6.10 DEPARTMENT
OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES (GEO)
Chairperson: Professor Harold H.
Stowell, Office: 202 Bevill Building
Admission Requirements
Admission to the graduate
program in geology is competitive. Applicants must satisfy the minimum admission
requirements established by the
Graduate
School. An applicant to the M.S. program is normally required to have a bachelor's degree
in geology or a related discipline (e.g., chemistry, mathematics, physics, or geological
engineering) and to have completed at least one year each of college-level calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Applicants with degrees in disciplines other than geology
or with ancillary background deficiencies may be required to complete certain undergraduate
requirements. An applicant to the Ph.D. program is normally required to have a master's
degree; however, an applicant with exceptional credentials may be admitted directly
into the Ph.D. program.
Degree Requirements
Master of science. The M.S. program requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of
coursework, participation in the graduate seminar (two semesters), and a thesis.
A maximum of 3 credit hours of nonthesis research may be applied toward the 24-hour
total. A thesis committee should be established by the end of the first semester
of residence and a thesis project must be proposed by the end of the second semester
of residence. Each M.S. candidate must pass a combined oral thesis defense and final
examination. Additional information is given in the Department of Geological Sciences
Graduate Handbook.
Doctor of philosophy. The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 48 hours of coursework
beyond the baccalaureate degree (including a maximum of 24 credit hours of approved
graduate-level coursework transferred from a master's program and a maximum of 12
hours of nonthesis or nondissertation research), participation in the graduate seminar
(four semesters), and a dissertation. A dissertation committee should be established
by the end of the first semester of residence and a dissertation project should
be established by the end of the third semester of residence. Each Ph.D. candidate
must also pass an oral dissertation proposal, an oral preliminary examination (after
completion of all coursework), and an oral dissertation defense. Additional information
is given in the Department of Geological Sciences
Graduate Handbook.
Course Descriptions
GEO 501 Climate Change. Three
hours.
Prerequisite: MATH 126 and PH 102 or permission of the instructor.
Survey of the variability of global climate through geologic time
and investigation of the mechanisms of change. Andrus.
GEO 506 Hydrogeology. Three hours.
(Not open to students who have earned credit for GEO 406.)
Prerequisite: GEO 365 and GEO 367, or permission of the instructor.
Introduction to groundwater hydrology, including the theory of
groundwater flow, groundwater exploration, and groundwater
contamination. Offered fall semester. Zheng.
GEO 512 Sedimentary Petrology: Carbonates. Four hours. Two
lectures, one laboratory.
Prerequisite: GEO 210 or permission of the instructor.
Study of the depositional and diagenetic history of carbonate rocks.
Offered on demand.
GEO 513 Sedimentary Petrology: Clastics. Four hours. Two
lectures, one laboratory.
Prerequisite: GEO 210 or permission of the instructor.
Study of the depositional and diagenetic history of clastic rocks.
Offered on demand.
GEO 514 Advanced Igneous Petrology. Three hours.
Study of igneous processes, with emphasis on phase relations,
geochemical evolution, and physicochemical conditions. Offered fall
semester.
GEO 515 Metamorphic Petrology. Three hours.
Study of metamorphic processes, types, textures, and petrogenesis
and the use of metamorphic rocks for understanding tectonism.
Offered on demand. Stowell.
GEO 516 Volcanology. Three hours.
Not open to students who
have earned credit for GEO 416.
Rheologic properties of magmatic systems and application of these
principles to the understanding of volcanic processes. Offered on
demand.
GEO 521 Well-Log Analysis. Three hours. Two lectures, one
laboratory.
Prerequisite: GEO 314 and GEO 367.
Analysis and interpretation of geophysical log data, including
resistivity, porosity, gamma, and other newly developed logs.
Geologic uses of log data and shaly sand interpretation are also
discussed. Offered on demand.
GEO 522 Sedimentary Basin Analysis. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 365 or GEO 367.
Examination of the evolution and development of sedimentary basins.
Emphasis is on sedimentary, tectonic, and geochemical processes and
their influence in petroleum generation, accumulation, and
preservation. Offered on demand. Mancini.
GEO 525 Advanced Topics in Geology. One to Six credits.
Advanced topics in the following areas: economic geology,
geochemistry, geohydrology, geophysics, geomorphology, mineralogy,
paleontology, petrology, sedimentation, stratigraphy, structural
geology, and tectonics. Offered on demand.
GEO 530 Ore Deposits. Three hours.
Introduction to sedimentary, hydrothermal, metasomatic, and magmatic
ore deposits, including geologic setting and genesis. Offered on
demand.
GEO 534 Seminar in Tectonics. One hour.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Discussion of current research in Tectonics and related subjects.
May be repeated for credit. Offered fall and spring semesters.
