2010-2011 University Catalog archived
Geology (GEOL)
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Robinson Foundation
Professor Harbor
Associate Professors Connors, Greer, Knapp
Assistant Professor Rahl
Students interested in environmental science, geophysics, or engineering geology should consult with a geology faculty member to ensure that the proper courses are selected for advanced study or the pursuit of a particular career path.
Students interested in a career in secondary science education should consult with faculty in geology and the teacher education program as early as possible.
Honors: An Honors Program in geology is offered for qualified students; see department head for details.
Major
GEOL 100 - General Geology with Field Emphasis
FDR: SL
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Fall
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.Same as GEOL 101 with special emphasis on field study in the region near Lexington. Offered on occasion as a First-Year Seminar. Contact the instructor for additional information. No credit for students who have completed GEOL 101. Laboratory course.Staff.
GEOL 101 - General Geology
FDR: SL
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Winter
The study of our physical environment and the processes shaping it. The materials and structure of the Earth’s crust, the origin of the landforms, the concept of geologic time, and the nature of the Earth’s interior are considered. No credit for students who have completed GEOL 100. Laboratory course.Connors.
GEOL 104 - Planetary Geology
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter 2011 and alternate years
Large-scale geological features of the Earth are examined and compared with surface features visible on images of other planets and planetary satellites of the solar system. Features examined include those resulting from volcanism, impact cratering, and structure; eolian, fluvial, glacial and periglacial processes; and mass movement. The composition of terrestrial and lunar rocks and extraterrestrial objects is examined. Models of the origin and evolution of planets and their satellites are discussed.Connors.
GEOL 105 - Earth Lab
FDR: SL
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring
Prerequisite: First-year or sophomore standing and three credits in geology.The emphasis and location of the study area differs from year to year. Most course activity involves outside field work with a series of multi-day to multi-week field trips. The primary goal of this course is an in-depth introduction to a particular region or field of geological study for introductory level science students. Information about the course is made available prior to the end of the fall term.
Topics in Spring 2011:
GEOL 105A: Earth Lab: Resources and Consequences (4). Prerequisite: First-year or sophomore standing and three credits in geology. Since the Paleolithic Age, humans have used geologic materials on a daily basis in order to sustain both our lifestyles and our lives. The extraction, refinement, trade, and consumption of these resource materials creates a variety of negative externalities that must be considered when making informed, responsible decisions as consumers and citizens. This course introduces students to geologic resources through the field investigation of issues related to coal, shale gas, hydroelectric facilities, aggregate mining, sulfide deposits, and pegmatite deposits. Students discuss issues related to our use of other conventional hydrocarbons (oil, gas), other unconventional hydrocarbons (tar sands, oil shale), mineral resources from ophiolites and large igneous complexes, and mining and international trade of diamonds. Some of the specific topics investigated include mountain-top removal and valley fill coal mining in Appalachia, the recent BP oil spill, and shale-gas extraction from the Marcellus formation. A large portion of the course involves an original research project of water quality comparing undisturbed areas and areas of intensive, recent, and historical mining activity wherein students collect water samples, analyze them, interpret the results, and communicate those results to a general (lay) audience. (SL) Low.
GEOL 105B: Earth Lab: Volcanology (4). First-year or sophomore standing and three credits in geology. This course serves as an introduction to the formation and development of volcanoes, the processes that take place at active volcanoes, and methods and instrumentation used to study volcanism. In addition, we study volcanic hazards as related to eruptive style, and the complex challenges of scientists involved in the response to a volcanic crisis or eruption. Includes a five-day field trip to investigate volcanic structures in the San Francisco Mountains of Arizona. (SL) Meyer.
GEOL 141 - Global Climate Change
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter 2011 and alternate years
A study of Earth’s complex climate system and the impact of human activities on future climates. Through readings, discussions, data analyses and modeling exercises, the past and future changes in temperature, ocean circulation, rainfall, storminess, biogeochemistry, glacial ice extent and sea level are explored.Greer.
GEOL 144 - History of Geology
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Fall 2010
A history of geology, from the 17th century to today. Topics include: nature of geologic time (cyclical versus linear) and duration of geologic events (uniformitarianism versus catastrophism), development of the geologic time scale, debates about the age of the Earth, continental drift and its rejection by the scientific community, and the formulation and acceptance of plate tectonics. Developments in geology are discussed in the context of various philosophies of science, including ideas promoted by Bacon, Gilbert, Chamberlin, Popper, Kuhn, and others.Rahl.
GEOL 150 - Water Resources
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Fall 2011
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101.A seminar examining the quality and quantity of water resources as a limiting factor for future generations. Issues include resource depletion, pollution, historical use and abuse, remediation, and habitat maintenance. Resource constraints are analyzed from a scientific perspective in order to understand or predict water resource problems and solutions.Harbor.
