GRADUATE PROGRAM IN GEOLOGY

GLY 501. Research Methods in Geology (2) Scientific proposal preparation, experimental design,
scientific ethics, library use, safety, project management, data analysis, quality assurance and
computer applications. One lecture and two laboratory hours per week.

GLY 502. Technical Communication in Geology (2) Scientific manuscript preparation and communication techniques: writing techniques, manuscript format, abstracts, oral and poster presentations. One lecture and two laboratory hours per week.

GLY 503. Advanced Field Methods (4) A survey of geotechnical field techniques applicable to
structural geology, geophysics, hydrology, map interpretation, rock, soil and sediment description,
engineering and economic geology. Two lecture and four laboratory hours per week. Required field trips.

GLY 510. Sedimentary Environments (3) Prerequisite: Petrology, stratigraphy, field camp. Survey
of ancient sedimentary environments with an evaluation of the criteria used in their recognition
in the rock record. Specific ancient sedimentary sequences are examined and compared to their
modern counterparts. Field trips.

GLY 511. Clastic Petrology (3) Prerequisite: Optical mineralogy. Classification and description of
sandstones and mudrocks and evaluation of their diagenesis. Application of principles to
economic deposits. Laboratory exercises concentrate on microscopic and X–ray techniques of
analysis. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field trips.

GLY 512. Carbonate Petrology (3) Prerequisite: Optical mineralogy or permission of instructor. An
examination of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic carbonate rocks with emphasis on observation,
description and interpretation. Plus an in depth look into how carbonate petrology is applied
in the exploration and exploitation of natural resources including hydrocarbons, base metals,
precious metals and industrial minerals. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week.

GLY 513. Advanced Igneous Petrology (3) Prerequisites: Optical mineralogy, petrology, structural
geology, or permission of instructor. Principles and methodology underlying the physical and
chemical processes affecting the genesis of igneous rocks in various tectonic settings. Topics
include the application of thermodynamics, chemographic relationships, and phase equilibrium
to the differentiation of magmas and the crystallization of igneous minerals, and geothermobarometric
and geochronologic investigation of igneous rocks. Two lecture hours and three laboratory
hours per week. Field Trip(s).

GLY 514. Advanced Metamorphic Petrology (3) Prerequisites: Optical mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, or permission of instructor. Principles and methodology underlying the study of
metamorphism and metamorphic facies in varying rock compositions, and petrotectonic
settings. Topics include metamorphic phase equilibria and diagrams, geothermobarometry and
P-T—time paths, metamorphic mineral crystallization and recrystallization, and textural relationships
in metamorphic rocks having variable protoliths and histories. Two lecture and three
laboratory hours per week. Field Trip(s).

GLY 515. Methods of Sedimentology (3) Prerequisite: Petrology. A survey of the parameters of
sedimentation. Emphasis on the processes involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks,
including their origin, transport, deposition and lithification of rock–forming minerals. Techniques
of physical and chemical analyses of sediments are stressed. One lecture and six laboratory
hours per week. Field trips.

GLY 520. Global Climate Change (3) Preqrequisites: General chemistry, college physics, and
calculus with analytic geometry. Analysis of natural and anthropogenic global climate change.
Historical and geological records of climate including sediment, tree ring, and ice core analysis.
Physics and chemistry of climate including Earth’s energy balance, global carbon cycle,
climate modeling, atmospheric composition and dynamics.

GLY 525. Engineering Geology (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Properties, uses, and engineering significance of solid earth materials and water. Principles of stress and strain and
related material responses. Methods, techniques, and instrumentation of engineering geologic
investigations. Three lecture hours per week.

GLY 526. Geohydrology (4) Prerequisites: Two semesters of college calculus and petrology, or
permission of instructor. Geology of ground waters and related aspects of surface waters. Methods
of groundwater resource evaluation, protection, exploitation, and contaminant remediation.
Three lecture and tthree laboratory hours per week.

GLY 531. Micropaleontology (3) Prerequisite: Invertebrate paleontology or consent of instructor.
Paleobiology and geological history of microorganisms, emphasizing the classification and
systematics of major microfossil groups. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field
trips.

GLY 533. Paleoecology (3) Prerequisite: Invertebrate paleontology or consent of instructor. Principles
of ecological faunal analysis as primarily applied to the marine fossil record. Emphasizes
the integration of form and function, taphonomy, and community development through time,
and sedimentology/stratigraphy as a synthetic approach to paleoenvironmental, paleobiological
and evolutionary analyses. Applications to biostratigraphy are considered. Field trips.

GLY 535. Stratigraphic Paleontology (3) Prerequisite: Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, or
consent of instructor. Analysis of the historical, geological and biological basis of biostratigraphy
emphasizing the application of biostratigraphic principles and techniques in the development
of high-resolution relative time scales. Three lecture hours per week. Field trips.

GLY 540. Regional Geology of North America (3) Prerequisites: Structural geology, stratigraphy.
Survey of the rocks, structures, natural resources, and tectonic histories of different regions of
North America, such as the Precambrian shield, Appalachians, and Cordillera. Syntheses of
theories of orogenesis. Three lecture hours per week.

GLY 541. Advanced Structural Geology (3) Prerequisite: Structural geology. Origin and analysis of
earth structures. Solution of advanced structural problems involving stress, strain, rheology,
folding, and fracturing of rocks. Rock mechanics, finite strain, and fabric analysis of deformed
rocks. Review of techniques. Directed field or lab problems and examples from literature. Two
lecture and two laboratory hours per week.

