Graduate Course Descriptions
Geology
GLY 501. Research Methods in Geology (2) Scientific proposal
preparation, experimental design, scientific ethics, library use, safety,
project management, data analysis, quality assurance and computer applications.
One lecture and two laboratory hours per week.
GLY 502. Technical Communication in Geology (2) Scientific
manuscript preparation and communication techniques: writing techniques,
manuscript format, abstracts, oral and poster presentations. One lecture and two
laboratory hours per week.
GLY 503. Advanced Field Methods (4) A survey of geotechnical
field techniques applicable to structural geology, geophysics, hydrology, map
interpretation, rock, soil and sediment description, engineering and economic
geology. Two lecture and four laboratory hours per week. Required field
trips.
GLY 510. Sedimentary Environments (3) Prerequisite:
Petrology, stratigraphy, field camp. Survey of ancient sedimentary environments
with an evaluation of the criteria used in their recognition in the rock record.
Specific ancient sedimentary sequences are examined and compared to their modern
counterparts. Three lecture hours per week. Field trips.
GLY 511. Clastic Petrology (3) Prerequisite: Optical
mineralogy. Classification and description of sandstones and mudrocks and
evaluation of their diagenesis. Application of principles to economic deposits.
Laboratory exercises concentrate on microscopic and X–ray techniques of
analysis. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field trips.
GLY 512. Carbonate Petrology (3) Prerequisite: Optical
mineralogy or permission of instructor. An examination of sedimentary, igneous,
and metamorphic carbonate rocks with emphasis on observation, description and
interpretation. Plus an in depth look into how carbonate petrology is applied in
the exploration and exploitation of natural resources including hydrocarbons,
base metals, precious metals and industrial minerals. Two lecture and three
laboratory hours per week.
GLY 513. Advanced Igneous Petrology (3) Prerequisites:
Optical mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, or permission of instructor.
Principles and methodology underlying the physical and chemical processes
affecting the genesis of igneous rocks in various tectonic settings. Topics
include the application of thermodynamics, chemographic relationships, and phase
equilibrium to the differentiation of magmas and the crystallization of igneous
minerals, and geothermobarometric and geochronologic investigation of igneous
rocks. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours per week. Field
trip(s).
GLY 514. Advanced Metamorphic Petrology (3) Prerequisites:
Optical mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, or permission of instructor.
Principles and methodology underlying the study of metamorphism and metamorphic
facies in varying rock compositions, and petrotectonic settings. Topics include
metamorphic phase equilibria and diagrams, geothermobarometry and P-T—time
paths, metamorphic mineral crystallization and recrystallization, and textural
relationships in metamorphic rocks having variable protoliths and histories. Two
lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field trip(s).
GLY 515. Methods of Sedimentology (3) Prerequisite:
Petrology. A survey of the parameters of sedimentation. Emphasis on the
processes involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks, including their
origin, transport, deposition and lithification of rock–forming minerals.
Techniques of physical and chemical analyses of sediments are stressed. One
lecture and six laboratory hours per week. Field trips.
GLY 520. Global Climate Change (3) Prerequisites: General
chemistry, college physics, and calculus with analytic geometry. Analysis of
natural and anthropogenic global climate change. Historical and geological
records of climate including sediment, tree ring, and ice core analysis. Physics
and chemistry of climate including Earth’s energy balance, global carbon cycle,
climate modeling, atmospheric composition and dynamics. Three lecture hours per
week.
GLY 525. Engineering Geology (3) Prerequisite: Consent of
instructor. Properties, uses, and engineering significance of solid earth
materials and water. Principles of stress and strain and related material
responses. Methods, techniques, and instrumentation of engineering geologic
investigations. Three lecture hours per week.
GLY 526. Geohydrology (4) Prerequisites: Two semesters of
college calculus and petrology, or permission of instructor. Geology of ground
waters and related aspects of surface waters. Methods of groundwater resource
evaluation, protection, exploitation, and contaminant remediation. Three lecture
and three laboratory hours per week.