GEOL 155 - Oceanography
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter 2012 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101; BIOL 111; CHEM 111; or PHYS 111.Introduction to physical oceanography and marine geology; tides, waves, currents, and the interaction of oceans and atmosphere; submarine landscapes; and sedimentary, volcanic, and tectonic activity in the ocean basins.Staff.
GEOL 195 - Selected Topics
Credits: 1
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Selected topical coverage of various timely or general interest subject areas in geology. The topic selected varies from year to year and is announced in advance of the registration period. Topics have included impact and extinction of the dinosaurs; volcanoes and tectonics; geologic consideration in land-use planning; and the geology of national parks. May be repeated for a maximum of four credits with permission and if the topic is different.
GEOL 197 - Selected Topics
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Selected topical coverage of various timely or general interest subject areas in geology. The topic selected varies from year to year and is announced in advance of the registration period. Topics have included impact and extinction of the dinosaurs; volcanoes and tectonics; geologic consideration in land-use planning; and the geology of national parks. May be repeated for a maximum of four credits with permission and if the topic is different.
Topic for Winter 2011:
GEOL 197: Natural Disasters (3). Intended for non-geology majors. A survey of the natural Earth processes posing hazards to humans, and options for reducing risks from these hazards. The course emphasizes volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding (e.g., the Lexington 1985 Election Day Flood), landslides, bolide impacts (e.g., asteroid), and tsunami waves. Meyer.
GEOL 205 - History and Evolution of the Earth
FDR: SC
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Fall 2011 and alternate years
An introductory examination of the origin and physical evolution of the Earth as inferred from the rock record. Areas of particular emphasis include: (1) the origin of the solar system and differentiation of the planets; (2) the evolution of the terrestrial atmosphere and hydrosphere; (3) explanations for the development of life; (4) organic evolution and interpretations of “mass extinctions;” (5) the changing configuration of continental blocks and ocean basins by continental drift, seafloor spreading, and plate tectonics; and (6) the growth of continental blocks and their mountain systems.Greer.
GEOL 209 - Laboratory Study of the Fossil Record
Credits: 1
Planned Offering: Not offered in 2010-2011
Examination of the fossilized remains of representative species of major groups of organisms. Emphasis is given to those organisms which, due to uneven distribution in the record, are particularly useful in interpreting the age and setting of ancient rocks.Greer.
GEOL 211 - Earth Materials I: Rocks and Minerals
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Winter 2012 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101.A laboratory course introducing Earth materials, including minerals and rocks, with an emphasis on a hands-on approach to identifying and interpreting minerals and their associations in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Students learn the techniques and principles of hand sample identification, optical mineralogy and petrography, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.Rahl.
GEOL 230 - Field Methods in the Appalachians
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring 2011 and alternate years
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and GEOL 100, 101 or 105.An introduction to the study of geology in the field with special attention to the methods used by geologists to make, record, and interpret field observations. The course includes study of and field trips in the central Appalachian region.Staff.
GEOL 231 - Environmental Field Methods
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring 2010 and alternate years
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and either GEOL 100, 101 or 105. An introduction to the study of standard methods, equipment and tools used in environmental field investigations. Special attention is given to methods used by geologists to measure, record, and report field observations associated with groundwater, surface water, soil and air. Focus is given to the validity of data obtained using various investigative strategies as well as data handling and presentation. The course has an intensive field component using the local watershed as a model environmental system.Knapp, Harbor.
GEOL 240 - Hydrology
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Winter 2011 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101.Systems and processes of water movement on and below the Earth’s surface. Encompasses the theoretical and applied aspects of soil moisture, runoff, flooding, groundwater movement, and water-well use. Numerical evaluation of flow properties from field and lab data describing water movement in soils, aquifers, and streams. Laboratory course.Staff.
GEOL 247 - Geomorphology
FDR: SC
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Fall 2010 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101.Investigation of landforms from maps, aerial photographs, digital data, and the analysis of the surficial processes by which they are formed. Laboratory activities include identification and interpretation of topography, field measurements of landscape form and process, and a required weekend field trip. Laboratory course.Harbor.
GEOL 250 - Structural Geology and Tectonics
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Fall 2011 and alternate years
Prerequisite: MATH 101.Description and methods of analysis of large- and small-scale structural features of the Earth’s crust. Topics also include the analysis of geometry, strain and stress as they relate to deformation in the earth. Rock mechanics, application of structural geology in environmental engineering and resource exploration, geometric and computational techniques used in structural analysis, interpretation of geologic maps, and the structural development of mountain systems are also covered. Laboratory course.Connors.
GEOL 260 - GIS and Remote Sensing
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Winter 2011 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101; or permission of the instructor.A laboratory course introducing the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing in geological/environmental analyses and decision making. Students use state-of-the-art software with a wide variety of spatial geologic, environmental, economic and topographic data derived from satellites; remote databases and published maps to evaluate geologic conditions; local landscape processes; environmental conditions; and hypothetical land-use cases.Harbor.
