For major requirements, see the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of this Catalog.
Geology
101. Introductory Environmental Geology
Either semester. Three credits. Not open for credit to students who have passed GEOL 102.
Designed for the nonscience major. Applied geologic principles and processes. Environmental hazards, min-eral resources and water problems affecting land use.
102. Introductory Geology
Either semester. Four credits. Three class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period.
Description and analysis of the physical, chemical and biological processes that continually modify the shape of the earth's surface and the structure and composition of its interior. Methods of interpreting earth history from evidence now preserved in rocks. Field trips are held during several of the regular laboratory periods.
111. Age of the Dinosaurs
Either semester. Three credits. Thorson
A reconstruction of the Mesozoic world of the dinosaurs as interpreted from geological and paleontological evidence. Course includes fundamental concepts of stratigraphy, historical geology, paleoclimatology, and paleontology.
212. Field Geology
Second semester. Six credits. Four weeks intensive study following final examination period. Prerequisite: GEOL 102. Gray, Philpotts, Steinen
Field methods for geological and environmental geoscience studies, including electronic surveying techniques, aerial photograph interpretation, geological mapping, description and measurement of sedimentary sections, techniques of underground mapping, and geophysical surveying.
213. Spring Field Trip
Second semester. Variable credits. Prerequisite: GEOL 250, 251, 252, and 253, one of which may be taken concurrently.
Spring field trip during spring break, and supporting research. First 7 weeks: background readings from primary literature and secondary literature. Seven weeks following trip: supervised laboratory research using field samples. One or more short research papers and presentation to the department.
214Z. Igneous Petrology (Q,W,C)
First semester. Four credits. Three class periods and one 3-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 253. Recommended preparation: MATH 114 or 116. Open only for 3 credits to those students who have passed GEOL 210. Philpotts
Introduction to rocks and the physical and chemical principles governing their formation. Fluid mechanics of magmas, heat transfer, thermodynamics, phase equilibria, isotope geochemistry, and the relation of magmatism to plate tectonics. Optical microscopy, x-ray fluorescence, and electron microprobe analysis. Preparing a paper suitable for publication in a scientific journal.
215V. Metamorphic Petrology (Q,C)
Second semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 253. Recommended preparation: MATH 114 or 116. Joesten
Mineralogical, chemical and textural features of metamorphic rocks in the physical conditions and dynamic processes operating in the Earth's crust. Thermodynamic description of phase equilibria in fluid-rock systems. Kinetics, mass- and energy-transport in metamorphic processes. Petrographic, and X-ray analytical techniques.
217. Advanced Structural Geology
First semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Prerequisite: GEOL 252. Recommended preparation: first year physics, MATH 227. Crespi
Mechanics of rock deformation. Material behavior of rocks and their geometry during orogenesis, with applications of finite strain analysis, and advanced geometric techniques.
219. Invertebrate Paleontology
Second semester. Four credits. Two class periods and two 2-hour laboratory periods. Prerequisite: GEOL 250.
The systematics, anatomy, evolutionary patterns and ecology of the major groups of invertebrate fossils.
220. Principles of Geomorphology
First semester. Three credits. Two 1-hour class periods and one 3-hour laboratory (occasionally used for field trips). Prerequisite: GEOL 251. Thorson
Interpretation of landscape genesis with an emphasis on causal processes and paleoenvironmental implications.
Second semester. Three credits. One 2-hour class period and one 3-hour laboratory (for lab exercises and field trips). Recommended preparation: GEOL 251. Thorson
Reconstruction of former glaciers and the interactive processes leading to the character and distribution of unconsolidated surface materials in glaciated regions. Techniques for interpreting subsurface unconsolidated materials.
227. Polarized Light Microscopy
First semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Required preparation: GEOL 253, and PHYS 123Q or 132Q or 142Q or 152Q. Gray
Principles of optical crystallography. Optical properties of crystals in both transmitted and reflected light. Relationship between crystallographic and optical directions. Application of polarized light microscopy to petrofabric analysis.
229. Engineering and Environmental Geology
Second semester. Three credits. Recommended preparation: GEOL 101 or 102. Robbins
Application of geological principles to engineering and environmental problems. Topics include site investigation, geologic hazards, slope processes, earthquakes, subsidence, and the engineering properties of geologic materials. Course intended for both geology and engineering majors.
234C. Introduction to Ground-Water Hydrology
First semester. Four credits. Three class periods and one 2-hour laboratory for which occasional field trips will be substituted. Prerequisite: MATH 114 or 116 and GEOL 102, or consent of instructor. Robbins
Basic hydrologic principles with emphasis on hydrologic and geologic relationships, use of quantitative techniques.