GLY 531. Micropaleontology
(3) Prerequisite: Invertebrate paleontology or consent of instructor.
Paleobiology and geological history of microorganisms, emphasizing the
classification and systematics of major microfossil groups. Two lecture and
three laboratory hours per week. Field trips.
GLY 533. Paleoecology (3) Prerequisite: Invertebrate
paleontology or consent of instructor. Principles of ecological faunal analysis
as primarily applied to the marine fossil record. Emphasizes the integration of
form and function, taphonomy, and community development through time, and
sedimentology/stratigraphy as a synthetic approach to paleoenvironmental,
paleobiological and evolutionary analyses. Applications to biostratigraphy are
considered. Three lecture hours per week. Field trips.
GLY 535. Stratigraphic Paleontology (3) Prerequisite:
Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, or consent of instructor. Analysis of
the historical, geological and biological basis of biostratigraphy emphasizing
the application of biostratigraphic principles and techniques in the development
of high-resolution relative time scales. Three lecture hours per week. Field
trips.
GLY 540. Regional Geology of North America (3) Prerequisites: Structural geology, stratigraphy. Survey of the rocks,
structures, natural resources, and tectonic histories of different regions of
North America, such as the Precambrian shield, Appalachians, and Cordillera.
Syntheses of theories of orogenesis. Three lecture hours per week.
GLY 541. Advanced Structural Geology (3) Prerequisite:
Structural geology. Origin and analysis of earth structures. Solution of
advanced structural problems involving stress, strain, rheology, folding, and
fracturing of rocks. Rock mechanics, finite strain, and fabric analysis of
deformed rocks. Review of techniques. Directed field or lab problems and
examples from literature. Two lecture and two laboratory hours per week.
GLY 543 (443). Tectonics (3) Prerequisites: Structural
geology, stratigraphy, petrology. Examination of current ideas and their
development as global tectonic theories. Plate tectonic controls on orogeny,
orogenic belts, magmatism, sedimentation, and metallogeny of major geologic
regions of North America and other areas of the world. Three lecture hours per
week.
GLY 550. Marine Geology (3) Prerequisite: Consent of
instructor. Topography, sediments, structure and geologic history of the marine
and estuarine environment. Three lecture hours per week. Field trip(s).
GLY 551. Seafloor Mapping (3) Prerequisite: Permission of
instructor. A survey of different methods used to map the seafloor including
satellite altimetry, multibeam and sidescan sonar swathmapping. Operation of
instruments, survey strategies and techniques to process and interpret data will
be explored. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Shipboard field
trip.
GLY 552. Coastal Sedimentary Environments (4) Prerequisite:
Consent of instructor. Sedimentary processes and environments of the world’s
coastal systems. Emphasis on river deltas, estuaries, bays, salt marshes,
barrier islands and associated inlets. Ice–bound as well as rocky coastlines
also are examined. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field
trip.
GLY 555. Coastal Sediment Dynamics (3) Prerequisites: One
year of calculus or physics or consent of the instructor. Theory and application
of models used to quantify sediment movement and deposition in the coastal
environment. Three lecture hours per week. Field trips.
GLY 558. Introduction to Coastal Management (4) Interdisciplinary study of human impacts on coastal environments and organisms.
Topics include the physical and biotic setting of worldwide coastal regions,
principles of coastal management, and analysis of potential solutions to coastal
problems. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
GLY 560. Integrative Stratigraphy (3) Prerequisites:
Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, petrology. Stratigraphic analysis of
the geologic history of North America and parts of other continents. Emphasis on
interpreting lithologic assemblages and stratigraphic relations in terms of
modern tectonic–depositional models. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per
week.
GLY 561. Coastal Plains Geology (3) Prerequisites:
Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, petrology. Origin and development of
Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains with emphasis on stratigraphy, structure,
geomorphology and tectonic history. Three lecture hours per week. Field
trip(s).
