Geological Sciences (GEO)
GEO 401 Physical Geology 4 Hours
(TCCN: GEOL 1403)
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Nature, properties, and distribution of crustal materials; surficial processes; internal processes; origin of continents, oceans, and ocean basins; mineral and fuel resources. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 401, 303, 420H. Three lecture hours and two hours of laboratory or fieldwork a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Restrictions: Registration priority given to environmental science and geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302C Climate: Past, Present, and Future 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Explore the science of climate change. Examine the history of Earth's climate and the factors driving its changes. Discuss the Earth's climate history and the processes driving climate change; physical concepts governing heat and mass transfers in the atmosphere; the role of oceans in climate systems; temporal scales of climate change, from tectonic to millennial; anthropogenic global warming and human impacts on climate; health and ecosystem impacts of climate change; and methods for observing, modeling, and predicting climate change. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302D Age of Dinosaurs 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Introduction to the study of life and why it matters. Explore the general principles of natural history, focusing on the natural history of dinosaurs. Discuss the basics of geology, anatomy, paleontology, and evolutionary theory, followed by the application of this knowledge, in tracing the evolutionary history of Dinosauria. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302E Earth, Wind, and Fire 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Designed for non-geological sciences majors. Geologic phenomena that affect everyday life, including global warming, earthquakes, volcanism, desertification, river and coastline flooding and erosion, groundwater, mineral resources, and plate tectonics. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302G Earth Science and Sustainability 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore grand challenges in earth science that affect sustainability and society, including climate change, energy production, water availability, and natural hazards. Examine authentic data, simple models, and maps used in geoscience gathering, analysis, and real-world applications. Geological Sciences 302K (Topic: Earth Science/Sustainability) and 302G may not both be counted. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302J Crisis of Our Planet 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Designed for nonscience majors. Explores the interactions between humans and the Earth system by investigating the different time and spatial scales of the natural hazards that the planet presents, and exploring the societal and economic implications of civilizations co-existing with an evolving planet. Discussion of both long-term and punctuated catastrophic hazards, focusing on those from volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, using a combination of systems level exploration of the driving mechanisms as well as case histories. Discussion of issues related to risk, mitigation, and resilience for humans facing the vast array of natural hazards. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302K Selected Topics in Geological Sciences 3 Hours
(TCCN: GEOL 1301, GEOL 1302)
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
The impact of geological processes on human activity; geologic topics of popular interest. Three lecture hours and one-and-one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Restrictions: Designed for nonscience majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302M The Age of Mammals 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Introduction to paleontology and natural history for nonscience majors. Explore basic geological processes, fossilization, and the fossil record. Examine the evolution and diversification of mammals, interactions between physical and biological processes, and the impact of climate change and human activities on mammalian communities. Focus on the mammalian skeleton, common Texas mammals, and geobiological processes that shaped mammalian evolution and diversification. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302N Geology of National Parks 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the geology of the US National Park System through a detailed examination of its rocks, landscapes, climate, hydrology, natural resources, and environmental impacts. Examine particular national parks which exhibit specific Earth processes. Includes threats posed to the park system: environmental tourism, encroaching development, water and air quality, air pollution, and natural hazards. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302P Sustaining a Planet 3 Hours
(TCCN: ENVR 1301, GEOL 1305)
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Explores the interactions between humans and the Earth system by investigating the different time and spatial scales of the natural hazards that the planet presents, and exploring the societal and economic implications of civilizations co-existing with an evolving planet. Discussion of both long-term and punctuated catastrophic hazards, focusing on those from volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, using a combination of systems level exploration of the driving mechanisms as well as case histories. Discussion of issues related to risk, mitigation, and resilience for humans facing the vast array of natural hazards. May not be counted toward a degree in geological sciences. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Restrictions: Restricted to freshmen and sophomores.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302Q Gems and Gem Minerals 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Utilize gemstones, gold, and fine minerals as inspiration to learn optics, geologic processes that control occurrence, and crystallography. Discuss economic factors and societal impacts associated with gem and mineral deposits, along with gemstone identification using the physical and optical properties of the minerals and faceting gemstones using lapidary equipment. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 302Q, 302K (Topic: Gems and Gem Minerals), 347K. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 302T Climate and the Energy Transition 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore how humankind's use of carbon-based fuels drives climate change and powers our civilization. Examine how to transition to a carbon-neutral energy future, have sustainable economic growth, and feed 9.8 billion people in 2050. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 303 Introduction to Geology 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Mineral and rock composition of the earth; measurement of geologic time; origin and evolution of life; earth's interior; plate tectonics; depositional environments and processes; ancient climates; humans, earth resources, and the environment. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 401, 303, 420H. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Restrictions: Registration priority given to environmental science, geological sciences, and petroleum and geosystems engineering majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 303C Introduction to the Solar System 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examines the origin and evolution of our solar system; how processes such as volcanism and impacts have shaped planet surfaces, as well as the workings of planetary interiors; the unique properties of Earth that allowed life to arise and evolve; the prospects for seeking life on other planets in our own solar system and beyond; and the history of planetary exploration and the methods scientists use to explore fundamental questions regarding our place in the universe. Geological Sciences 303C and 310C (Topic: Introduction to the Solar System) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 303E Earth in 2100 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
In a self-paced format, investigate Earth's physical climate system, how humans have contributed to climate change, what the Earth may look like in 2100, and how society can stop climate change. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 405 Life through Time 4 Hours
(TCCN: GEOL 1404)
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Examine the fundamentals of how life evolved, and the history of the development of Earth throughout geological time. Geological Sciences 404C and 405 may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 030
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 401 or 303 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 305E Energy and the Environment 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
A survey of all forms of current and potential sources of energy, and how these might impact the earth's environment. May not be counted toward a degree in environmental science, geological sciences, or geosystems engineering and hydrogeology. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 306P Geology and Sustainability 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Examines sustainability and environmental science from an interdisciplinary perspective. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Written consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to environmental science entry-level majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 110C, 210C, 310C Topics in Conference Course 1-3 Hours
1,2,3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Supervised study of selected topics in geological sciences, by individual arrangement with the instructor. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Conference course.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 110T, 210T, 310T Undergraduate Topics in Geological Sciences 1-3 Hours
1,2,3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Selected undergraduate topics in geological sciences. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 211 Emerging Scholars in Geological Sciences 2 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Introduction to research areas in the geological sciences, with emphasis on the skills needed for success in graduate school and the professional workplace. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 311D Geodata 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Examine a broad array of subjects related to data analysis and interpretation in the geosciences. Designed for lower division undergraduates to build a foundation in quantitative skills (spatial analysis, regressions, simple coding concepts) that have direct application to geoscience problems. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 012N JSG Geosciences Mentors Program - First-year 0 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the various geosciences disciplines and corresponding degree programs and research areas. Emphasis on the skills needed for success in graduate school and the professional workplace, such as interactive sessions with the Jackson School of Geosciences Career Center to address internships, career planning, and job search skills. May not be counted toward a degree in geological sciences or environmental sciences. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to first-year students in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Pass/Fail
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 114G Geophysics Colloquium 1 Hour
2 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to geophysics to examine applications and discover career opportunities. Geological Sciences 110C (Topic: Geophysics Colloquium) and 114G may not both be counted. Two lecture hours a week for one semester, and at least one weekend field trip.
Restrictions: Open to non-geological sciences majors, but registration priority is given to geological sciences majors.
Grading: Pass/Fail
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 315L Earth From Lab to Planet 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the constitutive laws (e.g. elasticity, friction, viscosity) that explain the dynamical changes observed on the surface and interior of our planet, from tectonic to generational timescales. Examine different earth behaviors using hands-on experiments, in the lab and on the computer, to illuminate particular geodynamical processes. Build skills in data analysis and simulation through python-based coding. Discuss abstractions from these experiments to understand how those processes can be scaled up to understand Earth dynamics, from sedimentation to regional groundwater transport to global mantle convection. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Restrictions: Restricted to Jackson School of Geosciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 416E Solid Earth Processes 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Study the physical and chemical processes governing Earth and planetary evolution from the deep interior to lithosphere and surface. Explore the societal relevance of geological processes such as natural hazards and resources. Address why solid Earth dynamics is critical to sustain life and civilization at the surface. Three lecture and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 416K Earth Materials 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Introduction to minerals, mineral study techniques, igneous and metamorphic rocks and ore deposits, and formation processes. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: The following with a grade of at least C- in each: Chemistry 301, 302; and Geological Sciences 401, 303, or 420H.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 416M Sedimentary Rocks 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Description and interpretation of sedimentary rocks in hand specimen and thin section; characteristics of sedimentary rocks deposited in different environments. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester, with two additional one-day field trips to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 401, 303, or 420H with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 316P Sedimentary Rocks 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examines the fundamentals of sedimentary rocks, including siliciclastic grain parameters and mineralogy, sediment transport and sedimentary structures; and carbonate mineralogy and geochemistry, grain and matrix constituents, modern facies, and classification. Reviews the principal siliciclastic and carbonate depositional systems, their process of formation and facies architecture and the role of process and architecture in petrophysical patterns, distribution of permeability and porosity, flow units, reservoir heterogeneities, and hydrocarbon recovery. May not be counted toward any degree in environmental science or geological sciences. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 401, 303, or 420H with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to petroleum and geosystems engineering majors and Energy and Management Certificate Program students.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 416S Earth and Planetary Processes Through Time 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Explore modern physical, chemical, and biological processes through the prism of Texas's changing rivers and coastlines. Examine geologic times since the last Ice Age, deep geological time by looking at the Permian age, and the interpretation of planetary systems with an emphasis on underlying tenets of the history of life, geologic time, and surface processes. Three lecture and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 416W Climate, Water, and the Environment 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Introduction to climate system science through quantitative exploration of the processes that control Earth's water and carbon cycles. Discuss how the geosphere, atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere interact to govern the movement of water and the evolution of climate and weather conditions throughout Earth's history and in the present day. Explore current issues in climate change, water resources, and environmental sustainability. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 416W, 346C. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 119S, 219S, 319S, 419S, 519S, 619S, 719S, 819S, 919S Topics in Geological Sciences 1-9 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Lower Division
GEO 420F Classic Geology in Scotland 4 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the founding concepts of geology. Students use advanced field technologies while studying the geology of Scotland on all scales of size. The equivalent of four lecture hours a week for one semester, including field exercises in a variety of geological settings.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 303, 401 or 420H with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 420H Honors Introductory Geology 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
An accelerated introductory course on the composition, structure, and history of the earth. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 401, 303, 420H. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester, and several all-day field trips.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 420K Introduction to Field and Stratigraphic Methods 4 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Field observation of geological processes and study of the mineralogy, petrology, stratigraphy, paleontology, and structural geology of central Texas. Geological Sciences 420K and 320L may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester, and six weekend field trips.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416S with a grade of at least C- and credit or registration in Geological Sciences 416E.
