Historical geology is involved directly or indirectly in most aspects of geological studies. There are direct links with astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. GEOL 201 involves discussion of the basic aspects of the discipline, the techniques and evidence used in reconstructing the evolution of Earth, and current research in mass extinctions and global change.
- Coordinator: kenm
Geology 319: Structural Geology: The Architecture of Earth’s Continental Crust is designed to familiarize you with the structure and evolution of Earth’s continental crust. This knowledge is useful for a variety of purposes, from petroleum and mineral exploration, to finding groundwater, to controlling pollution, to deciding where to build homes.
- Coordinator: kenm
GEOL 501 acquaints you with methods used to extract information on Quaternary environmental change from geological proxy records. The Quaternary Period refers to the last ca. 2.5 million years of Earth history. It is a geological period characterized by fluctuations in global climate between ice ages and warmer periods. GEOL 501 examines external and internal forces (relative to the Earth) that act as causative agents for climate variations as well as Earth's response patterns to the climate changes. In particular, you will be introduced to the role played by surface processes (and materials) as archives of environmental change. Accordingly, you will become familiar with techniques employed in reconstructing environmental changes through the use of these proxy data. The use of dating techniques to establish temporal scales for the geological processes will also be highlighted.
- Coordinator: kenm