Undergraduate Courses for 2009-2010
Earth
Sciences (Undergraduate)
EAR 101 Dynamic
Earth 4 Y
Chemical, physical, and biological processes and principles affecting the
history and development of the Earth. Lectures, laboratory,
and field trips. Students may receive credit for either EAR 101 or 105
or 203 but not for more than one of these specific courses.
EAR 102 History
of Earth and Life 3 Y Physical
and biological history of the Earth. Lectures, laboratory,
field trip. Prereq: EAR
101, 203. EAR104 Introductory Geology Lab 1 Y Lab course designed for students
who took EAR105 but who need credits for a laboratory course. Equivalent to the lab portion of
EAR101; credit will not be given for both EAR101 and EAR104. EAR 105 Earth Science 3 S An introduction to Earth science providing
an integrated approach to the study of the solid Earth, continental surfaces,
atmosphere, and oceans. Lectures; no laboratory, no
prerequisite. Not for Earth Sciences majors. Students may receive credit
for either EAR 101 or 105 or 203 but not for more than one of these specific
courses. EAR 106 Environmental
Geology 3 Y Geologic systems as affected by human manipulation
of and intrusion into the geologic environment. Prereq:
EAR 101 or 105. EAR
111 Climate
Change Past and Present 3 Y An introduction to the science of climate
change from the geological record and the last century. Major drivers of
global climate, measuring change, and forecasting future climate. Role of human
activities in present climate. EAR
117 Oceanography 3 Y A
comprehensive introduction to the geology, physics, chemistry, and biology of
the world ocean and its impact on global climate and environmental concerns.
EAR 203 Earth
System Science 4 Y An
integrated view of Earth’s systems (lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere) and the scientific evidence for environmental issues including
global warming and ozone depletion. Climate change over geologic time as
background to future global change. Recommended for students who wish to pursue
global environmental studies. Students may receive credit for either EAR 101 or
105 or 203 but not for more than one of these specific courses.
EAR 225 Volcanoes and Earthquakes 3 Y Examination of the geologic nature of volcanoes and Earthquakes
as they are related to plate tectonic activity in the Earth. Discussion
of related societal hazards. Prereq: EAR 101,
105 or an equivalent EAR course. EAR 296 Oceanography and Liminology 3
Physics, chemistry, geology and biology of the global ocean and large
lake systems. EAR 309 Honors
Tutorial in Geology 1-6 S Selected topics under guidance of senior
staff members. Open only to students in the Honors Program. Prereq:
junior standing. EAR 314 Mineralogy 4 Y Introduction to the distribution of minerals
within the Earth, mineral properties (crystallography, crystal chemistry and
structure), and the processes that form them. Methods used to identify minerals
in hand specimens and an introduction to the techniques of optical mineralogy. Lecture, laboratory and fieldtrips. Prereq:
EAR 101, or 105, or 203. Coreq: CHE 106,116. EAR 325 Introduction
to Paleobiology 3 Y Patterns and processes of evolution as expressed
in the fossil record. Paleoecology, taxonomy, and evolutionary history of major ancient invertebrate
phyla. Students may not receive credit for EAR 325 if they have already
received credit for EAR 525 or 625. Prereq: EAR 333 Structural
Geology 4 Y Concepts
of structural analysis of rocks, stress and strain, rock deformation
mechanisms, geologic structures, their properties, and how they are formed.
Three lectures and one laboratory a week, field trips including some weekends. Prereq: EAR
101.
EAR 342/542 Geomorphology 3 IR Landscape formation and evolution as a
function of hydrogeologic, glacial, eolian, and tectonic processes acting on Earth materials. Lecture, labs, and field trips, including some weekends. Prereq: EAR
101 or permission of instructor.
EAR 345/545 Global
Change: The Geologic Record 3 Y Scientific
evidence for anthropogenically induced environmental
changes including global warming and its potential future impacts. Analysis of
the near geologic record for evidence of prehistoric natural changes in the
global environment and implications for future change. Prereq:
EAR 101.
EAR 400 Selected Topics
1-3 S EAR 409 Senior Thesis in
Earth Sciences 3-6 S Independent,
hypothesis-driven research involving investigative tools and techniques in the Earth
Sciences. Students must submit a written thesis to the department and give a
public seminar. Students should register for EAR 409 in the semester in which
they plan to submit the thesis; credit in prior semesters should be for
independent study (EAR490).
EAR 417/617 Geochemistry 3 SI Chemistry of Earth processes, including
basic thermodynamics, solution chemistry, isotopic chemistry, and kinetics;
magmatic crystallization, isotope fractionation, formation of carbonate and evaporitic sediment, ion exchange in clays, and Cosmochemistry. Prereq EAR 314; CHE 107, 117. EAR 418 Petrology 3 SI Introduction to the origin of igneous,
metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Classifications,
compositions, tectonic setting, and processes governing the distribution of
rocks within the Earth. Lecture, laboratory, and
fieldtrips. Prereq: EAR 314. EAR419 Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry 1 O Fundamentals of aqueous
geochemistry in ground water and surface water in the context of carbonate and
silicate dissolution, reactions governing metal oxidation and reduction, mixing
of waters and isotopic characterization.
One year of college chemistry required. EAR
420/620 Contaminant Hydrogeology 1 Fundamentals of solute transport, major
classes of groundwater contamination, remediation strategies, natural
attenuation characterization, fingerprinting of contaminant types.