Restrictions: Restricted to Jackson School of Geosciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 320L Introductory Field Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Designed for non-geological sciences majors. Study of geologic features and processes in the field; emphasizes regional geology of central Texas and techniques of geologic mapping. Geological Sciences 420K and 320L may not both be counted. May not be counted toward a degree in environmental science, geological sciences, or geosystems engineering and hydrogeology. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 401 or 303 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 320S Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to atmospheric science, including atmospheric radiation, circulation systems, thermodynamics, and cloud and precipitation processes. Discuss tornadoes, hurricanes, weather systems, and contemporary climate change to provide an opportunity to relate basic principles to real-world phenomena. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Two semesters of Calculus, one semester of Calculus-Based Physics.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 322E Scientific Research Design 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine principles of experimental design including formulation of target questions and method choice in a unique, interdisciplinary, community context. Focus on honing principles of experimental design (including formulation of target questions and method choice), scientific writing, as well as introducing tool kits for data analysis, statistical approaches, and data visualization. Geosciences 322E and 371T (Topic: Scientific Research Design) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 322J Transitions in the History of Life 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to major perturbations in the history of life; specifically, mass extinctions and carbon-cycle perturbations (hyperthermal, anoxic, and acidification events). Discuss kill mechanisms (impacts, large igneous provinces, glaciations) and the subsequent environmental perturbations and ecological ramifications. Examine biotic crises in the past, with an eye to future ecosystem collapse, as well as the environmental and paleobiological responses to these events. Geological Sciences 322J and 371T (Topic: Transitions in the History of Life) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing; Geological Sciences 405 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 422K Paleobiology 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Systematics, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and evolution of fossil organisms. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester, with two additional one-day field trips to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Biology 311D, Geological Sciences 404C or 405, and 416M with a grade of at least C- in each.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to environmental science and geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 322M Basin GeoMechanics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Develop the technical foundation and physical insight to explore how stress and pressure drive geologic and human-induced processes. Examine applications including C02 sequestration, geothermal energy, hydraulic-fracturing, faulting, geopressure development, hydrocarbon entrapment, subsidence and compaction, slope stability, and borehole stability. Geological Sciences 322M and 371T (Topic: Basin GeoMechanics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 428.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 322S Development and Evolution of the Vertebrate Skeleton 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Introduction to the organization and development of the vertebrate skeleton; survey of vertebrate history. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to environmental science and geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 022T JSG Geosciences Mentors Program - Transfer 0 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the various geosciences disciplines and corresponding degree programs and research areas. Emphasis on the skills needed for success in graduate school and the professional workplace, such as interactive sessions with the Jackson School of Geosciences Career Center to address internships, career planning, and job search skills. May not be counted toward a degree in geological sciences or environmental sciences. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to first semester transfer students in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Pass/Fail
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 322V Morphology of the Vertebrate Skeleton 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Explore the vertebrate skeleton. Access hundreds of specimens for hands-on learning of the vertebrate skeleton. Focus on identification of skeletal elements and their proper placement in major vertebrate groups. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Biology 311C and Geological Sciences 404C or 405 with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 325C Continuum Mechanics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the foundation for the modeling of fluids and solids in geological and geophysical phenomena, such as mantle convection, glaciology, rock mechanics, and climate dynamics. Examine tensor analysis, the kinematics of motion, forces, and stresses. Discuss basic balance (conservation) laws for mass, momentum, and energy, and constitutive laws for fluids and solids. Develop governing equations to geodynamics, glaciology, seismology, and geophysical fluid dynamics. Geosciences 325C and 371T (Topic: Continuum Mechanics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 354 and Mathematics 427J with a grade of at least C-, and credit or registration in Mathematics 427L.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 325G Computational Applications in the Geosciences 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
An introduction to programming in MATLAB and applications to simulation of physical processes and data analysis in the geosciences. Geological Sciences 325J and 325G may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 303 or 401, and Mathematics 408D or 408M, and Physics 301 or 303K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 325J Programming in FORTRAN and MATLAB 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
FORTRAN for students without knowledge of a computer programming language: survey of all variable types, loops, arrays, subroutines, and functions; overview of UNIX and MATLAB. Geological Sciences 325G and 325J may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 427J or 427K with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 325K Computational Methods 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Examine numerical methods for data analysis. Discuss digital data representation, convolution, the discrete Fourier transform, design of commonly used filters, and least-squares estimation. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 325G or 352P, and Mathematics 427J or 427K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 325M Numerical Modeling in the Geosciences 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Covers numerical solution of dynamical problems arising in the solid earth geosiences. Entails development of individual codes in Matlab and application of codes to understanding heat transfer, wave propagation, elastic, and viscous deformations. Requires familiarity with Matlab. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 325G or 352P, and Mathematics 427J with a grade of at least C- in each; and credit or registration for Mathematics 427L.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 425P Modeling Flow and Transport in Porous Media 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Introduction to the modeling of flow and transport in porous media with focus on basic dynamic phenomena that occur during single-phase flow and solute transport in heterogeneous porous media. Discussion of the numerical solution of both the elliptic equations governing the flow of groundwater and the hyperbolic equations governing solute transport. Includes a programming project which requires writing a functional numerical simulator. Three lecture hours and one-and-one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and one of the following with a grade of at least C-: Civil Engineering 311K; Computational Engineering 301; Geological Sciences 325G or 325J; Mathematics 408D or 427L and Mathematics 427J or 427K; Mechanical Engineering 318M; Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering 310.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 326D Earth in Deep Time 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the causes and consequences of significant changes in Earth's surface environment and tectonic processes over the past 4.5 billion years. Discuss the initial Earth accretion, the Faint Young Sun problem, the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and general requirements for planetary habitability and how interactions between Earth's interior, the surface, and biosphere have shaped planetary evolution. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 426P Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Examine the fundamental ways in which igneous and metamorphic rocks record processes occurring within our dynamic Earth, and how compositions and textures of minerals relate to the conditions from which they form. Learn how to identify igneous and metamorphic minerals in hand specimen and thin section, and how their textures record the pressures and temperatures of the Earth's interior. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416E and Chemistry 301 with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 327G Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System Applications in Earth Sciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Develop Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills using Esri's ArcGIS Pro software, working on real-world challenges relevant to geoscience, environmental science, and energy resources. Focus on GIS fundamentals, spatial reference systems, map projections, cartographic principles, remote sensing data (Landsat, LiDAR) and both vector and raster data analysis. Explore geospatial data resources and apply techniques in vector and raster-based analysis to generate maps and spatial models. Geological Sciences 327G and 371C (Topic: Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System Applications in Earth Sciences) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester, and two weekend field trips.
Restrictions: Restricted to Jackson School of Geoscience majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 428 Structural Geology 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Study how and why rocks deform. Develop a practical toolset to quantify the mechanisms, magnitude, and timing of tectonic deformation by studying the rock record. Explore the physics underpinning how features such as faults, fractures, folds, and crystallographic fabrics initiate and evolve due to variation in tectonic forces, rock material properties, and pressure-temperature conditions. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416E and 420K, and Physics 301 or 303K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 328W Vadose Zone Hydrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to hydrologic processes occurring in the vadose zone (unsaturated zone), the subsurface region between the ground surface and groundwater. Focus on the physical processes that govern the movement of water in variably saturated porous media, and the exchange of mass and energy at Earth's surface. Explore theoretical and applied aspects, measurement techniques and computational tools, and environmental challenges of the vadose zone. Geological Sciences 328W and 371T (Topic: Vadose Zone Hydrology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 346C, 476K, or 376S with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 129S, 229S, 329S, 429S, 529S, 629S, 729S, 829S, 929S Topics in Geological Sciences 1-9 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 329W Hydrogeology Cooperative (Geological Sciences) 3 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 40 Lab Hours
Covers the work period of geological sciences students in the Cooperative Education program, which provides supervised work experience by arrangement with the employer and the supervising instructor. Required submission of a final report to the supervising instructor at the conclusion of the program. The student must repeat the course each work period and must take it twice to receive credit toward the degree; at least one of these registrations must be during a fall or spring semester. No more than three semester hours may be counted toward the major requirement; no more than six semester hours may be counted toward the degree. The student's first registration must be on the pass/fail basis. Forty laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Application to become a member of the Hydrogeology Cooperative (Geological Sciences) Program, and consent of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Restrictions: Restricted to environmental science and geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (02 times)
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 330K Energy Exploration 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Covers the fundamental elements of the petroleum system, including the origin of source rocks and reservoirs, rock properties, migration of hydrocarbons, and correlation methods for rock formations. During the final weeks of the course, students form exploration teams and work up real subsurface data from the Gulf of Mexico in order to participate in a simulated lease sale. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Pre/Corequisites: The following with a grade of at least C- in each: Geological Sciences 416M; and Physics 303L and 103N, or Physics 316 and 116L.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 331K Petrology and Plate Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Sedimentation, metamorphism, igneous activity, and deformation patterns at rift zones, subduction zones, and transform margins. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly, as shown in the Course Schedule.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 428 with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to environmental science and geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 335 Geology and Mineral Resources of Texas 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Geologic history of the region; local rocks, fossils, and mineral resources; influence of physiography, surface and subsurface water supplies, and energy and mineral resource production on the state economy. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences: Option I (General Geology), Option II (Geophysics), or Option III (Hydrogeology). Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: The following with a grade of at least C-: Geological Sciences 401, 303, or 420H; and 405.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 135J Jackson Scholars Seminar 1 Hour
1 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discuss professional development skills, scholarship, research, and outreach. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 336C CO2 Storage in Geological Formations 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore how capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) underground is an important means of mitigating climate change. Examine the geological and environmental aspects of CO2 injection, sequestration, and monitoring that control the success of real CO2 storage projects. Geological Sciences 336C and 371T (Topic: CO2 Inject/Stor Geo Forms) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 337T Global Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine tectonic processes within the dynamic Earth, with a focus on plate boundary processes. Discuss fundamentals of plate tectonics; plate motion, driving forces, and mantle convection; evolution of plate margins including convergent, transform, rifting, and mid-ocean ridge spreading centers, triple junctions and collisional orogenesis; plate reconstructions; earthquakes and focal mechanisms; structure and geochemistry of the Earth's interior. Explore challenging questions of onset of plate tectonics, subduction initiation, and tectonics on other planets. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416E with a grade of at least C-. Geological Sciences 428 recommended.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 338J Marine Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Impart an understanding of the fundamental way in which marine geologic processes affect the overall Earth System via a survey of the field of marine geology. Explore the structure and evolution of ocean basins, oceanic islands, and island arcs; the chemistry of the oceans; the sediments in the marine environments; the products and processes of the land-air-sea interface; and the history of the oceans over geologic time. Geological Sciences 338J and 371C (Topic: Marine Geology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 338T Marine Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Tectonic processes within the dynamic Earth, with a focus on oceanic structures. Subjects may include fundamentals of plate tectonics; plate motion, driving forces, and mantle convection; evolution of triple junction and plate margins; plate reconstructions; earthquakes and focal mechanisms; structure and geochemistry of the Earth's interior; mantle structure and tomography; rheology and deformation mechanisms in mantle and crust; heat flow, gravity, the geoid, and paleomagnetism; hotspots and mantle plumes; seafloor spreading and oceanic spreading ridges; oceanic transform faults and fracture zones; and subduction zones, volcanic island arcs, and marginal seas. Geological Sciences 338T and 371C (Topic: Tectonics I) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416E with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 338W Paleoclimate 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to paleoclimatology, the study of Earth's past climate. Examine a broad spectrum of geological archives of climate change including those from the oceans, the land, and the cryosphere. Geological Sciences 338W and 371T (Topic: Paleoclimatology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 339T Continental Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Tectonic processes, with a focus on continental lithospheric structures. Subjects may include convergent margins, subduction zones, magmatic arcs, and foreland structures; collisional orogenesis, arc-continent collisions, continent-continent collision, and mountain building; formation of supercontinents; uplift and exhumation; orogenic collapse and extensional tectonics; continental rifting and passive margins; transform margins; and the effect of tectonics on climate and oceanic circulation. Geological Sciences 339T and 371C (Topic: Tectonics II) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 428 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 340T Geoclimatology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examination of the climate records encoded in sedimentary archives through geologic time. Geological Sciences 340T and 371C (Topic: Geoclimatology) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Chemistry 302, Geological Sciences 416K, and 416M with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 341 Mineral Resources, Society, and the Environment 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1 Lab Hours