GLY 543. Tectonics (3) Prerequisites: Structural geology, stratigraphy, petrology. Examination of
current ideas and their development as global tectonic theories. Plate tectonic controls on
orogeny, orogenic belts, magmatism, sedimentation, and metallogeny of major geologic regions
of North America and other areas of the world. Three lecture hours per week.

GLY 550. Marine Geology (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Topography, sediments, structure
and geologic history of the marine and estuarine environment. Three lecture hours per week. Field trip(s).

GLY 551. Seafloor Mapping (3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. A survey of different methods
used to map the seafloor including satellite altimetry, multibeam and sidescan sonar
swathmapping. Operation of instruments, survey strategies and techniques to process and interpret
data will be explored. Shipboard fieldtrip. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week.

GLY 552. Coastal Sedimentary Environments (4) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Sedimentary
processes and environments of the world’s coastal systems. Emphasis on river deltas, estuaries,
bays, salt marshes, barrier islands and associated inlets. Ice–bound as well as rocky coastlines
also are examined. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field trip.

GLY 555. Coastal Sediment Dynamics (3) Prerequisites: One year of calculus or physics or consent
of the instructor. Theory and application of models used to quantify sediment movement and
deposition in the coastal environment. Three lecture hours per week. Field trips.

GLY 558. Introduction to Coastal Management (4) Interdisciplinary study of human impacts on
coastal environments and organisms. Topics include the physical and biotic setting of worldwide
coastal regions, principles of coastal management, and analysis of potential solutions to
coastal problems. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

GLY 560. Integrative Stratigraphy (3) Prerequisites: Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, petrology.Stratigraphic analysis of the geologic history of North America and parts of other continents.
Emphasis on interpreting lithologic assemblages and stratigraphic relations in terms of
modern tectonic–depositional models. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week.

GLY 561. Coastal Plains Geology (3) Prerequisites: Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, petrology.
Origin and development of Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains with emphasis on stratigraphy,
structure, geomorphology and tectonic history. Field trips. Three lecture hours per week.

GLY 565. (465) Introduction to Geophysics (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Integrated application of geophysical methods to solve environmental and geologic problems. Includes discussion
of reflection/refraction seismology, ground penetrating radar and gravity. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

GLY 572. Introduction to Geochemistry (3) Prerequisites: Two semesters of college calculus;
mineralogy or inorganic chemistry; or permission of instructor. Investigation of the abundance
and distribution of chemical elements in the Earth’s crust, mantle, atmosphere, hydrosphere,
and biosphere. Introduction to thermodynamics, phase and mineral equilibrium, stable and
radiogenic isotopes, and geochronology. Emphasizes the application of geochemical processes
to solving geologic and environment problems, with selected examples from field and laboratory
studies.

GLY 573. Isotope Geochemistry (3) Prerequisite: Two semester of college calculus and two
semesters of college chemistry. Introduction to the use of radio and stable isotopes for study-ing environmental processes; radio decay and the applications of radioisotopes at daily to earthhistory timescales; isotopic fractionation, and applications of stable isotopes in modern and paleo-environments.

GLY 591. Directed Independent Study (1–3)

GLY 592. Topics in Geology (1–4) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Advanced special topics in
geology through lectures, seminars, and laboratory or field experience.

GLY 595. Seminar (1) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Research and discussion of selected
topics in earth sciences. Oral presentation at a departmental seminar and attendance at
selected university seminars required.

GLY 597. Final Project in Geology (3) Permission of Instructor. Focused study of a research topic
in the practical application of geology. Topics are selected by the student with appropriate
faculty and graduate coordinator approval. Students work with a faculty committee. Written
analysis and oral presentation of the project is required.

GLY 598. Internship (3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Participation in field experience
with an organization involved in the practice of geology. Students work with a licensed professional
geologist focusing on the linkage between course work and practical application.
Students complete a final report based on their activities. Final presentation required.

GLY 599. Thesis (1–6)

Course Descriptions for Geography

GGY 522. (422) Remote Sensing in Environmental Analysis (3) Prerequisite: GGY 130 or 205, or
GLY 101, or consent of instructor. Use and interpretation of aerial photography and other
remote sensing techniques in environmental analysis. The course emphasizes problem identification,
digital image analysis, and interpretation of images through laboratory exercises. Three lecture and two laboratory hours each week.

GGY 524. (424) Geographic Information Systems (3) Prerequisite: GGY 328 or consent of instructor.
Advanced theory and application of the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS),
spatial data collection, data structures, data management and relational databases, spatial
analysis, and display of geographic information in a computer-based environment. Lectures,
demonstrations, and lab exercises. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

GGY 526. Environmental Geographic Information Systems (3) Prerequisites: GGY 328 or consent
of instructor. Overview of environmental applications of GIS and completion of a GIS project;
planning a GIS project; development and analysis of the data, and oral and written presentation
of the results. Research topics may include atmospheric studies, oceanographic, hydrology,
ecology, biology, resource management, and hazard risk assessments. Two lecture and three
lab hours each week.

GGY 552. Historical/Cultural Geography (3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Study of the
evolution of natural environments and cultural landscapes; spatial diffusion; settlement
patterns; and the material culture including vernacular architecture. Focus will be on North
America, with consideration of European antecedents. A seminar type course in which students
are responsible for an intensive research project.

GGY 578. (478) Historic Preservation Planning (3) An applied research course which deals with
the procedures employed by federal, state and local agencies in locating, recording, restoring
and preserving American architectural resources and material cultural heritage. Subjects examined
include survey, documentation, and planning; historic districts; adaptive use; funding;
legislation; and organizational roles.

GGY 591. Directed Independent Study (1-3)

GGY 592. Special Topics in Geography (1-4) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Advanced special
topics in geography through lecture, seminar, and laboratory or field experience. More than one
topic may be taken for credit.