|
|
Course Criteria
Add courses to your favorites to save, share, and find your best transfer school.
-
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the fundamental principles and processes of geology using America's national parks as examples. Topics include geologic time (e.g., relative and absolute age dating techniques), earth materials (e.g., air, water, rocks, minerals), plate tectonics, and the processes that form landscapes (e.g., mountain building, volcanism, deposition, erosion). Examples of national parks that are used include Hawaii Volcanoes, Yosemite, Glacier, Yellowstone, Mammoth Cave, and Great Smokey Mountains. Lecture discussions will be augmented with labs and field trips to local parks of geologic interest. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
A study of plate tectonics with emphasis on ancient and modern geological processes associated with mountain building. The course builds knowledge through field and classroom studies of Appalachian geology, and by comparison of the Appalachians with active mountain belts in South America, Indonesia, and Asia. The course also develops a geologic understanding of the seismic and volcanic hazards associated with mountain building. The overall aim of the course is to illustrate the historical, predictive, and practical aspects of geologic principles and reasoning in scientific and societal contexts. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
An overview of our present understanding of atmospheric processes and their interaction with the land, oceans and biosphere leading to an in-depth study of ancient climates and climate change in earth history. Topics include the tools used to decipher ancient climate change on various time scales, major climate events such as the ice ages, and the causes of climate change. Past and present knowledge will be used to explore the potential for future climate change and its socioeconomic and political implications. The laboratory component will use climate data and field experiences to interpret climate change over the past 3 billion years in the context of earth materials and plate tectonics. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the fundamental principles and processes of geology using a variety of natural examples that are commonly referred to as "disastrous" when they affect areas inhabited by people, including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, mass movements (avalanches, debris flows), meteoroid impacts, and other weather-related phenomena (e.g. hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, long-term climate change). The course will give an overview of the physical controls on the processes as well as methods used to predict the events, assess possible hazards, and mitigate negative consequences. Lecture discussions will be augmented with labs and field trips (e.g., Johnstown, PA; Centralia, PA). This course will fulfill either the lab science or QR distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
Examines our dynamic, ever-changing planet past and present through the theory of plate tectonics, and the physical processes that transform the earth's surface including weathering and erosion, flooding, and landslides. Groundwater, volcanoes, and earthquakes are discussed. The nature of geologic materials and structure of the earth are also examined using continental wanderings, mountain building, ocean basin evolution, and climate changes as context. The geology of the local area is examined through numerous field trips. Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
Description, origin, development, and classification of landforms. Relationships of soils, surficial materials, and landforms to rocks, structures, climate, processes, and time. Topics will include interpretation of maps and aerial photographs of landscapes produced in tectonic, volcanic, fluvial, glacial, periglacial, coastal, karst, and eolian environments. Exercises will include: photo-geologic interpretation, surficial mapping, and classification of soils. Lectures, discussions, laboratories, and field trip(s). Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Offered every other year. Prerequisite: any two 100-level Geology courses, or permission of the instructor. This course fulfills the Div. III lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
The study of the origin, geologic occurrence, and distribution of petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium. Discussions include the evaluation and exploitation, economics, law, and the environmental impact of these resources and their alternatives, including geothermal, wind, solar, tidal, and ocean thermal power. Prerequisites: any 100-level Geology course, ENST 131 or ENST 132. Offered every other year.
-
3.00 Credits
A study of minerals with emphasis on their crystal structure, chemical composition, geologic occurrence, and physical and optical properties. The course focuses on observing and understanding minerals at the macroscopic, microscopic, and sub-microscopic levels. Emphasis is on inquiry and active learning in a laboratory setting. Prerequisite: any 100-level Geology course, or permission of the instructor. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
A study of the solid-earth with emphasis on the processes that have shaped the large-scale evolution of the earth from its origin to the present. Lecture topics include meteorites and formation of the terrestrial planets, origin of the moon, the deep earth, chemical equilibria in magmatic systems, geochemical cycling in the solid earth, and isotope dating. The important magmatic and metamorphic systems of the earth are presented in a plate tectonic context. Prerequisite: 205, or concurrent enrollment. NOTE: Completion of both 206 and 209 fulfills the WR requirement. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
-
3.00 Credits
A systematic study of the invertebrate and vertebrate fossil groups, plants, and their evolution and relationships to living forms. Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisite: any 100-level Geology course or any Biology course numbered between 120 and 129. This course fulfills the lab-science distribution requirement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|