Nature and origin of mineral resources; their discovery, extraction, and uses; and their relationship to global history, economics, and the environment. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416K with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 341F Microstructures and Rock Rheology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Focuses on processes of deformation operative in the crust and upper mantle, with an emphasis on distinguishing these processes using microstructural analysis and describing them using basic constitutive relationships from rock mechanics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 428 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 341G Geomicrobiology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Geologic and hydrologic controls on subsurface microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure; the geochemical consequences of microbial processes in subsurface settings; and the influence of geology on microbial ecology. Geological Sciences 341G and 381G may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 343Q Fundamentals and Applications of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Explores inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for trace, minor and major element measurement, and applications in analytical fields. Discussion of fundamentals of technique, applications, and capabilities of ICP-MS through hands-on lab experience. Geological Sciences 343Q and 371C (Topic: Fundamentals and Applications of ICP-MS) may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and one-and-one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 344K Marine Mining and Minerals 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Overview of seafloor mineral deposits, their exploration, and mining. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences or the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences degrees. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Same as: MNS 344K
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 401 or 303, 416K, and 416M.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 344U Quantitative Seismic Interpretation 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Seismic inversion, a tool for reservoir characterization, post- and pre-stack modeling, rock physics and fluid replacement modeling, wavelet estimation and post-stack inversion, AVO and pre-stack inversion, multiattribute regression and neural network, and net pay estimation. Extensive hands-on training with three-dimensional seismic and well-log data. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 145E Professional Ethics in Geosciences 1 Hour
1 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore supervised study devoted to the subject of professional ethics, personal integrity, scientific communication ethics and societal implications related to the geosciences. Discuss subject matter and ethical conundrums that will vary to maintain societal and scientific relevance. Geological Sciences 145E and 171C (Topic: Professional Ethics in Geosciences) may not both be counted. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Restrictions: Registration priority is given to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 346C Introduction to Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Basic concepts of fluid flow, surface and subsurface hydrology, aqueous geochemistry, and fluid-rock interaction. Additional subjects include isotope hydrogeology, evolution of seawater, and mineral-solution equilibrium. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 416W, 346C. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Chemistry 302 with a grade of at least C- or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 347D Global Warming 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discussion of the fundamental sciences of global warming, including an active investigation of contemporary climate change issues. Geological Sciences 347D and 371C (Topic: Global Warming) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 347G Climate System Modeling 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study the basic theory of weather/climate system modeling using state-of-the-art regional climate models in a variety of applications. Discuss paleoclimate, contemporary, and/or future climate prediction due to changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. Only one of the following maybe counted: Geological Sciences 347G, 371C (Topic: Climate System Modeling), 387G, 391 (Topic: Climate System Modeling). Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 347K Gems and Gem Minerals 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Crystallography, occurrence, and identification of gem minerals and materials; artificial gems; simple cutting and polishing; history of gems and gemology. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 302Q, 302K (Topic: Gems and Gem Minerals), 347K. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 347P Climate System Physics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discussion of first-order principles and processes that govern the thermodynamical structure and energy distribution of the atmosphere, ocean, land, and cryosphere and their interaction with the dynamic aspect of the climate system. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 347P, 371C (Topic: Climate System Physics). Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing, Mathematics 408D or 408M, and Physics 303K with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 348K Marine Geology and Geophysics Field Course 3 Hours
1 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Hands-on, team-based instruction in the collection and processing of marine geological and geophysical data along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Geological Sciences 348K and Marine Science 348 (Topic 2) may not both be counted. For Marine Science 148, one lecture hour and one laboratory hour a week for one semester. For Geological Sciences 348K and Marine Science 348, one lecture hour and four laboratory hours a week for one semester with additional hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416E, 416S, 416W, and 354 and 465K are recommended.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 348P Field Methods in Planetary Geology 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Field studies combined with remote sensing to support studies of remote imagery from planetary missions. Geological Sciences 348P and 371C (Topic: Field Methods Planetary Geology) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Three week field trip to the Southwestern United States also required.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 349C Introduction to the Cryosphere 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore how the cryosphere (ice sheets, glaciers, snow, and ice) interacts within the Earth system. Discuss ice physics, the geologic record of glaciation and glacial landscapes, and the relationship between glaciers and climate in the past, present, and future. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and Geological Sciences 416W with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350D Ice Dynamics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Physics of ice motion, basal processes, glacial hydrology, and unstable flow. Geological Sciences 350D and 371C (Topic: Glaciology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing; and the following with a grade of at least C-: Chemistry 204, Geological Sciences 401 or 303, and 349C; Mathematics 408D or 408M; and Physics 303L and 103N, or 316 and 116L.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350L Topics in Lithosphere and Deep Earth 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
Topic 1: Tectonic Geodynamics. Discuss the processes that determine the evolution of the solid Earth system, combining views from the fields of tectonics, structural geology, and geodynamics. Understand the why of earthquakes, plate motions, subduction, orogeny, and lithospheric deformation including topography. Integrate geophysical and geological constraints from key regional settings to global scales to explore the links between theory and observations. Geological Sciences 350L (Topic 1) and 371T (Topic: Tectonic Geodynamics) may not both be counted.
Topic 2: Geophysics Seminar I.
Topic 3: Geophysics Seminar II. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GEO 350L.1 Tectonic Geodynamics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discuss the processes that determine the evolution of the solid Earth system, combining views from the fields of tectonics, structural geology, and geodynamics. Understand the why of earthquakes, plate motions, subduction, orogeny, and lithospheric deformation including topography. Integrate geophysical and geological constraints from key regional settings to global scales to explore the links between theory and observations. Geological Sciences 350L (Topic 1) and 371T (Topic: Tectonic Geodynamics) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350L.2 Geophysics Seminar I 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350L.3 Geophysics Seminar II 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350S Topics in Subsurface, Surface, and Life 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350T Tectonic Geodynamics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discuss the processes that determine the evolution of the solid Earth system, combining views from the fields of tectonics, structural geology, and geodynamics. Understand the why of earthquakes, plate motions, subduction, orogeny, and lithospheric deformation including topography. Integrate geophysical and geological constraints from key regional settings to global scales to explore the links between theory and observations. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 350T, 350L (Topic 1), 371T (Topic: Tectonic Geodynamics). Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350W Topics in Water, Climate, and Environment 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
Topic 1: Dynamics of Polar Systems. Examine the fundamental physics that govern dynamics of ice sheets, oceans, and sea ice from a theoretical viewpoint that is supported with as many observations as possible. Geological Sciences 350W (Topic 1) and 371T (Topic: Dynamics of Polar Systems) may not both be counted.
Topic 4: Statistical Data Analysis. Examine the statistical, scientific, and computational approaches used to test hypotheses concerning the physics governing observed changes in the Earth System. Explore concepts in linear algebra and statistics such as regression, least-squares inversion, singular spectral analysis, Bayesian inference, Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, and test statistics to survey the existence of a discernable influence of humanity on the observational record of climate.
GEO 350W.1 Dynamics of Polar Systems 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the fundamental physics that govern dynamics of ice sheets, oceans, and sea ice from a theoretical viewpoint that is supported with as many observations as possible. Geological Sciences 350W (Topic 1) and 371T (Topic: Dynamics of Polar Systems) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 350W.4 Statistical Data Analysis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the statistical, scientific, and computational approaches used to test hypotheses concerning the physics governing observed changes in the Earth System. Explore concepts in linear algebra and statistics such as regression, least-squares inversion, singular spectral analysis, Bayesian inference, Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, and test statistics to survey the existence of a discernable influence of humanity on the observational record of climate.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 352P Python for Geoscience Research 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the Python 3 programming language and its application to scientific research. Examine basic Python and common scientific Python libraries such as numpy, pandas, matplotlib, datetime. Geological Sciences 352P and 371T (Topic: Python in Geoscience Resrch) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Restrictions: Restricted to Jackson School of Geosciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 354 Physics of Earth 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examines the kinematics and dynamics of the solid Earth as well as its evolution through time. Observations from multiple geophysical techniques are reviewed and applied towards understanding the planet. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 408D or 408M, and Physics 301 or 303K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 355G Geodynamics of the Lithosphere and Mantle 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Explores continuum dynamics problems that can serve to form a physical understanding of the tectonic and convective processes that shape our planet. Geared toward all undergraduate majors and graduate students from the Earth sciences and related fields in the natural sciences including physics, computer science, and engineering. Geological Sciences 355G and 371T (Topic: Geodynamics) may not both be counted. The equivalent of two lecture hours and one-and-one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing; Geological Sciences 401 or 303 with a grade of at least C-; or consent of instructor.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 455S Introduction to Remote Sensing for Geoscientists 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Examine the fundamentals of acquiring, processing, and interpreting remote sensing data. Explore the development of skills in the use and analysis of remote sensing data. Survey the physics of electromagnetic radiation and its interaction with geologic materials; common techniques for remote sensing; science goals and instruments onboard ongoing and planned remote sensing missions; and techniques for analysis of remote sensing data. Geological Sciences 455S and 471T (Topic: Intro Remote Sensing Geosci) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 356S Ins and Outs of Subduction Zones 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discuss subduction zones, including the thermal and seismic structure of subduction zones, volatile and geochemical cycling, petrology of the subducting slab, seismicity, mantle wedge dynamics, volcanism, and the start of plate tectonics. Geological Sciences 356S and 371T (Topic: Ins & Outs of Subduction Zones) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 358K Volcanology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1 Lab Hours
Discuss eruptive processes and products of volcanoes, using methods and concepts from mineralogy, petrology, fluid dynamics, depositional processes, geomorphology, stratigraphy, structural geology, field mapping, remote sensing, geochemical monitoring, and seismology. Examine the prediction and reduction of volcanic hazards; challenges faced by geologists in communicating with the public, decision-makers, and the media; and other impacts that volcanoes have on society, including the Earth's climate. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416E with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 660 Field Geology 6 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Learn to identify sedimentary structures, measure and describe stratigraphy, interpret physical and environmental conditions in rock deposits, and develop foundational skills in geologic mapping and cross-section construction. Perform fieldwork including the use of UAV, LiDAR, and remote sensing data to enhance mapping and interpretation. Explore the geologic history and tectonic evolution of the Rocky Mountains and collect field and structural data to develop geologic maps, cross sections, and other geological products, interpreting the formation of folds, faults, rock fabrics, and associated features. Gain an understanding of crustal tectonics and the landform evolution of the region. Three lecture hours a week for two semesters.
Pre/Corequisites: For 660A, Geological Sciences 416S, 416E, and 420K, 315L, 311D or 405 with a grade of at least C-. Geological Sciences 420K is recommended. For 660B, Geological Sciences 660A. Geological Sciences 428 is recommended.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 360G Construction and Interpretations of 3-D Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1 Lab Hours
From Earth surface to subsurface, examines three-dimensional volumes of basin-filling stratigraphy to explore how depositional landscapes are preserved in the sedimentary record and how sedimentary deposits can be analyzed to produce quantitative reconstructions of past environmental states. Data includes both laboratory and industry-grade volumes of stratigraphy. Intended for Earth scientists requiring a quantitative understanding of how the structure of depositional landscapes is translated into subsurface stratigraphy. Geological Sciences 360G and 371C (Topic: Construction and Interpretation of 3-D Stratigraphy) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and Geological Sciences 416S or 354 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 661 Geophysics Field Camp 6 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Field studies for geophysics majors, including seismic, magnetic, electrical, gravity, and other techniques; related data processing and interpretation. Students may take Geological Sciences 661 for University credit while enrolled in the Los Alamos National Laboratory SAGE program. May be used in place of Geological Sciences 660 to fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences (Option II: Geophysics). Three lecture hours a week for two semesters.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 420K, 465K, and 365P with a grade of at least C- in each.