GEOL 275 - Introductory Geophysics
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Fall 2010 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101 or PHYS 111 or 112.A review of the geophysical methods used to study the interior of the Earth, the magnetic field, isostasy, and earthquake seismology. Attention is given to the methods used in geophysics to collect and analyze data. A gravimeter, a magnetometer, seismic refraction and electrical resistivity equipment are used to collect field data. The data, corrections, and interpretations are incorporated into a technical report for each of the four surveys.Connors.
GEOL 311 - Earth Materials II: Geochemistry
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Fall 2011 and alternate years
A laboratory course emphasizing the principles and tools of the chemical composition of Earth materials to interpret petrogenesis. The course focuses on processes occurring below and at the Earth’s surface. Topics include: crystal chemistry, magmatic and metamorphic processes, trace element and isotope geochemistry, oxidation and reduction, and water-rock interactions. The laboratory includes both a local field and laboratory component and focuses on using analytical techniques to evaluate chemical composition including electron microscopy, ion chromatography, X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.Knapp.
GEOL 330 - Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Fall 2010 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101.Properties, origins, and dynamics of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Correlation, organization, and historical interpretation of the sedimentary rock record. Field and laboratory analyses of sedimentary rocks. Laboratory course.Greer.
GEOL 335 - Petroleum Geology and Geophysics
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter 2012 and alternate years
Prerequisites: GEOL 100 or 101 and permission of instructor.A survey of the theory and practice of petroleum geology and geophysics. Topics covered include the nature and origin of petroleum, a study of where oil and gas accumulate from the perspective of basin analysis, and the basic principles of reflection seismology and petrophysics. The key petroleum system elements of charge, seal, reservoir and structure are studied within the context of how a geologist or geophysicist goes about exploring for and developing petroleum accumulations. Emphasis is placed on the Geology use of industry software and data to analyze geologic features, deposits, and basins that are relevant to petroleum exploration and production.Connors.
GEOL 360 - Tectonics and Thermochronology
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter 2011 and alternate years
Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or 101.An introduction to mountain belts and thermochronologic techniques used to quantify tectonic processes. Topics include: orogenic wedges, metamorphic core complexes, rifting, strike-slip systems, orogenic plateaus, the relationship between tectonics and climate, and the use of bedrock and detrital thermochronology to measure rates of faulting, erosion, and exhumation. Concepts are discussed in the context of natural examples, including the Appalachians, the European Alps, the Himalaya, the Andes, and the Basin and Range Province of the southwestern United States.Rahl.
GEOL 373 - Regional Geology
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and two geology courses numbered 200 or above.The emphasis and location of the study area differs from year to year. Most course activity involves outside fieldwork with a series of multi-day to multi-week field trips. Information about the course is available prior to the end of the fall term. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different but only four credits may be used toward major requirements.
Topic for Spring 2011:
GEOL GEOL 373: Regional Geology of the Argentine Andes (4). Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and two geology courses numbered 200 or above. The Andes of northwest Argentina present incredible geologic conditions and features that demonstrate the processes of mountain building and landscape evolution. In this course, students explore the temporal and spatial development of a major fold-and-thrust mountain belt through readings and the analysis of satellite images, maps, and outcrops containing varied geologic structures and depositional environments. Students also discover the glacial, hillslope, and river processes competing with active uplift to produce the 4 km. of relief along an environmental gradient ranging from humid to arid. Course includes approximately three weeks in northwest Argentina. Harbor
GEOL 395 - Seminar
Credits: 1
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.The title, term of meeting, and credits for seminars will be announced to all geology majors. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.
Topic for Winter 2011:
GEOL 395: Selected Readings in Andean Geology (1). This course acquaints students with the breadth of Andean geology, with a particular focus on the geology and geologic history of Northwestern Argentina. Specific topics include: the tectonic architecture of the mountain belt, the nature and history of volcanism, the record of deformation, the role of fluvial incision, and the character of foreland basin sedimentation. Weekly discussions center on scholarly articles and books. US and Argentine researchers give presentations. Individual students develop primers in separate topics to aid the digestion of scholarly articles and field examples. Harbor and Rahl.Staff.
GEOL 397 - Seminar
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.The title, term of meeting, and credits for seminars will be announced to all geology majors. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.Staff.
GEOL 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor and meeting the special needs of advanced students. This course may be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.Staff.
GEOL 402 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 2
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor and meeting the special needs of advanced students. This course may be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.Staff.
GEOL 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.Advanced work and reading in topics selected by the instructor and meeting the special needs of advanced students. This course may be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.Staff.
GEOL 472 - Senior Research Thesis
Credits: 2-2
Planned Offering: Fall-Winter
Candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree in geology are urged to undertake research on a field or laboratory problem which can lead to the presentation of a senior thesis. Work on this project should be started in the spring term of the junior year. Interested students should consult members of the faculty who will help define the problem and provide guidance during research.
GEOL 493 - Honors Thesis
Credits: 3-3
Planned Offering: Fall-Winter
Prerequisite: Honors candidacy.Honors Thesis.
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