Two- or four-credit advanced courses on specialized topics in Geology. May be taken more than once with department approval as topics vary.
Biogeochemistry of Marine Systems, Past and Present
This course explores the interactions between the physical, biological, geological, and chemical processes that characterize marine ecosystems and ultimately shape the functioning of our planet. Using a combination of modern analogues and examples from the geologic past, we will study a range of topics from nutrient distribution, ocean acidification, redox reactions to climate change and global biogeochemical cycling. This interdisciplinary course will introduce concepts from chemical oceanography, marine geology and biogeochemistry, borrowing fundamental concepts of each to examine ancient and modern biotic events. Through this course, students will develop a greater understanding of Earth systems and how they have changed through time. Introductory geology, chemistry and/or biology is recommended.
Science of Soils
The physical, chemical, and biological processes within soil systems are assessed. Emphasis is on factors governing the physical properties, nutrient availability, and plant growth and production within soils. How to classify soils and to assess nutrient cycling and contaminant fate will be covered. Recommended: introductory geology, chemistry and/or biology.
Paleontology: The Record of Life, Landscapes, and Changing Climate
This course will use the fossil record as a tool to explore the geologic controls on the evolution and extinction of life on earth. From Snowball Earth to the Great American Biotic Interchange, plate tectonics and climate change drive the distribution of life through time. We will examine paleontological and modern ecosystems through classes, labs, and field trips. Students should have completed GEO105 and at least one 200-level course in biology or geology.
Geochemistry
This course will explore the geochemical principles controlling fundamental geologic systems, from the "weathering engine," to the igneous-metamorphic-hydrothermal systems that form and shape planets. This overview of Geochemistry will focus on thermodynamics and kinetics, which allow us to assess these systems with regards to temperature, pressure, and time. Quantitative evaluation of earth processes through geochemical modeling will be conducted using the programs SUPCRT, Visual Minteq, and Geochemist's Workbench (industry standards). Laboratories, workshops, and fieldtrip(s) will reinforce and expand on many of the topics covered in class.