GLY 565. (465) Introduction to Geophysics (3) Prerequisite:
Consent of instructor. Integrated application of geophysical methods to solve
environmental and geologic problems. Includes discussion of
reflection/refraction seismology, ground penetrating radar and gravity. Two
lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
GLY 572. Introduction to Geochemistry (3) Prerequisites: Two
semesters of college calculus; mineralogy or inorganic chemistry; or permission
of instructor. Investigation of the abundance and distribution of chemical
elements in the Earth’s crust, mantle, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Introduction to thermodynamics, phase and mineral equilibrium, stable
and radiogenic isotopes, and geochronology. Emphasizes the application of
geochemical processes to solving geologic and environment problems, with
selected examples from field and laboratory studies. Three lecture hours per
week.
GLY 573. Isotope Geochemistry (3) Prerequisite: Two semester
of college calculus and two semesters of college chemistry. Introduction to the
use of radio and stable isotopes for studying environmental processes; radio
decay and the applications of radioisotopes at daily to earth-history
timescales; isotopic fractionation, and applications of stable isotopes in
modern and paleo-environments. Three lecture hours per week.
GLY 591. Directed Independent Study (1–3)
GLY 592. Topics in Geology (1–4) Prerequisite: Consent of
instructor. Advanced special topics in geology through lectures, seminars, and
laboratory or field experience.
GLY 595. Seminar (1) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Research and discussion of selected topics in earth sciences. Oral presentation
at a departmental seminar and attendance at selected university seminars
required.
GLY 597. Final Project in Geology (3) Permission of
instructor. Focused study of a research topic in the practical application of
geology. Topics are selected by the student with appropriate faculty and
graduate coordinator approval. Students work with a faculty committee. Written
analysis and oral presentation of the project is required.
GLY 598. Internship (3) Prerequisite: Permission of
instructor. Participation in field experience with an organization involved in
the practice of geology. Students work with a licensed professional geologist
focusing on the linkage between course work and practical application. Students
complete a final report based on their activities. Final presentation
required.
GLY 599. Thesis (1–6)
Geography
GGY 520. Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (3) Purpose, use, and development of GIS. Theoretical basis for spatial data models
and the integration of these data to solve problems. Two lecture and two
laboratory hours each week.
GGY 522. (422) Remote Sensing in Environmental Analysis (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Use and interpretation of aerial
photography and other remote sensing techniques in environmental analysis. The
course emphasizes problem identification, digital image analysis, and
interpretation of images through laboratory exercises. Three lecture and two
laboratory hours each week.
GGY 524. (424) Advanced Geographic Information Systems (4) Prerequisite: GGY 328 or GGY 520 or consent of instructor. Advanced theory and
application of the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial data
collection, data structures, data management and relational databases, spatial
analysis, and display of geographic information in a computer-based environment.
Lectures, demonstrations, and lab exercises. Two lecture and three laboratory
hours each week.
GGY 526. (426) Environmental Geographic Information Systems
(4) Prerequisites: GGY 328 or GGY 520 or consent of instructor.
Overview of environmental applications of GIS and completion of a GIS project;
planning a GIS project; development and analysis of the data, and oral and
written presentation of the results. Research topics may include atmospheric
studies, oceanographic, hydrology, ecology, biology, resource management, and
hazard risk assessments. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each
week.
GGY 552. Historical/Cultural Geography (3) Prerequisite:
Permission of instructor. Study of the evolution of natural environments and
cultural landscapes; spatial diffusion; settlement patterns; and the material
culture including vernacular architecture. Focus will be on North America, with
consideration of European antecedents. A seminar type course in which students
are responsible for an intensive research project. Three lecture hours per
week.
GGY 578. (478) Historic Preservation Planning (3) An applied
research course which deals with the procedures employed by federal, state and
local agencies in locating, recording, restoring and preserving American
architectural resources and material cultural heritage. Subjects examined
include survey, documentation, and planning; historic districts; adaptive use;
funding; legislation; and organizational roles. Three lecture hours per
week.
GGY 591. Directed Independent Study (1-3)
GGY 592. Special Topics in Geography (1-4) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Advanced special topics in geography through lecture, seminar, and laboratory or field experience. More than one topic may be taken for credit.
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