies, and structural controls on reservoir properties, heterogeneity, and recovery efficiency. Deterministic and stochastic reservoir modeling methods are addressed. Prereqs., GEOL 1010, 1020, and 3430, or instructor consent. Same as GEOL 5550. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Introduces principles of stable and radiogenic isotope systematics in inorganic and organic geochemistry. Emphasizes application of isotope data to problems in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology, geobiochemistry, and petroleum genesis. Prereqs., CHEM 1131, MATH 1300, and GEOL 3020. Same as GEOL 5670.

    Studies in selected geological subjects of special current interest (for undergraduates). May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours within a term. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Applies field techniques to interpretation of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Field exercises and lectures focus on collecting data required to map igneous and metamorphic rock units. Prereqs., GEOL 2700 or 2001 and GEOL 3020.

    Methods of field study of structure of rocks, including observations, data collection, and interpretation to understand geometry of deformation and causative processes and kinematics. Field projects are mapped using different scales, air photos, topographic maps, and compass and tape. Prereqs., GEOL 2700 or 2001, and GEOL 3120.

    Applies geophysical field techniques and data interpretation to studying geological and engineering problems. Fieldwork includes seismic, gravity, magnetic, and electrical measurements. Prereqs., GEOL 2700 or 2001, and MATH 1300 and PHYS 1110, or instructor consent.

    Introduces various field techniques and data analysis methods in hydrogeologic studies for students in geology, environmental studies, geography, and civil engineering. Exercises include mapping ground water levels, conducting slug and pumping tests, measuring stream flows, interpreting aquifer parameters from geophysical measurements, and using field data for water budget analysis. Prereq., GEOL 2001 or 2700.

    Develops basic field skills in the most commonly performed tasks required for the environmental characterization of solid and aqueous wastes. Media of study include soils, stream sediments, surface waters, ground waters, and atmospheric particulates. Prereqs., GEOL 2700 or 2001, and CHEM 1011/1031, or CHEM 1113/1133, and GEOL 3320, or instructor consent.

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