Restrictions: Restricted to geophysics majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 363S Sedimentary Basin Analysis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Quantitative and applied analysis of basin subsidence and sediment accumulation. Consider theoretical basin evolution due to flexural, thermal, dynamic, and fault-related subsidence. Analyze selected basin systems. Geological Sciences 363S and 371T (Topic: Sedimentary Basin Analysis) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 364P Physical Oceanography 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Basic concepts for understanding and describing the large-scale circulation of the ocean. Covers measurement methods, properties of seawater, description of the global ocean's mean state and variability, introductory dynamics including balanced motions, wind-driven and abyssal circulation, wave motions, air-sea interactions, sea level science, and the ocean's role in climate. Geological Sciences 364P and 371T (Topic: Physical Oceanography) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 408C or 408K; and Physics 301 or 303K with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 465K Seismic Exploration 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Seismic theory, including body and surface waves, attenuation, rays, reflection and transmission coefficients, principles of synthetic seismogram calculations, seismic imaging principles, reflection data processing methods, rock physics overview, seismic attributes overview, and seismic exploration field methods. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 427J or 427K with a grade of at least C- and credit or registration for Physics 315 and 115L.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 365N Seismic Data Processing 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Reduction of seismic data from field records to final geologic images, using real data sets and open-source data analysis software. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing, and Geological Sciences 325K and 465K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 365P Potential Field Applications in Geophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the theory, measurement, and application of gravity and magnetic and electric fields to exploration and global-scale problems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 427J or 427K, and Physics 315 and 115L with a grade of at least C- in each.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 365Q Geomorphology Process and Form 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explores how Earth surface processes combine to shape landscapes through erosion and deposition. Includes discussion of open channel flow, sediment transport, fluvial and hillslope processes, and tectonic controls on landscape evolution. Geological Sciences 365Q and 371C (Topic: Geomorphology: Landscape Process, Form, and Evolution) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with several field trips to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and Mathematics 408C or 408L with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 366M Mathematical Methods in Geophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
A survey of mathematics for geoscientists that includes infinite series, complex variables, linear algebra, integral transforms, ordinary and partial differential equations, tensor analysis, and probability and statistics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 427J or 427K with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 366P Planetary Geology and Geophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to planetary geology, with an emphasis on geophysical observations of terrestrial planets in our solar system. Discuss missions, instruments, techniques, and incorporation of mission data in projects. Geological Sciences 366P and 371C (Topic: Planetary Geology & Geophysics) may not both be counted. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 367M Morphodynamics and Quantitative Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explores development of numerical tools to quantitatively understand sediment transport and stratigraphic development in sedimentary basins. Focus on applications of principles in fluid mechanics, sediment transport, and depositional mechanics to one-dimensional and quasi-two dimensional numerical modeling of sediment morphodynamics in depositional settings such as river deltas, carbonate platforms, and submarine fans. Requires development of geometrical and morphodynamic models as research tools to understand gathered data. Geological Sciences 367M and 371T (Topic: Morphodynamics and Quantitative Stratigraphy) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416M with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 468K Geophysics for Geological Sciences Majors 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
A survey of seismic, magnetic, gravitational, and other geophysical tools and their application to exploration and global-scale problems. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences, Option II: Geophysics. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 408D; and Physics 303L and 103N, or 316 and 116L with a grade of at least C- in each.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 369E Evolution of Reef Ecosystems 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the paleobiology, sedimentology, and oceanography of reef ecosystems throughout the geological record as well as the environmental and evolutionary factors that controlled the expansion and collapse of the carbonate ecosystems. Explore ocean chemistry, how organisms biomineralize a skeleton, symbiosis, ecology, mass extinctions, as well as current and future threats to reef health. Geological Sciences 369E and 371T (Topic: Evolution of Reef Ecosystems) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing, and Geological Sciences 405 with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 370E Ecohydrology and Biometeorology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study the terrestrial biosphere and the ways ecosystems influence the water cycle. Investigate water, carbon, and energy fluxes within the Earth system from a hands-on experimental approach and through exposure to land-surface and climate models. Includes hydrology, Earth science, environmental engineering, ecology, biology, and climatology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 370K Sedimentology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Processes of sediment formation, transportation, and deposition; textures, structures, and facies of sedimentary rocks. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, and two one-day field trips. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 420K with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Registration priority given to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 370Q Morphodynamics and Quantitative Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore numerical tools useful for quantitatively assessing sediment transport and stratigraphic development in sedimentary basins. Apply principles in fluid mechanics, sediment transport, and depositional mechanics to one-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional numerical modeling of sediment morphodynamics in various depositional settings such as river deltas, carbonate platforms, and submarine fans. Develop geometrical and morphodynamic models as research tools to understand data collected from laboratory experiments and in the field. Geological Sciences 370Q and 371C (Topic: Morphodynamics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 171C, 271C, 371C Topics in Conference Course 1-3 Hours
1,2,3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Supervised study of selected topics in geological sciences, by individual arrangement with the department and instructor. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Conference course.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 171H Honors Research Methods I 1 Hour
1 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Preparation for independent research projects through exposure to current research programs, facilities, personnel, and projects in the Jackson School of Geosciences. Includes selecting research topics, mentors, and supervisors; preparing research proposals; conducting research activities; and presenting research results. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Geological Sciences Honors Program.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 371S Geological Sciences Research Methods 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Supervised research project completed in collaboration with faculty supervisor and related research group members either as a one-semester research activity in preparation for a senior thesis project. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing; Geological Sciences 416K, 416M, and 420K with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Restricted to geological sciences majors.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 171T, 271T, 371T, 471T, 571T, 671T Topics in Geological Sciences: Undergraduate Seminar 1-6 Hours
1,2,3,4,5,6 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
May not be substituted for any required geological sciences courses. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester; additional hours may be required for some topics.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor; additional prerequisites may vary with the topic.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 172H Honors Research Methods II 1 Hour
1 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Preparation for independent research projects through exposure to current research programs, facilities, personnel, and projects in the Jackson School of Geosciences. Includes selecting research topics, mentors, and supervisors; preparing research proposals; conducting research activities; and presenting research results. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 171H with a grade of at least B-.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Jackson School of Geosciences Honors Program.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 372S Geochemical Problem Solving with Atoms and Ions 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Discussion of mass spectrometers, which are analytical balances that operate at molecular and atomic levels, used for gathering compositional data (both isotopic and elemental). Explores conversion of sample molecules into charged particles (ions), and measurement according to mass-to-charge ratio to assess chemical identity and abundance. Introduction to inorganic mass spectrometry methods and applications to the Earth sciences, surveying key modalities: TIMS, ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS, MC-ICP-MS, and IRMS. Examines techniques in generating and critically evaluating high-quality data, and research. Geological Sciences 372S and 371T (Topic: Geochemical Problem Solving with Atoms and Ions) may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and three lab hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 173H Honors Research Methods III 1 Hour
1 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Preparation for independent research projects through exposure to current research programs, facilities, personnel, and projects in the Jackson School of Geosciences. Includes selecting research topics, mentors, and supervisors; preparing research proposals; conducting research activities; and presenting research results. One lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 171H and 172H with a grade of at least B- in each.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Jackson School of Geosciences Honors Program.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 376C Isotope Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Overview of the principles of stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry. Subjects include mass spectrometry, geochronology and thermochronology, cosmogenic nuclides, radiogenic geochemistry, isotopic fractionation, traditional and non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry and its applications to the hydrologic cycle, low-temperature geochemistry, magmatic and metamorphic processes, thermometry, fluid-rock interactions, tectonics, crust-mantle evolution, and extraterrestrial materials. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 371C (Topic: Isotope and Environmental Geology Research), 376C, 388L. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Chemistry 302, and Mathematics 408D or 408M with a grade of at least C- in each, and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 376E Environmental Isotope Geochemistry 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
The application of the isotope and trace element geochemistry of natural waters and sediments to studies of the hydrologic cycle. Stable, radiogenic, and cosmogenic isotopes are used as tracers of the evolution of groundwater, surface water, and ocean water. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional laboratory hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Chemistry 302, and Geological Sciences 416E, 416S, and 416W, and Mathematics 408D or 408M, and Physics 303K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 476K Groundwater Hydrology 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Introduction to subsurface hydrology, emphasizing geological controls on groundwater flow; quantitative methods of analyzing aquifer systems; regional hydrology; water quality and pollution. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester, with several local field trips to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416W, and Mathematics 408D or Mathematics 408M with a grade of at least C- in each.
Restrictions: Restricted to Jackson School of Geosciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 376L Field Methods in Groundwater Hydrology 3 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 9 Lab Hours
Train in and experience hydrology field methods as well as data handling and analysis. Learn methods including drilling and well installation, well logging, hydraulic testing, stream gauging, near-surface geophysics, water sampling and analysis, soil sampling and analysis, hydrologic monitoring and mapping of water tables and flow paths, hydrometeorological measurements, and general mapping and surveying. Train on sampling and safe operation of instrumentation. Nine laboratory or fieldwork hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416W, 476M, and 476K or 376S, with a grade of at least C- in each.
Restrictions: Restricted to Jackson School of Geosciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 476M Aqueous Geochemistry 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Explore aqueous geochemistry. Examine basic thermodynamics, kinetics, mineral solubility, acid-base chemistry, the carbonate system, surface chemistry, silicate mineral weathering, redox chemistry, and aqueous complexes. Learn the computer program PHREEQC. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416W, and Chemistry 301 and 302 with a grade of at least C- in each. Enrollment priority is given to Hydrology and Water Resources and Geosystems Engineering majors.
Restrictions: Restricted to Hydrology and Water Resources and Geosystem Engineering majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 376S Physical Hydrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Modern conceptual and methodological approaches to hydrological science: qualitative assessment of hydrological processes, quantitative representation, approaches to measurement, and treatment of uncertainty. Major components of the hydrological cycle: precipitation, snow and snowmelt, infiltration, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and runoff and their link to the coupled-earth system. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 416W, and Mathematics 408D or 408M, and Physics 301 or 303K with a grade of at least C- in each. Enrollment priority is given to Hydrology and Water Resources and Geosystems Engineering majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 376T High-Temperature Geochemistry 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study of the composition, origin, and chemical and physical evolution of the earth and its interior. Examines the links between the fields of geochemistry and tectonics, igneous petrology, geophysics, and other areas of inquiry. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing and Geological Sciences 416E or 426P with a grade of at least C-.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 476W Hydrogeophysics 4 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Application of geophysical methods in hydrogeology. Modules include method theory and hydrogeological applications; using instruments in the field; and analysis of data, interpretation, and hydrogeological insights. Class discussions; field exercises and written field exercise summaries; individual and group reports. Previous coursework and/or experience in hydrogeology and geophysics is recommended. Geological Sciences 371C (Topic: Hydrogeophysics) and 476W may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Four lecture hours a week for one semester, with field work hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 377K Applied Karst Hydrogeology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
The study of karst landforms, processes, flow systems, and water resources. Geologic controls, natural resources, aquifer recharge and discharge, system evolution, geochemistry/water quality, tracing methodologies, geophysical methods, and modeling are covered with an emphasis on collecting and interpreting field data. Geological Sciences 371C (Topic: Applied Karst Hydrogeology) and 377K may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional fieldwork hours to be arranged.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 377P Physical Climatology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Explore climate science through the lens of physical principles and Earth system science. Examine the key components of the Earth system--the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere--their interactions, and their responses to both natural and human-induced forcing. Discuss radiation, energy balance, and atmospheric/oceanic general circulation; the hydrological cycle, with a focus on surface hydrology and land-atmosphere interactions; climate feedbacks, sensitivity, and variability across temporal scales (past, present, and future). Focus on human impacts on the climate system, including urbanization, irrigation, industrialization, air pollution, and tropical deforestation. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 378D Introduction to Machine Learning and Geosciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore an overview of commonly used machine learning algorithms for Geosciences applications. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 679G Special Studies in Geophysics Research, Fieldwork, or Internship 6 Hours
6 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Special research projects, field studies, or geophysical/industrial internship. Assigned reading with written and oral report. May be used instead of Geological Sciences 660 in fulfilling the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences (Option II: Geophysics). Three lecture hours a week for two semesters.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to geophysics majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 379H Honors Thesis in Geological Sciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Supervised research project resulting in an honors thesis with an oral defense. May be counted as three of the six geological sciences senior elective hours. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester.
