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.