235. Chemical Hydrogeology
Second semester. Four credits. Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 234. Gray, Robbins
Chemical processes controlling the composition of unpolluted and polluted natural waters. Field and laboratory analytical techniques. Equilibria, reaction and transport models of the chemical interactions groundwater and the media through which it travels. Applications of geochemical processes and principles understanding to the mitigation of environmental problems.
240. Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
First semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period; occasional field trips. Prerequisite: GEOL 251. Steinen
Composition, deposition and diagenesis of marine and non-marine sediments; stratigraphic methods; dynamics of sediment incorporation into the stratigraphic record. An examination of recent sedimentary sequences as a key to understanding ancient sedimentary environments.
245. Introduction to Geochemistry
Second semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: GEOL 253, CHEM 127 and 128 or equivalent. Recommended preparation: MATH 114 or 116, or equivalent. Gray
Origin and distribution of the elements and their isotopes. Chemical reactions among naturally occurring solids, liquids, and gases. Geochemical transport. Global cycles of selected elements. Applications of geochemistry to environmental problems.
250. Earth History
First semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Prerequisite: GEOL 102. Required of all Geology majors.
Reconstruction of earth history from geological data. Processes and events responsible for the stratigraphic record, and techniques used to decipher it. Includes an integrated survey of earth history.
251. Earth Surface Processes
Second semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Prerequisite: GEOL 102. Required of all Geology majors.
Processes responsible for the formation of the unconsolidated materials, landforms, and soils which constitute the Earth's surface. Introduction to surface-water and groundwater hydrology, geological hazards and the effects of climatic change.
252. Earth Structure
Second semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Prerequisite: GEOL 102. Required of all Geology majors.
Structure and composition of the earth, including a survey of plate tectonics and crustal evolution. Gravitational, thermal and tectonic processes associated with the earth's surface and interior.
253. Earth Materials
First semester. Four credits. Two class periods and two 3-hour laboratory periods. Prerequisite: GEOL 102. Recommended preparation: CHEM 127-128. Required of all Geology majors.
Principles of symmetry and crystal chemistry and the identification of minerals by hand sample, petrographic and x-ray methods. Description of the mineralogy and texture of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and the application of contemporary petrogenetic models to the interpretation of the geologic environments they record.
261. Plate Tectonics
First semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: GEOL 250 and 252. Byrne
Plate tectonics: geomagnetic reversals; sea-floor spreading; description of plates, their motions, generation, destruction, and collisions; possible driving forces; evidence for ancient plates.
295. Variable Topics
Either semester. Three credits. With a change in topic, may be repeated for credit. Prerequisites, required preparation, and recommended preparation vary.
296. Undergraduate Research in Geology and Geophysics
Either semester. Three credits. Hours by arrangement. Open only with consent of instructor.
Independent research for the advanced undergraduate student interested in investigating a special problem involving field and/or laboratory observations in geology and geophysics. The student is required to give an oral presentation in a departmental seminar at the end of the semester.
297W. Undergraduate Research Thesis in Geology and Geophysics
Either semester. Three credits. Hours by arrangement. Prerequisite: GEOL 296. Open only with consent of instructor.
Writing of a formal thesis based on independent research conducted by the student.
298. Special Topics
Either semester. Credits and hours by arrangement. May be repeated for credit. Open only with consent of instructor.
Investigation of special topics related to, but not
ordinarily covered in the undergraduate offerings; emphasis on laboratory
projects.
299. Independent Study
Either or both semesters. Credits and hours by arrangement. May be repeated for credit. Open only with consent of instructor.
Geophysics
264Q. Physics of the Earth's Interior
First semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: PHYS 132 or 142, CHEM 128, MATH 114 or 116. Cormier
The composition, structure, and dynamics of the earth's core, mantle, and crust; seismic waves, earth-quakes, the earth's magnetic field, geochronology; radioactive heating, and the earth's internal heat.
266Q. The Earth, Moon, and Planets
Second semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: PHYS 132 or 142, CHEM 128, and MATH 210 (or 211 or 221), or consent of instructor. Cormier
The earth's gravity field and figure of the earth; wobbles of the earth's axis, the earth-moon system and tidal friction; orbital paths of planets, moons, and artificial satellites; compositions of planets and moons; development of the solar system.
267Z. Geophysical Methods I (Q, W, C)
First semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Prerequisite: PHYS 123 or 132 or 142 or 152 and MATH 114 or 116.
Principles and applications of seismic methods of exploring the interior of the earth; principles of heat flow in the earth.
268Z. Geophysical Methods II (Q, W, C)
Second semester. Three credits. Two class periods and one 3-hour laboratory period. Prerequisite: PHYS 123 or 132 or 142 or 152 and MATH 114 or 116.
Principles and applications of electric, gravimetric and magnetic methods of exploring the interior of the earth.