Core Curriculum: 010
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 171H, 172H, and 173H with a grade of at least B- in each.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Geological Sciences Honors Program.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 679J Internship in Hydrogeology 6 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 40 Lab Hours
Special hydrogeological studies under the joint supervision of industry professionals and faculty members. Students present a written report. May be used in place of Geological Sciences 660 in fulfilling the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences (Option III: Hydrogeology). Forty hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Geological Sciences 476K with a grade of at least C-, and consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to hydrogeology majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 279K, 379K Special Topics in Advanced Geological Sciences 2-3 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Special emphasis on recent developments in geosciences. Conference course.
Core Curriculum: 010
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 479M Mammalogy 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Surveys the biology and evolutionary history of mammals. Introduction to the diversity of living mammals through the study of mammalian ecology, behavior, morphology, and taxonomy. Laboratory work focuses on the characters diagnosing the major mammalian clades and identifying the common recent mammals of Texas using skins and recent osteological specimens. Fossils and the fossil record of mammals. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing.
Restrictions: Restricted to biology, geological sciences, and anthropology majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 379N, 679N Geosciences Internship 3,6 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 20,40 Lab Hours
Work experience in geological sciences under the joint supervision of industry professionals (the employer) and a supervising faculty member. Requires submission of a final report to the supervising faculty member at the end of the semester. Internship position must be on file with JSG Career Services. For 379N, twenty laboratory hours a week for one semester. For 679N, forty laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to geological sciences and environmental science majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 379S Geological Sciences Senior Thesis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Second course in a two-course sequence focused on supervised student research and preparation of a final report on research activities. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Upper-division standing, and Geological Sciences 371S with a grade of at least C-.
Restrictions: Restricted to geological sciences majors.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Upper Division
GEO 380C Advanced Structural Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Origin of earth structures, solution of advanced structural problems, newest techniques, field techniques, and field problems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380F Seismology II 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Basic seismology theory and its application to the study of the interior of the Earth (crust, mantle, and core), earthquakes, and plate tectonics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Mathematics 408C or the equivalent.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380G Construction and Interpretation of 3-D Stratigraphy 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Uses three-dimensional volumes of basin-filling stratigraphy to explore how depositional landscapes are preserved in the sedimentary record and how sedimentary deposits can be analyzed to produce quantitative reconstructions of past environmental states. Four lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380J Mathematical Methods in Geophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
A survey of mathematics for geoscientists that includes infinite series, complex variables, linear algebra, integral transforms, ordinary and partial differential equations, tenor analysis, and probability and statistics. Geological Sciences 366M and 380J may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380N Sequence Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Organization and interpretation of stratigraphic successions in time-bounded units of genetically related strata. Sequence stratigraphy, as a predictive branch of stratigraphic analysis, provides insight into the origin of the entire spectrum of siliciclastic, carbonate, and evaporite sediments from shallow to deep settings. Laboratory component involves the interpretation of sequences using outcrop measured sections, core data, wireline log sections, field trips, and 2D and 3D seismic data from modern and ancient settings. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 416M and 465K or their equivalents.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380P Advanced Reservoir Characterization: Carbonates 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Advanced instruction in the integration of geologic and engineering methods for building 3-D reservoir models of carbonate reservoirs. Geological Sciences 380P and 391 (Topic: Advanced Reservoir Characteristics: Carbonates) may not both be counted. Four lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered in alternate years.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380R Dynamics of Sedimentary Systems I 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explores the fundamental concepts of transport systems at the Earth's surface, focusing on principles and quantitative aspects of fluid flow, sediment transport, and bedforms, as well as atmospheric and oceanic circulation, complex systems, and the integration of small-scale processes in developing quantitative stratigraphic models. Four lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380S Dynamics of Sedimentary Systems II 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explores the fundamental concepts of transport systems at the Earth's surface, focusing on principles and quantitative aspects of fluid flow, sediment transport, and bedforms, as well as atmospheric and oceanic circulation, complex systems, and the integration of small-scale processes in developing quantitative stratigraphic models. Four lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and Geological Sciences 380R.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 380T Geoclimatology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examines climate records encoded in sedimentary archives through geologic time. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381C Structural Petrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Deformation processes from atomic to macroscopic level, resultant textures and fabrics, and conditions required to produce such deformation. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and an undergraduate course in structural geology and petrology.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381E Brittle Structure 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Quantitative analysis of folding, faulting, and fracturing at all scales in the upper crust, with emphasis on cross-section construction, subsurface mapping, and fracture analysis. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, and several field trips.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and a course in structural geology.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381F Microstructures and Rock Rheology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Focuses on processes of deformation operative in the crust and upper mantle, with an emphasis on distinguishing these processes using microstructural analysis and describing them using basic constitutive relationships from rock mechanics. Geological Sciences 381F and 391 (Topic: Microstructures and Rock Rheology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381G Geomicrobiology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Geologic and hydrologic controls on subsurface microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure; the geochemical consequences of microbial processes in subsurface settings; and the influence of geology on microbial ecology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381J Marine Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Survey of the field of marine geology by exploring the structure and evolution of the ocean basins, oceanic islands, and island arcs, the chemistry of the oceans, the sediments in the marine environments, the products and processes of the land-air-sea interface, and the history of the oceans over geologic time. Geological Sciences 381J and Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Marine Geology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381P Plate Margins 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study of the tectonics of the earth. Topics include history of early concepts, ocean spreading ridges and ophiolites, rifting, core complexes, passive margins, subduction zones, trenches, volcanic arcs, collisional orogenesis, and transform margins. Geological Sciences 381P and 391 (Topic: Plate Margins) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381R Regional Studies in Mineral Resources Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Geologic evolution of a region, with emphasis on factors that control the origin of selected mineral resources. Study area varies according to the interests of participants and other factors. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381S Tectonic Problems 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the origin of regional structural features, complex and controversial structures, and the tectonic control of ore deposits. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 381T Marine Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Tectonic processes within the dynamic Earth, with a focus on oceanic structures. Subjects may include fundamentals of plate tectonics; plate motion, driving forces, and mantle convection; evolution of triple junction and plate margins; plate reconstructions; earthquakes and focal mechanisms; structure and geochemistry of the Earth's interior; mantle structure and tomography; rheology and deformation mechanisms in mantle and crust; heat flow, gravity, the geoid, and paleomagnetism; hotspots and mantle plumes; seafloor spreading and oceanic spreading ridges; oceanic transform faults and fracture zones; and subduction zones, volcanic island arcs, and marginal seas. Geological Sciences 338T and 371C (Topic: Tectonics I) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382C Groundwater Field Methods 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Basic field methods used in evaluation of groundwater conditions, with emphasis on field interpretation and on hands-on experience with geophysical, geochemical, stream-gauging, and pump test methods. Forty-five hours of field and laboratory work in a three-week period.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 391C or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382D Crustal Geofluids 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Designed to provide a technical foundation for exploring how fluids drive fundamental geologic processes in sedimentary basins. Includes characterizing pressure and stress in sedimentary basins, exploring the origin of overpressure through theory and characterization, and examining how pressure and stress couple. Problems include how sedimentation generates overpressure, how hydrocarbons are trapped in the subsurface, how mud volcanoes form, how submarine landslides are generated, and the origin of methane hydrates. Geological Sciences 382D and 391 (Topic: Crustal Fluids) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours per week for one semester, with a four-day field trip to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382E Scientific Research Design 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the principles of experimental design including formulation of target questions and method choice in an interdisciplinary, community context. Geosciences 382E and 391 (Topic: Scientific Research Design) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate Standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382F Fractured Rock Hydrology and Mechanics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the physics of flow in fractured rocks and soils, fracture mechanics, fracture skins, analysis of solute transport, and methods of characterizing and modeling fractured systems. Class field trips are an integral part of the class. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor; previous coursework in advanced calculus (differential equations, vector spaces and Fourier series), and hydrogeology.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382G Fluid Physics for Geologists 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Flow and transport phenomena within an earth science context. Includes extensive use of Maple, MATLAB, and COMSOL Multiphysics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, previous coursework in advanced calculus (differential equations, vector spaces and Fourier series), and Geological Sciences 391C, 383D or 383E; non-majors also require consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382M Programming in FORTRAN and MATLAB 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
FORTRAN for students without knowledge of a computer programming language: survey of all variable types, loops, arrays, subroutines, and functions; overview of UNIX and MATLAB. Geological Sciences 382M and 391 (Topic: Programming in FORTRAN and MATLAB) may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Mathematics 408D or the equivalent.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382P Physical Oceanography 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Basic concepts for understanding and describing the large-scale circulation of the ocean. Covers measurement methods, properties of seawater, description of the global ocean's mean state and variability, introductory dynamics including balanced motions, wind-driven and abyssal circulation, wave motions, air-sea interactions, sea level science, and the ocean's role in climate. Geological Sciences 382P and 391 (Topic: Physical Oceanography) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 382S Physical Hydrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Comprehensive treatment of modern conceptual and methodological approaches to hydrological science. Combines qualitative understanding of hydrological processes with quantitative representation, approaches to measurement, and treatment of uncertainty. Major components of the hydrological cycle. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382T Continental Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Tectonic processes, with a focus on continental lithospheric structures. Subjects may include convergent margins, subduction zones, magmatic arcs, and foreland structures; collisional orogenesis, arc-continent collisions, continent-continent collision, and mountain building; formation of supercontinents; uplift and exhumation; orogenic collapse and extensional tectonics; continental rifting and passive margins; transform margins; and the effect of tectonics on climate and oceanic circulation. Geological Sciences 382T and 391 (Topic: Tectonics II) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 382W Hydrogeophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Application of geophysical methods in hydrogeology. Modules include method theory and hydrogeological applications; using instruments in the field; and analysis of data, interpretation, and hydrogeological insights. Class discussions; field exercises and written field exercise summaries; individual and group reports. Geological Sciences 3382W and 391 (Topic: Hydrogeophysics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with fieldwork hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor; previous coursework and/or experience in hydrogeology and geophysics is recommended.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383 Clastic Depositional Systems 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the processes and products of siliciclastic environments, including rivers, deltas, coastal systems, and deep-marine systems, with an emphasis on facies analysis, stratigraphic architecture, and sedimentary petrology. Develop the skills necessary to analyze sedimentary systems at multiple scales--from depositional environments to basin-wide correlations--emphasizing the integration of sedimentological, stratigraphical, and petrological data. Discuss the tectonic, climatic, and eustatic controls on facies transitions and provenance characterization. The equivalent of four lecture hours a week for one semester, including a four to five day field seminar.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences and consent of instructor. Prior course in the basic principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy is required.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383C Topics in Geology and Hydrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study of the interaction of fluids with the rock matrix, with emphasis on the role of hydrology in geologic processes and the role of geology in affecting hydrologic processes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, and several field trips. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and a course in hydrogeology or hydrology.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383D Numerical Methods I: Computational Methods in Geological Sciences 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