One year of college chemistry, one course in physics or hydrology, one course
in calculus. Additional work required of graduate students. EAR428/BIO 428 Capstone
Seminar in Environmental Science 3 Y Seminar for students following
the environmental science curriculum. Students will work together to critically
evaluate, and propose solutions to, current environmental problems using a
combination of reading, class discussion, written analyses, and oral
presentations. EAR429 Topics in Paleobiology 3 E Current research in paleobiology
with a topical focus. Subjects
might include macroevolution, evolutionary paleoecology,
extinctions and radiations, stratigraphic
paleontology, etc. Topic is
decided at the first meeting of each semester. EAR429, by permission only. Pre-Req. EAR325. EAR 430/630 Topics
in Thermochronology and Tectonics 2 SI Seminar
will focus on research topics in thermochronology and tectonics from current
literature. Additional work required of graduate students. Prereq:
EAR 431/631, EAR 444/666, or permission of instructor. R3
EAR 431/631 Plate
Tectonics 3 SI Tectonic
development of Earth; definition of plates, their boundaries, motions, and
driving forces. Analysis
and modeling of plate motions. Additional work required
for graduate students. Prereq EAR 333 and PHY 212 or equivalent. EAR 432/632 Seafloor Spreading and Oceanic
Lithosphere 3 An investigation of the products and
processes of seafloor spreading from the perspective of geological and
geophysical studies of mid-ocean ridge spreading centers, oceanic lithosphere,
and ophiolite complexes. Additional work required of
graduate students. Prereq: EAR 333,314. EAR 435/645 Geophysics 3 SI Fundamental geophysical parameters;
seismology and Earth structure; gravity and magnetic fields with application of
potential theory; terrestrial rotation and shape; heat flow, thermal state, and
evolution of the Earth. Additional work required of graduate students. Prereq: MAT 296; PHY 212; EAR 314. EAR440 Watershed Hydrology 3
Y This course focuses on physical
hydrology at the catchment scale, including water budgets, precipitation,
evaporation, surface runoff, ground water flow and connections to
biochemistry. Focus is on
understanding hydrologic concepts and acquiring and analyzing hydrologic data. EAR 444/644 Thermochronology 3 SI Methods used in Earth
Sciences to determine temperature-time histories of crustal terranes
including 40Ar/39Ar, fission track and U-Th/He techniques. Diffusion
theory and applications of thermochronology to tectonics and landscape
evolution, P-T-t paths of crustal terranes.
Additional work required of graduate students. Prereq:
EAR 418 and 431/631 or permission of instructor. EAR 470 Experience
Credit: Field Geology
6 Y EAR 478/678 Isotope
Geology 3 SI Isotope
geochemistry is used in all branches of Earth sciences. This course covers the
following topics: Radioactive decay, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Lu-Hf isotope geochemistry; U-Pb geochronology; 14C dating; O, H, and C isotope
geochemistry. Additional work required of graduate students. Prereq: EAR 417. EAR/BIO 485 Societal
Approaches toEnvironmental Problem Solving I 3 O Local environmental problems
defined and testable hypotheses developed. Site visits, data collection, and
analysis. Problem solving situations similar to those faced by professional
researchers, environmental managers, policy makers. Prereq:
ESP 255 or permission of instructor. EAR483 Departmental Colloquium 1 S EAR 490 Independent
Study 1-3 S EAR 499 Honors
Capstone Project 3-6 S
EAR 510 Paleolimnology 3 SI The records of environmental
change contained within lake sediments. Basic background in limnology EAR 517 Sedimentary
Processes and Systems
3 Y Ancient
sedimentary rocks and their modern analogs. Physical and
chemical aspects of sedimentation and diagenesis.
Lecture, laboratory, and field trips. Prereq: EAR 314 or permission of instructor.
EAR 541 Hydrogeology 3 Y Fundamentals of groundwater hydraulics. Aquifer flow-system analysis and evaluation.
Groundwater-surface-water relationships. Groundwater chemistry. Prereq: EAR 101, MAT 296, PHY 212. EAR 542/342 Geomorphology 3 Y Landscape formation and evolution as a
function of hydrogeologic, glacial, eolian, and tectonic processes acting on Earth materials. Lecture, labs, and field trips, including some weekends. Prereq: EAR
101 or 242 or permission of instructor. EAR 544 Quaternary
Environmental and Climate Change 3 SI Proxy
records from marine, lacustrine, glacial, and
terrestrial environments for climate and environmental change during the
Quaternary. Comparison with numerical models of the
atmosphere and oceans. Discussion of current
literature and the potential for future global change. Prereq: EAR
542 or glacial geology or permission of instructor.
EAR 545/345 Global
Change: The Geologic Record 3 Y Scientific
evidence for anthropogenically induced environmental
changes including global warming and its potential future impacts. Analysis of
the near geologic record for evidence of prehistoric natural changes in the
global environment and implications for future change. Prereq:
EAR 101.
EAR455 Geochemical Patterns in the History of Earth & Life 3 0 Insights gained from the geochemistry
of fossils and sedimentary sequences about the history of the Earth’s
surface. Emphasis on relationships
between the biological world and the physical environment as revealed through
stable and radiogenic isotopes and elemental chemistry. GOL455 by permission only. Pre-Req.
EAR 325, EAR377 EAR 555 Environmental Geophysics 3 SI A comprehensive introduction to the
geophysical methods used for exploring the shallow subsurface, and their
application to problems in environmental geology. Prereq: PHY 211,212 or equivalent, MAT 295,296 or
equivalent. EAR 590 Independent Study 1-3 S |