GEO 535/GEO 536 Graduate Seminar in Geology. One hour.
Oral presentations on current geological topics. Offered fall and
spring semesters.
GEO 541 Applied Geophysics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: MATH 126 and PH 102:104 or equivalent.
The use of physical measurements to infer subsurface structure.
Includes seismic reflection and refraction profiling, gravity and
magnetic anomalies, electric and electromagnetic prospecting, and
borehole geophysics. Offered fall semester.
GEO 542 Geodynamics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: PH 102, PH 104, MATH 126, GEO 314, GEO 365, or
permission of the instructor.
Introduction to the structure of the earth’s interior and theory of
plate tectonics. Quantitative analysis of the physical processes
governing the formation of major tectonic and magmatic features on
the earth. Emphasis is on understanding geodynamic processes in
orogenic belts, volcanic arcs, intraplate magmatism, sedimentary
basins, and continental extensional provinces. Offered spring
semester. Masterlark.
GEO 545 Multichannel Seismic Processing. Four hours.
Prerequisite: Math 126 and PH 102:104.
Introduction to multi-channel seismic data acquisition, processing
and interpretation. Includes the theory of wave propagation, time
series analysis, and filtering. Problem-based lab using real-world
data & examples. Goodliffe
GEO 546 Scientific Computing. Three hours.
Prerequisite: two 200 or 300 geoscience courses or by permission of
the instructor.
This course covers a broad range of computational methods used in
the geosciences. Topics include data analysis, manipulation and
image processing, using a variety of software packages. Goodliffe.
GEO 555 Advanced Paleontology. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 355.
Detailed examination of selected fossil groups. Offered on demand.
Stock.
GEO 557 Geologic History of the Vertebrates and Land Plants.
Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 102 or permission of the instructor.
Not open to students who
have earned credit for GEO 457.
Geologic history of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants as they
invaded the land and evolved through time. Offered alternate years.
Stock.
GEO 559 Paleoecology. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 355 or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the relationships between fossil organisms and their
depositional environments. Offered on demand. Mancini, Stock.
GEO 560 Watershed Hydrology. Three hours.
Not open to students who
have earned credit for GEO 460.
Prerequisite: GEO 363 or permission of the instructor.
Analysis of hydrological processes in a watershed. Emphasis on
applying hydrology concepts to evaluate runoff, erosion, fluvial
processes, channel stability, ecological impact, and flood
prediction in natural and altered watersheds. Offered alternate
spring semesters or on demand.
GEO 561 Sequence and Seismic Stratigraphy. Three hours.
Offered on demand.
Prerequisite: GEO 367.
A review of lithostratigraphic principles and an examination of the
sequence stratigraphic paradigm. Students also study methods of
using lateral and vertical changes in seismic facies to interpret
the lithology and depositional history of subsurface stratigraphic
units.
GEO 562 Quaternary Environments. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 363 or permission of the instructor.
Examination of quaternary glaciations and environmental changes.
Emphasis on sedimentologic, geomorphic, and biogeographic evidence
of changes in geological, hydrological, and biological processes in
response to climatic variations. Not open to students who have
earned credit for GEO 462. Offered alternate spring semesters or on
demand.
GEO 564 Structural Validation and Modeling. Three hours.
Offered on demand.
Theory and techniques for validating and modeling maps and
cross-sections. Includes balance and restoration of cross-sections,
and derivation and use of predictive geometric and kinematic models.
Practical problem solving is emphasized.
GEO 565 Comparative Structural Geology. Three hours. Offered
on demand.
Analysis of the original literature on structural families and
deformation-mechanism associations, emphasizing the low-temperature
environment.
GEO 567 Clastic Depositional Environments: Processes and Facies.
Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 367.
An examination of the relationships between sedimentary processes
and facies. Emphasis is on use of lateral and vertical changes in
sediment composition, texture, and structures to identify
environments of deposition within the various clastic depositional
systems. Offered on demand.
GEO 570 General Geochemistry. 4 credits.
Prerequisite: GEO 314 or permission of the instructor. Not open to
students who have earned credit for GEO 470.
Overview of the field of geochemistry (elementary chemical
equilibria and thermodynamics, organic geochemistry, isotope
geochemistry), with an emphasis on solving geologic problems.
Offered fall semester. Donahoe.
GEO 571 Thermodynamics for Geologists. Three hours.
Prerequisite: MATH 126 or permissions of the instructor.
Semi-derivational approach to understanding the thermodynamic
relations most useful to geologists. Emphasis is on using the
derived relations to solve common geologic problems. Offered
alternate fall semesters. Donahoe.
GEO 575 Petrochemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Principles and techniques in geochemical modeling of magmatic,
hydrothermal, and metamorphic processes. Offered on demand. Stowell.