A survey of geophysical data analysis methods, with a focus on time series, including sampling and aliasing, convolution and correlation, statistics, linear digital filters, properties and applications of the discrete Fourier transform, and least squares. Instruction in MATLAB and Fortran and solution of data analysis problems using these two languages. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383E Digital Methods in Hydrogeology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Applications of mathematical software to earth science problems, with emphasis on hydrogeologic problems. Includes a brief introduction to numerical methods. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, previous coursework in advanced calculus (differential equations, vector spaces and Fourier series), and Geological Sciences 391C.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383F Holocene-Pleistocene Sedimentology and Stratigraphic-Structural Evolution of the Caicos Platform 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Investigation of the broad range of depositional environments of the Caicos Platform through mapping exercises using state of the art digital imagery and lidar datasets, lab exercises, core workshops and a week-long field trip. Study of the evolution of the Caicos Platform carbonate system from modern sediments to complex stratigraphic records including grain types, sedimentary structures, and facies successions from the tidal flats, salinas, high-energy shoreline, and grainy back reef environments. Geological Sciences 383F and 291 (Topic: Sedimentol of Caicos Platform) may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester; field trip to Caicos Platform also required.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 383M or 383N.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383G Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
The hydrologic cycle, the early diagenesis, carbonate sediments, chemical sediments, and burial processes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with laboratory hours to be arranged. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383K Paleoecology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Relationships of fossil animals and plants to their environments and to the sedimentary deposits in which they occur. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with one optional field trip.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383L Petrography of Sandstones 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Interpretation of microscale features of sandstones to decipher the paleogeographic, tectonic, and postdepositional controls on sandstone composition and texture. Examines the effects of chemical and mechanical processes in the subsurface on sandstone properties, including porosity. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383M Petrology of Carbonates and Evaporites 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Description and interpretation of carbonate and evaporite rock deposition and paragenesis. Essentials of petrology; petrography, including identification of grain types, cement types, recrystallization, and dolomitization; and porosity evolution. Global geochemical signals in carbonate sediments, and geochemical processes of early and late diagenesis. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383N Depositional Systems: Carbonates and Evaporites 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Analysis of carbonate and evaporite depositional systems from sedimentary structures, faunal and ichnofaunal associations, grain types, vertical and lateral facies successions within time-significant packages, and sediment body geometries. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383P Potential Field Applications in Geophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the theory, measurement, and application of gravity and magnetic and electric fields to exploration and global-scale problems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383R Reservoir Geology and Advanced Recovery 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Analysis of geologic controls on composition and architecture of oil and gas reservoirs, with emphasis on reservoir heterogeneity resulting from depositional and diagenetic processes. Geological and petrophysical determinants of fluid flows and behavior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing; and credit or registration for Geological Sciences 380N, 383, and 383N, or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383S Sedimentary Basin Analysis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Quantitative and applied study of basin subsidence and sediment accumulation. The first half of the course considers theoretical basin evolution due to flexural, thermal, dynamic, and fault-related subsidence. The second half of the course involves analysis of selected basin systems and includes student research projects and presentations on assigned topics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383T Tectonic and Climatic Interactions in Foreland Basins 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Integration of recent advances in foreland basins and adjacent orogenic belts, with emphasis on sedimentation, quantitative basin models, regional and global climate change, and the geometry and kinematics of fold-thrust belts. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 383U Dynamic Field Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Field-based evaluation of the dynamics of the stratigraphic record, with implications for sedimentary, tectonic, and climatic processes. Geological Sciences 383U and 391 (Topic: Dynamic Field Stratig: Andes) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384C Seismology I 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Research seismic methods of exploration for petroleum and minerals and subsurface storage of fluids. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384D Physics of Earth 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Geophysics of the whole Earth: seismic methods of inferring Earth structure, chemical makeup of Earth, tides and rotational variations, geomagnetism, heat flow, earthquakes, and seismicity. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384E Seismic Migration and Inversion 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Use of the acoustic or elastic wave equation to construct subsurface images in seismic processing. Different methods of solution and data domains employed in routine applications. Investigates integral, implicit, and explicit finite differences and Fourier methods for the imaging and inversion of seismic reflection data. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384F Finite Element Methods in Geophysics 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Numerical methods for solution of partial differential equations arising in continuum geophysics and geodynamics. Focuses on finite element methods and their application to heat conduction, viscous flow, wave propagation, and transport problems in geophysics. Geological Sciences 384F and 391 (Topic: Computational Methods for Geophysics) may not both be counted. Four lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384G Subsurface Mapping and Petroleum Workstations 3 Hours
4 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to basin analysis, subsurface mapping, and petroleum exploration using a workstation. Subjects may include common tectonic settings of petroleum basins, seismic stratigraphy, structural styles, and petroleum systems. Workstation techniques include well log editing, lithology interpretation, correlation of tectonic events, integration of seismic and subsurface well data, interpretation of two- and three-dimensional seismic reflection data and structure, and isopach and seismic attribute mapping. Geological Sciences 384G and 391 (Topic: Introduction to Petroleum Workstations) may not both be counted. Four lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384H Multidimensional Data Analysis in Geosciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Extracting multidimensional patterns from data, data reconstruction and registration, signal and noise separation. Elements of geostatistics, linear estimation, image analysis, and multidimensional sparsity-promoting transforms with applications to large-scale geoscientific data. Geological Sciences 384H and 391 (Topic: Multidimensional Data Analysis) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384M Inverse Theory 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Vector spaces; model parameter estimation methods from inaccurate, insufficient, and inadequate measurements; linear, quasi-linear, and highly non-linear problems; local and global optimization methods. Emphasis on practical problem solving. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and knowledge of linear algebra, basic calculus, and statistics.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384N Rock Physics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Focuses on how rocks, pore fluids, and physical conditions of temperature, stress, diagenesis, and geological processes impact wave propagation, with an emphasis on how laboratory and theoretical results can be applied to field data. Presentation of case studies that outline strategies for seismic interpretation, site characterization, and recovery monitoring. Upscaling seismic and rock properties from the laboratory scale to borehole and reservoir scales. Multidisciplinary approaches to combination of geostatistical and stochastic methods, seismic-to-rock property transforms, and geologic information for reservoir characterization. Geological Sciences 384N and 391 (Topic: Rock Physics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384R Geophysical Time Series Analysis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Surveys the following topics in time series analysis with geophysical applications: Fourier transforms, linear digital filters and their design, frequency domain analysis methods (power and coherence spectrum estimation), least squares and related methods with time series applications. MATLAB is used extensively. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 325K or 383D or the equivalent.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384S Seismic Data Processing 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Reduction of seismic data from field records to final geologic images, using real data sets and open-source data analysis software. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 384R.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384T Seismic Lithology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
How seismic waves propagating through earth materials respond to relevant rock, reservoir, and fluid properties in the subsurface, and how seismic data recorded on the surface are used to describe, discriminate, and estimate these rock, reservoir, and fluid properties in the subsurface. Geological Sciences 384T and 391 (Topic: Seismic Lithology and Exploration Geophysics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384U Quantitative Seismic Interpretation 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Seismic inversion, a tool for reservoir characterization, post- and pre-stack modeling, rock physics and fluid replacement modeling, wavelet estimation and post-stack inversion, AVO and pre-stack inversion, multiattribute regression and neural network, and net pay estimation. Extensive hands-on training with three-dimensional seismic and well-log data. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 384W Seismic Imaging 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1 Lab Hours
Seismic reflection imaging for visualizing the interior of Earth's upper crust. Study of fundamental imaging concepts from a unified geometrical point of view. Hands-on practical experience with imaging seismic data in an open-source software environment. Geological Sciences 384W and 391 (Topic: Wavefield Imaging) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing; programming experience and familiarity with seismology are helpful.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 185G Geophysics Colloquium 1 Hour
2 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Exploration of a variety of problems in modern geophysics. Geological Sciences 185G and 194 (Topic: Geophysics Colloquium) may not both be counted. Two lecture hours a week for one semester, and at least one weekend field trip.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Restrictions: Open to non-geological sciences majors, but registration priority is given to geological sciences majors.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 385Q Geomorphology Process and Form 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explores how Earth surface processes combine to shape landscapes through erosion and deposition. Emphasis on open channel flow, sediment transport, fluvial and hillslope processes, and tectonic controls on landscape evolution. Geological Sciences 385Q and 391 (Topic: Geomorphology: Landscape Process, Form, and Evolution) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with several field trips to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 485S Introduction to Remote Sensing for Geoscientists 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Examine the fundamentals of acquiring, processing, and interpreting remote sensing data. Explore the development of skills in the use and analysis of remote sensing data. Survey the physics of electromagnetic radiation and its interaction with geologic materials; common techniques for remote sensing; science goals and instruments onboard ongoing and planned remote sensing missions; and techniques for analysis of remote sensing data. Geological Sciences 485S and 491 (Topic: Intro Remote Sensing Geosci) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 385T Global Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine tectonic processes within the dynamic Earth, with a focus on plate boundary processes. Discuss fundamentals of plate tectonics; plate motion, driving forces, and mantle convection; evolution of plate margins including convergent, transform, rifting, and mid-ocean ridge spreading centers, triple junctions and collisional orogenesis; plate reconstructions; earthquakes and focal mechanisms; structure and geochemistry of the Earth's interior. Explore challenging questions of onset of plate tectonics, subduction initiation, and tectonics on other planets. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386 Metamorphic Petrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Metamorphism as a record of processes in the Earth's deep crust; phase equilibria among minerals and fluids at elevated temperatures and pressures; tectonometamorphic regimes; petrographic interpretation of metamorphic mineral assemblages and textures; and secular evolution of metamorphic patterns during Earth's history. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386D Earth in Deep Time 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the causes and consequences of significant changes in Earth's surface environment and tectonic processes over the past 4.5 billion years. Discuss the initial Earth accretion, the Faint Young Sun problem, the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and general requirements for planetary habitability and how interactions between Earth's interior, the surface, and biosphere have shaped planetary evolution. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386E Economic Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Origin of economic mineral concentrations within the context of their overall geologic settings; geologic aspects of economic evaluation, mining, and mineral processing; and mineral exploration. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386G Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System Applications in Earth Sciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Examine the theory and application of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies in earth science. Implement data collection, mapping, and analysis through labs and practical exercises. Discuss map projections, cartographic principles, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and geospatial data resources in the context of earth science applications. Geological Sciences 386G and 391 (Topic: Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System Applications in Earth Sciences) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester, and two weekend field trips. Offered in the fall semester only.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386K Igneous Petrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Origin, differentiation, and crystallization of igneous rocks. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Offered in alternate years.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 390M or the equivalent.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386R Geology of Earth Resources 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study of geologic, economic, societal, and environmental issues related to the production and consumption of energy, metal, industrial mineral, and water resources. Emphasizes the descriptive geology and origin of earth resources within the context of their overall geologic settings. Only one of the following may be counted: Energy and Earth Resources 396 (Topic: Geology of Earth Resources), 396 (Topic 5), Geological Sciences 386R, 391 (Topic: Geology of Earth Resources). May not be counted toward a graduate degree in geological sciences or petroleum engineering. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester.
