Courses in Geology (GEOL)
1401/1403 Physical Geology (3-2). Earth materials, structure, landforms, mineral resources, and the processes that form them. Includes plate tectonics and how humans are affected by Earth processes.
1402/1404 Historical Geology (3-2). Application of geological principles to interpret four billion years of Earth history recorded in rocks. Includes evolutionary changes and the use of fossils in time and space.
3102 Field Methods in Geology and Hydrogeology(0-3). An introduction to techniques used by geologists and hydrogeologists in the field. Tools used include Brunton compass, aerial photographs, and hydrology equipment. Techniques will be applied to construct a geologic map during a required field trip. Prerequisite: Geology 1401 or 1402
3302 Hydrology (3-0). A quantitative overview of the hydrologic cycle including both surface and groundwater hydrology. Topic to include surface water, aquifer properties, groundwater, modelling, human use and abuse of water resources, contamination, and extraction. Prerequisites: Geology 1401 or 1402 and Math 1302.
3303 Environmental Geology (3-0). This course emphasizes the complex physical relations between land, sea, atmosphere, and human activity. Topics include geologic hazards, land management, water resources, hazardous waste disposal, energy resources, mineral resources, conservation of resources and ocean science. Prerequisites: Geology 1401 or 1402 and Math 1302.
3400 Petrology (3-3). Description, classification, and interpretation of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Descriptions include tectonic setting, sedimentary environment, and pressure-temperature conditions. Laboratory work consists of hand sample description, examination of thin sections under a petrographic microscope, and field trips. Prerequisites: Geology 1401 or 1402
3401 Geomorphology (3-3). Geomorphology is the study of physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur on the surface of a planetary body. This course focuses on the origin, development and relationship of landforms created by fluvial, glacial, aeolian, and karst processes. Prerequisite: Geology 1401 or 1402.
3411 Structural Geology (3-2). A study of ways rocks and continents deform by faulting and folding, methods of picturing geologic structures in three dimensions, and causes of deformation. Includes a weekend field trip project and an introduction to geographic information systems (GIS). Prerequisites: Geology 1401 or 1402
3600 Field Geology (0-12). A five or six week summer field course on geologic mapping techniques. Techniques emphasized: measuring stratigigraphic sections, collecting and plotting fold and fault data, drafting geologic maps and cross-sections, and preparing reports. Prerequisites: Geology 3411 and Geology 3333
3371 Geomapping Fundamentals (3-0). An overview of geomapping concepts and terminology. Application of geomapping (GIS: Geographic Information Systems) software to analyze business information. Topics include relational databases, spatial data analysis and digital mapping. This course is the same as MIS 3371. Prerequisite: Junior standing or permission of instructor.
4191, 4291, 4391 Research. Individual research problems for students seeking a minor in geology. May be repeated for a total of six semester hours credit.
4303 Planetary Geology (3-0). A capstone study of terrestrial objects including planets, moons, and asteroids to describe and understand the past evolution and current dynamic state of planetary surfaces. Major topics include planetary evolution and differentiation, and surface morphology as an expression of internal dynamics, atmospheres, volcanic activity, and impact cratering. Prerequisite: Geology 1401 or 1402.
4310 Geophysical Signal Analysis (3-0). Theory and application of Fourier transforms, filters, spectral analysis, signal-to-noise enhancement and computer applications in various fields. Topics include imaging modalities and seismic array processing with construction, analysis, and interpretation of data from these fields. This course is the same as Physics 4310. Prerequisites: Physics 2442 and 3301.
4402 Stratigraphy and Sedimentation (3-3). This course focuses on sedimentary rocks and the stratigraphic record. Topics covered include the origin and classification of sediments and sedimentary rocks, sedimentary structures, diagenesis, and basin analysis. Students are introduced to the principles and practice of stratigraphy. Prerequisite: Geology 1401 or 1402.