GEO 576 Analytical Geochemistry. Three hours.
Theory, techniques, and applications of geochemical methods for the
analysis of rocks, ores, and aqueous fluids. Offered on demand.
Stowell, Donahoe.
GEO 577 Microanalysis in Geology. Three hours. Offered on
demand.
Prerequisite: GEO 314 and GEO 470.
Application of microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, and other
microanalytical techniques in geology.
GEO 582 Advanced Stratigraphy. Three hours.
Examines stratigraphic nomenclature, principles, and concepts.
Lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, allostratigraphy,
chronostratigraphy, and geochronology are studied. Offered on
demand. Mancini.
GEO 583 Global Tectonics. Three hours.
Study of tectonics, plate motions, and tectonic environments.
Includes discussion of controlling factors, driving forces, and
resulting structures with emphasis on island arcs, trenches, backarc
basins, transform boundaries, and continental margins. Offered
alternate spring semesters or on demand. Robinson.
GEO 590 Seminar in Regional Geology. One hour.
Prerequisite: GEO 314, GEO 365, and GEO 367.
Literature and field study of the geology of selected areas. Offered
on demand.
GEO 598 Research Not Related to Thesis. Variable credit.
Offered on demand.
GEO 599 Thesis Research. Variable credit. Offered on demand.
GEO 607 Introduction to Groundwater Modeling. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 506, MATH 253, and CS 226; or permission of the
instructor.
Introduction to the theory and application of groundwater modeling.
Offered in Spring. Zheng.
GEO 608 Contaminant Hydrogeology and Modeling. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 607 or permission of the instructor.
Introduction to concepts and models in contaminant hydrogeology.
Offered Fall. Zheng.
GEO 610 Fluvial Geomorphology. Three hours.
Analysis of fluvial processes, channel morphology, and channel
responses. Emphasis on flow hydraulics, sediment transport,
depositional mechanics, geomorphic effectiveness, and channel form
adjustment. Offered fall semester.
GEO 626 Advanced Topics in Geology. Variable credit.
Advanced topics in the following areas: economic geology,
geochemistry, geohydrology, geophysics, geomorphology, mineralogy,
paleontology, petrology, sedimentation, stratigraphy, structural
geology, and tectonics. Offered on demand.
GEO 634 Seminar in Tectonics. One hour.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Discussion of current research in Tectonics and related subjects.
May be repeated for credit. Offered fall and spring semesters.
GEO 635/GEO 636 Graduate Seminar in Geology. One hour.
Oral presentations on current geological topics. Offered fall and
spring semesters.
GEO 650 Isotope Geology. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Principles of stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry, and
applications to economic geology, geochronology, petrology, and
tectonics. Offered on demand. Stowell.
GEO 652 Isotope Hydrology. Three hours. Offered on demand.
Prerequisite: GEO 570.
Study of the distribution, production, and usage of naturally
occurring and anthropogenically introduced stable and radioactive
isotopes in the earth’s surficial environment. Emphasis introduced
stable and radioactive isotopes in the earth’s surficial
environment. Emphasis will be place on the application of isotopes
in solving hydrologic and geomorphic problems.
GEO 663 Structural Geology Seminar. Three hours. May be
repeated for credit.
Prerequisite: GEO 564, GEO 565, or permission of the instructor.
Topics in quantitative structural geology. Offered on demand.
GEO 669 Carbonate Depositional Environments. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 512 or permission of the instructor.
Study of modern and ancient carbonate depositional systems, with
emphasis on facies analysis and depositional modeling.
GEO 673 Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 570.
Advanced treatment of the topics of low-temperature aqueous
geochemistry important for understanding inorganic processes
controlling the chemical quality of surface and subsurface waters.
Emphasis is on solving problems in environmental geochemistry.
Offered alternate spring semesters. Donahoe.
GEO 674 Organic Geochemistry. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Study of the distribution, fate, and geochemical interactions of
both natural and anthropogenic organic compounds in the environment.
GEO 676 Chemical Diagenesis. Three hours.
Study of chemical processes controlling diagenetic changes in
carbonate and clastic rocks. Topics include
dissolution/precipitation, porosity modification, secondary
porosity, biologic diagenesis, pressure solution, mineral
alternation, dolomitization, artificial diagenesis, and applications
to oil exploration and production. Offered on demand. Donahoe.
GEO 681 Biostratigraphy and Paleobiogeography. Three hours.
Prerequisite: GEO 582 or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the principles and techniques of biostratigraphy and
paleobiogeography using examples from the Paleozoic Era. Offered on
demand. Stock.
GEO 698 Research Not Related to Dissertation. Variable
credit. Offered on demand.
GEO 699 Dissertation Research. Variable credit. Offered on
demand.
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