Same as: EER 396.5
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 386S Ins and Outs of Subduction Zones 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore an overview of subduction zones, including sites of lithospheric scale recycling, critical to understanding the chemical evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle, volcanism, earthquakes, and orogenesis. Includes the thermal and seismic structure of subduction zones, volatile and geochemical cycling, seismicity, mantle wedge dynamics, and volcanism. Geological Sciences 386S and 391 (Topic: Ins & Outs of Subduction Zones) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate-standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 386T Topics in Volcanology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explores the physical and chemical processes involved in the eruption, transport, and deposition of volcanic material through the use and study of field measurements, fluid dynamics, petrology, and geophysical observations. Geological Sciences 386T and 391 (Topic: Volcanology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 387C Aqueous Geochemistry 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Introduction to the chemistry of water in the subsurface. Topics include basic thermodynamics and kinetics of rock-water interaction, acid-base theory, redox, and coordination chemistry. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor; previous graduate-level coursework in hydrogeology and at least two semesters of college chemistry.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 387D Climate Dynamics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Studies features of the climate system and the basics of climate system dynamics. Subjects may include climate variability, radiation and heat budgets, atmospheric and ocean circulation systems, and the physics of climate change. Geological Sciences 387D and 391 (Topic: Climate System Science) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and two semesters of calculus and one semester of physics.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 387E Environmental Organic Geochemistry 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1 Lab Hours
Environmental and organic chemistry of organic contaminants in groundwater and soils. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 387G Climate System Modeling 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Studies the basic theory of weather/climate system modeling using state-of-the-art regional climate models in a variety of applications. Includes instruction on how to run models on the TACC supercomputers for scientific applications. Subjects may include paleoclimate, contemporary, and/or future climate prediction based on changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. Only one of the following maybe counted: Geological Sciences 347G, 371C (Topic: Climate System Modeling), 387G, 391 (Topic: Climate System Modeling). May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, basic knowledge of Unix, and programming experience in Fortran.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 387H Physical Climatology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Investigates the nature of Earth's climate and examines the physical processes that maintain the climate system. Topics include the energy balance, the hydrological cycle, general atmosphere circulation, and how they all interact and vary at various spatial and temporal scales. Discusses human-induced modifications to the climate system, such as urbanization, anthropogenic global warming, desertification, and tropical deforestation. Focuses on descriptive, analytical, programming, and modeling skills. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and Computer Science 303E, Geography 301K, Mathematics 408D, and Physics 303K.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 387P Climate System Physics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Discussion of first-order principles and processes that govern the thermodynamical structure and energy distribution of the atmosphere, ocean, land, and cryosphere and their interaction with the dynamic aspect of the climate system. Geological Sciences 387P and 391 (Topic: Climate System Physics) may not both be counted. May not be substituted for any required geological sciences course. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388C Basin GeoMechanics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Develop the technical foundation and physical insight to explore how stress and pressure drive geologic and human-induced processes. Examine applications including C02 sequestration, geothermal energy, hydraulic-fracturing, faulting, geopressure development, hydrocarbon entrapment, subsidence and compaction, slope stability, and borehole stability. Geological Sciences 388C and 391 (Topic: Basin GeoMechanics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388G Global Biogeochemical Cycles 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examination of the major reservoirs, fluxes, and processes controlling the distribution of biologically active chemical constituents of the earth. The importance of these biogeochemical cycles in the geologic past and the effects of human perturbation of these cycles. Geological Sciences 388G and 391 (Topic: Global Biogeochemical Cycles) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388H Environmental Isotope Geochemistry 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
The application of the isotope and trace element geochemistry of natural waters and sediments to studies of the hydrologic cycle. Stable, radiogenic, and cosmogenic isotopes are used as tracers of the evolution of groundwater, surface water, and ocean water. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with laboratory hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388L Isotope Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Overview of the principles of stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry. Covers mass spectrometry, geochronology and thermochronology, cosmogenic nuclides, radiogenic geochemistry, isotopic fractionation, traditional and non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry and its applications to the hydrologic cycle, low-temperature geochemistry, magmatic and metamorphic processes, thermometry, fluid-rock interactions, tectonics, crust-mantle evolution, and extraterrestrial materials. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388P Paleontological Laboratory Techniques 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Overview and application of laboratory techniques used for in-depth investigation of the systematics of vertebrates. Geological Sciences 388P and 391 (Topic: Paleontological Laboratory Techniques) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388R Radiogenic Isotopes and Tectonic Processes 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Application of radiogenic isotopes to tectonic problems. Particular attention is given to methods and tools in thermochronology and geochronology for understanding thermal histories, uplift rates, slip rates, timing relationships, landform development, and provenance. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered in alternate years.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 388T High-Temperature Geochemistry 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
An introduction to the application of isotope and trace element geochemistry in the modern geological sciences, with emphasis on problems related to the origin and evolution of the Earth's interior. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389E Evolution of Reef Ecosystems 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to the paleobiology, sedimentology, and oceanography of reef ecosystems throughout the geological record as well as the environmental and evolutionary factors that controlled the expansion and collapse of the carbonate ecosystems (and others). Explore ocean chemistry, how organisms biomineralize a skeleton, symbiosis, ecology, mass extinctions, and both current and future threats to reef health. Geological Sciences 389E and 391 (Topic: Evolution of Reef Ecosystems) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester; required field trip date(s) to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389J Transitions in the History of Life 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Exploration of the transitions in the history of life, including mass extinctions, climactic perturbations, and environmental changes and their impact on the Earth's biota. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389K Paleontologic Nomenclature and Techniques 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Rules of nomenclature: preparation, illustration, and description of Paleozoic invertebrate fossils. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389M Vertebrate Paleontology: Mammals 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Comparative osteology and phylogenetic history of the living and extinct mammals. Two lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester. Offered in alternate years.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences and Geological Sciences 389V.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389P Digital Methods in Morphology 3 Hours
1 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
The use of digital multimedia for analysis of paleontological problems, with emphasis on three-dimensional high-resolution CT data. One lecture hour and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389R Morphology of the Vertebrate Skeleton 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Identification of skeletal elements from the major vertebrate taxa, and aspects of skeletal functional morphology, with emphasis on extant taxa. Topics include the skeletal systems of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, and Geological Sciences 405 or the equivalent; or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389S Systematics and Paleontology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Seminar course focusing on current issues in digital/instructional technologies. Provides students with an opportunity to explore, discuss, and demonstrate issues designing, acquiring, manipulating, authoring, and publishing digital content. Students work toward completing a specific project. Geological Sciences 389S and 391 (Topic: Systematics and Paleontology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered in alternate years.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 389V Vertebrate Paleontology 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 4 Lab Hours
Comparative osteology and phylogenetic history of the living and extinct fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. Two lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, and Biology 349 or the equivalent.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 390D Seismology III 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Advanced treatment of elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous anisotropic media, vectors and tensors, Christoffel equation, group and phase velocities, invariant embedding (reflectivity), finite difference, finite elements, and spectral elements. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 380F or the equivalent.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 390E Ecohydrology and Biometeorology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Study the terrestrial biosphere and the ways ecosystems influence the water cycle. Investigate water, carbon, and energy fluxes within the Earth system from a hands-on experimental approach and through exposure to land-surface and climate models. Includes hydrology, Earth science, environmental engineering, ecology, biology, and climatology. Geological Sciences 390E and 391 (Topic: Ecohydrology/Biometeorology) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 390M Thermodynamics of Geologic Processes 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Applications of physical chemistry to natural systems; interactions of minerals, solutions, and the atmosphere. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered in alternate years.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 390Q Morphodynamics and Quantitative Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore numerical tools useful for quantitatively assessing sediment transport and stratigraphic development in sedimentary basins. Apply principles in fluid mechanics, sediment transport, and depositional mechanics to one-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional numerical modeling of sediment morphodynamics in various depositional settings such as river deltas, carbonate platforms, and submarine fans. Develop geometrical and morphodynamic models as research tools to understand data collected from laboratory experiments and in the field. Geological Sciences 390Q and 391 (Topic: Morphodynamics) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 390R Analytical Methods: Electron-Microbeam Techniques 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
An introduction to electron-microbeam instruments and their applications in the earth sciences. Lectures on relevant theory and concepts are supplemented by hands-on experience. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 390T Tectonic Problems 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore cutting-edge and debated concepts and processes governing plate tectonics, the unifying concept of solid Earth Sciences, in both the marine and continental realms. Investigate and test the validity of processes-oriented concepts in subduction, rift, and collision tectonics settings. Study regional and global tectonic problems through an interdisciplinary structural, petrological, geochemical, sedimentological, and geophysical approach. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Restricted to students in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 191, 291, 391, 491, 591, 791, 891, 991 Topics in Geological Sciences: Seminar 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9 Hours
1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one class hour a week for one semester; additional hours may be required for some topics. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences; additional prerequisites vary with the topic.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Doctoral
Topic 1: Advanced Sequence Stratigraphy. Additional prerequisite: Geology 380N or the equivalent.
GEO 391C Physical Hydrogeology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Geological controls on groundwater resources; evaluation of aquifers, geothermal systems, and contamination problems; natural hazards caused by human use of groundwater. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with discussion hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 391D Regional Tectonics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Development of tectonic theory culminating in the new global tectonics, and application of theory to selected orogenic areas. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 391K Applied Karst Hydrogeology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
The study of karst landforms, processes, flow systems, and water resources. Geologic controls, natural resources, aquifer recharge and discharge, system evolution, geochemistry/water quality, tracing methodologies, geophysical methods, and modeling are covered with an emphasis on collecting and interpreting field data. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Applied Karst Hydrogeology) and 391K may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional fieldwork hours to be arranged.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing, and Geological Sciences 391C or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 391Q Topics in Quaternary Geology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Interdisciplinary analysis of Quaternary chronology, environments, climatic changes, and erosional-depositional processes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered irregularly.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 391S Current Topics in Paleobiology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Seminar reviewing recent publications on evolutionary and ecologic theories applied to the fossil record. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 191W Aquifer Testing 1 Hour
0 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Techniques of aquifer evaluation, including pumping tests, laboratory techniques, field mapping, and numerical analysis. Geological Sciences 191 (Topic: Aquifer Testing) and 191W may not both be counted. Two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 392F Fundamentals and Applications of ICP-MS 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Explores inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for trace, minor and major element measurement, and applications in analytical fields. Covers fundamentals of technique, applications, and capabilities of ICP-MS through hands-on lab experience. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Fundamentals/Applic of ICP-MS) and 392F may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and one-and-one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing; and working knowledge of MS Excel, including manipulation of rows and columns of data, application of basic algebraic functions to derive statistics, sorting and filtering of data.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 392M Modern Geological Sciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
General discussion of the entire spectrum of geological sciences. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Modern Geological Sciences) and 392M may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered in the fall semester only.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences, or graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 392P Python for Geoscience Research 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore Python 3 programming language for application to scientific research. Examine basic Python and common scientific Python libraries such as numpy, pandas, matplotlib, datetime. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Python in Geosci Resrch) and 392P may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 392S Geochemical Problem Solving with Ions Atoms 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours
Overview of mass spectrometers, which are analytical balances that operate at molecular and atomic levels, used for gathering compositional data (both isotopic and elemental). Explores conversion of sample molecules into charged particles (ions), and measurement according to mass-to-charge ratio to assess chemical identity and abundance. Introduction to inorganic mass spectrometry methods and applications to the Earth sciences, surveying key modalities: TIMS, ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS, MC-ICP-MS, and IRMS. Examines techniques in generating and critically evaluating high-quality data, and research. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing; and for non-geological sciences majors, consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 193 Technical Lecture Series 1 Hour
2 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Attendance required of all graduate students in geological sciences. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Additional hours may be required.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 393D 3D Analysis of Volumetric Data 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the theory and practice of acquiring and utilizing volume image data, predominantly from X-ray computed tomography (CT). Examine CT data instrumentation and acquisition, as well as 3D data processing, visualization, and quantification using a range of methods, including machine learning approaches. Geosciences 391 (Topic: 3D Analysis of Volumetric Data) and 393D may not both be counted.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 194, 294, 394, 494, 594, 694, 794, 894, 994 Topics in Research in Geological Sciences 1-9 Hours
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one class hour a week for one semester. Offered every semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences.
Restrictions: Restricted to graduate students in geological sciences.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Doctoral
Topic 1: Sedimentation.
Topic 2: Stratigraphy.
Topic 3: Paleontology.
Topic 4: Petrology.
Topic 5: Geochemistry and Mineralogy.
Topic 6: Structural Geology.
Topic 7: Economic Geology. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only.
Topic 8: Environmental and Engineering Geology.
Topic 9: Geomorphology.
Topic 10: Geophysics.
Topic 11: Marine Geology and Geophysics.
