Geological Sciences (GEOL)

Courses

GEOL 4060 (4) Oceanography

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. Department enforced prerequisite: one semester chemistry or physics or geology.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 5060
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sci Lab
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

GEOL 4070 (3) Paleoclimatology

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. Department enforced prerequisite: environmental science or geology introduction sequence courses.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of ERTH 2001 (minimum grade C-).
Recommended: Prerequisite natural science majors only.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

GEOL 4160 (3) Introduction to Biogeochemistry

Covers fundamentals of biogeochemical cycling, emphasizing water, carbon and nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems; chemical interactions of atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere; natural and human-managed environments. Department enforced prerequisites: GEOL 3320 or EBIO 3270 and CHEM 1011.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: EBIO 4160 and ENVS 4160
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

GEOL 4660 (3) Sedimentology and Geobiology of Carbonates

Focuses on how carbonate sediments are formed, deposited, and lithified and what influences the preservation and alteration of textural and geochemical signals. We will cover facies identification, interpreting depositional environment, and carbonate geochemistry, with a particular emphasis on recent advances and unanswered questions at the intersection of carbonates and geobiology, including the role of microbial carbonate precipitation and/or dissolution in the formation and degradation of stromatolites, carbonate mud, ooids, etc.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 5660
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of GEOL 3430 (minimum grade C-).
Recommended: Prerequisites GEOL 3320, GEOL 4185.

GEOL 4675 (3) Stable Isotopes in Paleoclimate and Paleoecology

Explores the use of stable isotope geochemistry for research questions in paleoclimatology and paleoecology. Covers physical and biological drivers of isotopic fractionation, systematics and applications of light elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur and boron and some less traditional isotopic systems. Applications include marine and terrestrial paleoclimate proxies and some uses for ecology and paleoecology.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 5675
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of CHEM 1113 (minimum grade C-).
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

GEOL 4747 (3) Unconventional Resources

To introduce the concepts, principles, methods, and techniques of unconventional reservoirs. Unconventional reservoirs can be defined informally as those reservoirs that need artificial stimulation to produce. Accumulations in conventional traps are due to buoyancy. Seven common kinds of unconventional reservoirs: tight-gas sandstones, shale gas, shale oil, coal-bed methane, heavy-oil sands, oil shale, gas hydrates. Formerly offered as a special topics course.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 5747
Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of GEOL 2001, GEOL 2005, GEOL 2700, and GEOL 3430 (all minimum grade C-).

GEOL 4840 (1-3) Independent Study in Geology

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4841 (1-3) Independent Study-Economic Geology

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4844 (1-3) Independent Study-Structure/Tectonics

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4845 (1-3) Ind Stdy-Geochemistry

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4846 (1-3) Independent Study-Geophysics

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4847 (1-3) Independent Study-Hydrology

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4849 (1-3) Indepedent Study-Paleontology

Time and credit to be arranged. For advanced undergraduates who have high scholastic standing. Open only upon consultation with department advisor. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 7.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 4851 (1-3) Independent Study in Geoscience Education

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 3.00 total credit hours.

GEOL 5001 (3) Physics and Chemistry of the Solid Earth

Reviews the physical and chemical characteristics of the solid earth, from the core to the crust, and the processes that govern behavior through the earth. Lectures are supplemented with readings from the recent literature. Topics include convection, phase transitions, melt generation, forces of plate tectonics, origin of continents and lithosphere, continental tectonics, and earthquakes.

Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Recommended: Requisite a course in basic chemistry and a course in physics.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5002 (3) Physics, Chemistry, and Biology of Sedimentary Systems

Reading and discussion of current issues and themes in the stratigraphic sciences, including stratigraphic and facies analysis, spatial heterogeneity and self-organization, numerical modeling; origin, evolution, mass extinctions, and megatrajectories of life; and paleooceanographic and paleoclimatic signals in sedimentary rocks. Goal is to diversify students' understanding of the role of physics, chemistry, and biology in attacking research problems in sedimentary systems.

Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5060 (4) Oceanography

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 4060
Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5080 (1-3) Advanced Hydrogeology and Modeling Concepts

Introduces advanced groundwater flow and modeling concepts, equations for steady state and transient flow, saturated and unsaturated flow, finite difference method, application of modeling in geologic processes, radial flow and aquifer parameters, infiltration and groundwater recharge, model calibration, verification and prediction. Department enforced prerequisite: MATH 2300 or Fortran.

Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5125 (3) Communicating Earth Science with the Public

Introduces research on science communication and discusses examples drawn from geoscience. Students apply research on science communication to conceptualizing how to communicate about their specific geoscience research to the public in different contexts. Students should be familiar enough with their area of graduate research in geoscience to apply different models of science communication to it.

Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.

GEOL 5420 (3) Quaternary Dating Methods

Features in-depth survey of standard and experimental dating methods that provide absolute ages for events of the last two million years of Earth history. Includes theory and application of radiocarbon, uranium series, amino acid, thermo-luminescence, fission track, potassium/argon, hydration, light stable isotopes, and other radioactive techniques.

Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5660 (3) Sedimentology & Geobiology of Carbonates

Carbonate sedimentary rocks are a significant component of the geobiological rock record, capturing a history of organisms and the environments they inhabit. This course will focus on how carbonate sediments are formed, deposited, and lithified and what influences the preservation and alteration of textural and geochemical signals. We will cover facies identification, interpreting depositional environment, and carbonate geochemistry, with a particular emphasis on recent advances and unanswered questions at the intersection of carbonates and geobiology, including the role of microbial carbonate precipitation and/or dissolution in the formation and degradation of stromatolites, carbonate mud, ooids, etc.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 4660
Recommended: Prerequisite prior coursework in Sedimentology.

GEOL 5675 (3) Stable Isotopes in Paleoclimate and Paleoecology

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 4675
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5711 (1-3) Igneous and Metamorphic Field Geology

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. Department enforced prerequisites: restricted to graduate students only and GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 and GEOL 3020.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5712 (1-3) Structural Field Geology

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. Department enforced prerequisites: GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 and GEOL 3020.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5715 (1-3) Field Techniques in Surficial Geology and Geohydrology

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 steam flows, interpreting aquifer parameters from geophysical measurements and using field data for water budget analysis. Department prerequisite: GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Graduate Course

GEOL 5747 (3) Unconventional Resources

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GEOL 4747

GEOL 5840 (1-3) Independent Study-Quaternary Geology