GEO 494P Modeling Flow and Transport in Porous Media 4 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Introduction to the modeling of flow and transport in porous media with focus on basic dynamic phenomena that occur during single-phase flow and solute transport in heterogeneous porous media. Discuss the numerical solution of both the elliptic equations governing the flow of groundwater and the hyperbolic equations governing solute transport. Includes a programming project which requires writing a functional numerical simulator. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Mathematics 408D or 427L; Mathematics 427J or 427K; one of the following with a grade of at least C-: Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering 310, Civil Engineering 311K, Mechanical Engineering 318M, Computational Engineering 301, or Geological Sciences 325G or 325J.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 395D Ice Dynamics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Physics of ice motion, basal processes, glacial hydrology, and unstable flow. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Ice Dynamics) and 395D may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 395S Seismic Structural Analysis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Addresses interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic reflection data for unraveling the geometry and kinematic evolution of crustal structures, principally in sedimentary rocks. Foundational subjects include understanding how structures manifest themselves in seismic data, and approaches to effective interpretation and kinematic analysis. Covers structural systems including extensional, fold and thrust belts, salt tectonics, and inversion. Applied subjects include computer workstation interpretation and analysis approaches, determination of geologic and basin history, fault system analysis, fault permeability structure, and geomechanical evaluations such as in situ stress determination and application to induced seismicity risking. Only one of the following may be counted: Geological Sciences 191, 391 (Topic: Seismic Structural Analysis), 395S Seismic Structural Analysis. Three lecture hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 396C CO2 Storage in Geological Formations 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore how capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) underground is an important means of mitigating climate change. Examine the geological and environmental aspects of CO2 injection, sequestration, and monitoring that control the success of real CO2 storage projects. Geological Sciences 396C and 391 (Topic: CO2 Inject/Stor Geo Forms) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in Geological Sciences.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 396D Topics in Machine Learning Data Analytics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic.
Restrictions: Restricted to geological sciences majors.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Doctoral
Topic 1: Introduction to Machine Learning and Geosciences. Explore an overview of commonly used machine learning algorithms for Geosciences applications. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 1) and 398D (Topic 1) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming; or consent of instructor.
Topic 2: Applications of Data Analysis, Visualization, and Machine Learning. Examine computational approaches to take advantage of complex data. Explore addressing real-world geoscience challenges using the Python programming language and Jupyter computational notebooks. Discuss techniques in data analysis, modeling, and machine learning for subsurface characterization applicable to resource assessment and geomorphology and stratigraphy applicable to hazard assessment. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 2) and 398D (Topic 2) may not both be counted.
Topic 3: Data Analytics and Geostatistics. Explore data analytics and geostatistics for geosciences applications. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 3) and 398D (Topic 3) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming; or consent of instructor.
Topic 4: Subsurface Machine Learning. Explore problem formulation, feature engineering, and inferential and predictive machine learning algorithms for geosciences applications. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 4) and 398D (Topic 4) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming; or consent of instructor.
Topic 5: Machine Learning Research. Examine machine learning and its application to the geosciences. Study and discuss current literature and complete a capstone project applying machine learning to a research area of choice. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 5) and 398D (Topic 5) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Geosciences 396D (Topic 1) and 392P.
GEO 396D.1 Introduction to Machine Learning and Geosciences 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore an overview of commonly used machine learning algorithms for Geosciences applications. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 1) and 398D (Topic 1) may not both be counted.
Pre/Corequisites: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming; or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 396D.2 Applications of Data Analysis, Visualization, and Machine Learning 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine computational approaches to take advantage of complex data. Explore addressing real-world geoscience challenges using the Python programming language and Jupyter computational notebooks. Discuss techniques in data analysis, modeling, and machine learning for subsurface characterization applicable to resource assessment and geomorphology and stratigraphy applicable to hazard assessment. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 2) and 398D (Topic 2) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 396D.3 Data Analytics and Geostatistics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore data analytics and geostatistics for geosciences applications. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 3) and 398D (Topic 3) may not both be counted.
Pre/Corequisites: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming; or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 396D.4 Subsurface Machine Learning 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore problem formulation, feature engineering, and inferential and predictive machine learning algorithms for geosciences applications. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 4) and 398D (Topic 4) may not both be counted.
Pre/Corequisites: Knowledge of basic calculus, linear algebra and statistics, and python programming; or consent of instructor.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 396D.5 Machine Learning Research 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine machine learning and its application to the geosciences. Study and discuss current literature and complete a capstone project applying machine learning to a research area of choice. Geological Sciences 396D (Topic 5) and 398D (Topic 5) may not both be counted.
Pre/Corequisites: Geosciences 396D (Topic 1) and 392P.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 397F Marine Geology and Geophysics Field Course 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Hands-on, team-based instruction in the collection and processing of marine geological and geophysical data along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Three lecture or fieldwork hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 397L Transitions in the History of Life 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to major perturbations in the history of life; specifically, mass extinctions and carbon-cycle perturbations (e.g. ocean anoxic events, hyperthermals, and acidification events). Examine kill mechanisms (e.g. glaciations, impacts, large igneous provinces) and the subsequent environmental perturbations and ecological ramifications. Explore biotic crises in the past, with an eye to future ecosystem collapse, as well as the environmental and paleobiological responses to these events. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Transitions in the History of Life) and 397L may not both be counted. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 397M Morphodynamics and Quantitative Stratigraphy 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Covers development of numerical tools to quantitatively understand sediment transport and stratigraphic development in sedimentary basins. Focus on applications of the principles in fluid mechanics, sediment transport, and depositional mechanics to one-dimensional and quasi-two dimensional numerical modeling of sediment morphodynamics in various depositional settings such as river deltas, carbonate platforms, and submarine fans. Requires development of geometrical and morphodynamic models as research tools to understand gathered data. Geological Sciences 397M and 391 (Topic: Morphodynam/Quant Stratigraphy) may not both be counted. Three lecture hours per week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 397P Field Methods in Planetary Geology 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Field studies combined with remote sensing to support studies of remote imagery from planetary missions. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Field Methods Planetary Geology) and 397P may not both be counted. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester; three week field trip to the Southwestern United States also required.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 297Q Preparing Future Faculty 2 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the academic and research career track, including a number of different career paths. Participate in a workshop covering all application materials for these kinds of jobs. Geological Sciences 297Q and 291 (Topic: Preparing Future Faculty) may not both be counted. Two lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 698 Thesis 6 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for two semesters.
Pre/Corequisites: For 698A, graduate standing in geological sciences and consent of the graduate adviser; for 698B, Geological Sciences 698A.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398C Continuum Mechanics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Explore the foundation for the modeling of fluids and solids in geological and geophysical phenomena, such as mantle convection, glaciology, rock mechanics, and climate dynamics. Examine tensor analysis, the kinematics of motion, forces, and stresses. Discuss basic balance (conservation) laws for mass, momentum, and energy, and constitutive laws for fluids and solids. Develop governing equations to geodynamics, glaciology, seismology, and geophysical fluid dynamics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Grading: Letter Grade
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 398G Geodynamics of the Lithosphere and Mantle 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 1.5 Lab Hours
Explores continuum dynamics problems that can serve to form a physical understanding of the tectonic and convective processes that shape our planet. Geared toward graduate students from the Earth sciences and related fields in the natural sciences including physics, computer science, and engineering. The equivalent of two lecture hours and one-and-one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398L Topics in Lithosphere and Deep Earth 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Master's
Topic 1: Tectonic Geodynamics. Examine dynamic processes that govern plate tectonics and lithospheric deformation, combining tectonics, structural geology, and geodynamics from the ground up. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Tectonic Geodynamics) and 398L (Topic 1) may not both be counted.
GEO 398L.1 Tectonic Geodynamics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine dynamic processes that govern plate tectonics and lithospheric deformation, combining tectonics, structural geology, and geodynamics from the ground up. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Tectonic Geodynamics) and 398L (Topic 1) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398M Numerical Modeling in the Geosciences 3 Hours
2 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours
Covers numerical solution of dynamical problems arising in the solid earth geosiences. Entails development of individual codes in Matlab and application of codes to understanding heat transfer, wave propagation, elastic, and viscous deformations. Requires familiarity with Matlab. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing and knowledge of programming in Matlab, vector calculus, and ordinary differential equations.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398P Planetary Geology and Geophysics 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to planetary geology, with an emphasis on geophysical observations of terrestrial planets in our solar system. Discuss missions, instruments, techniques, and incorporation of mission data in projects. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: PLANETARY GEOLOGY/GEOPHYSICS) and 398P may not both be counted. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398R Master's Report 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing in geological sciences and consent of the graduate adviser.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398S Topics in Subsurface, Surface, and Life 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 298T, 398T Supervised Teaching in Geological Sciences 2-3 Hours
2,3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Open to graduate students engaged in laboratory instruction under close supervision of the course instructors. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Doctoral
GEO 398W Topics in Water, Climate, and Environment 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Pre/Corequisites: Graduate standing.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Master's
Topic 1: Vadose Zone Hydrology. Introduction to hydrologic processes occurring in the vadose zone (unsaturated zone), the subsurface region between the ground surface and groundwater. Focus on the physical processes that govern the movement of water in variably saturated porous media, and the exchange of mass and energy at Earth's surface. Explore theoretical and applied aspects, measurement techniques and computational tools, and environmental challenges of the vadose zone. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Vadose Zone Hydrology) and 398W (Topic 1) may not both be counted.
Topic 2: Paleoclimate. Introduction to paleoclimatology, the study of Earth's past climate. Examine a broad spectrum of geological archives of climate change including those from the oceans, the land, and the cryosphere. Geological Sciences 398W (Topic 2) and 391 (Topic: Paleoclimatology) may not both be counted.
Topic 3: Dynamics of Polar Systems. Examine the fundamental physics that govern dynamics of ice sheets, oceans, and sea ice from a theoretical viewpoint that is supported with as many observations as possible. Geological Sciences 398W (Topic 3) and 391 (Topic: Dynamics of Polar Systems) may not both be counted.
Topic 4: Statistical Data Analysis. Examine the statistical, scientific, and computational approaches used to test hypotheses concerning the physics governing observed changes in the Earth System. Explore concepts in linear algebra and statistics such as regression, least-squares inversion, singular spectral analysis, Bayesian inference, Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, and test statistics to survey the existence of a discernable influence of humanity on the observational record of climate. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Statistical Data Analysis) and 398W (Topic 4) may not both be counted.
GEO 398W.1 Vadose Zone Hydrology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to hydrologic processes occurring in the vadose zone (unsaturated zone), the subsurface region between the ground surface and groundwater. Focus on the physical processes that govern the movement of water in variably saturated porous media, and the exchange of mass and energy at Earth's surface. Explore theoretical and applied aspects, measurement techniques and computational tools, and environmental challenges of the vadose zone. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Vadose Zone Hydrology) and 398W (Topic 1) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398W.2 Paleoclimate 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Introduction to paleoclimatology, the study of Earth's past climate. Examine a broad spectrum of geological archives of climate change including those from the oceans, the land, and the cryosphere. Geological Sciences 398W (Topic 2) and 391 (Topic: Paleoclimatology) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398W.3 Dynamics of Polar Systems 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the fundamental physics that govern dynamics of ice sheets, oceans, and sea ice from a theoretical viewpoint that is supported with as many observations as possible. Geological Sciences 398W (Topic 3) and 391 (Topic: Dynamics of Polar Systems) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 398W.4 Statistical Data Analysis 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Examine the statistical, scientific, and computational approaches used to test hypotheses concerning the physics governing observed changes in the Earth System. Explore concepts in linear algebra and statistics such as regression, least-squares inversion, singular spectral analysis, Bayesian inference, Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, and test statistics to survey the existence of a discernable influence of humanity on the observational record of climate. Geological Sciences 391 (Topic: Statistical Data Analysis) and 398W (Topic 4) may not both be counted.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: No
Academic Level: Master's
GEO 399W, 699W, 999W Dissertation 3,6,9 Hours
0 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
Pre/Corequisites: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
Grading: Credit No Credit
Repeatable for credit: Yes (Unlimited)
Academic Level: Doctoral