Undergraduate Courses in Geosciences
Numbers in parentheses, e.g., (3:3:0), correspond to hours of semeseter credit eaerned, hours of lecture, and hours of laboratory per week.
1101. [GEOL 1103, 1403] Physical Geology Laboratory (1:0:2). Laboratory study of rocks, minerals, and geologic mapping. Fulfills Core Natural Science requirement.
1102. [GEOL 1104, 1404] Historical Geology Laboratory (1:0:2). Prerequisite: GEOL 1101. Laboratory study of fossils, geologic maps, and geologic structure.
1105. History of Life Laboratory (1:0:2). Introduction to and applications of methods employed by paleontologists to interpret the fossil record. Not for credit for majors. Fulfills Core Natural Science requirement.
1303. [GEOL 1303, 1403] Physical Geology (3:3:0). Beginning course. A study of earth materials (rocks and minerals), gradation (erosion and deposition), diastrophism (earth movements and mountain building), vulcanism and earth resources. Fulfills Core Natural Science requirement.
1304. [GEOL 1304, 1404] Historical Geology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOL 1303. A study of the history and evolution of the earth and life from the beginning of time to the present.
1350. History of Life (3:3:0). A survey of the evolution of life on earth as interpreted from the fossil record and the processes that produced extinct and modern ecosystems. Not for credit for majors. Fulfills Core Natural Science requirement.
2000 Level Courses
2303. [GEOL 2309, 2409] Earth Materials (3:2:4). Prerequisite: GEOL 1303, 1101; CHEM 1307, 1107. Classification and origin of minerals and rocks. Relationships of rock and mineral stability to pressure, temperature, and tectonic processes.
3000 Level Courses
3102. Field Methods in Structural Geology (1:0:3). Corequisite: GEOL 3302. Topics include field structural analysis and an introduction to geologic mapping.
3301. Geomorphology and Aerial Photointerpretation (3:2:3). Prerequisite: GEOL 1303, 1101, or consent of instructor. Introductory course in processes that produce morphogenic changes at earth’s surface. Evolutionary development of hill slopes and drainage channels. Illustrated by aerial photos.
3302. Structural Geology (3:2:3). Prerequisite: GEOL 2303. Topics include rock mechanics, folds, joints, faults, structural petrology, and crystalline-rock structures. Laboratory work concerns structural aspects of surface and subsurface mapping and interpretation, including the use of stereonets. Required field trip. (Writing Intensive)
3310. Quantitative Methods in Geology (3:3:0). This class will emphasize error propagation in geologically sampled data, and computer methods to process and model these data.
3322. Oceanography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOL 1303 or GEOG 1401 or ATMO 1300. The physiography and origin of ocean basins and the processes and systems operative in them including physical, chemical, and biological factors as well as sedimentation patterns.
3323. Environmental Geology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOL 1303 or GEOG 1401. Study of geological processes that affect human activities, emphasizing natural hazards, water resources, waste disposal, energy, mineral resources, and land use and planning. Fulfills Core Technology and Applied Science requirement.
3428. GIS in Natural Science and Engineering (4:3:3). Prerequisite: MATH 1320 or equivalent. Survey of the broad band spectrum of geoinformation science and technology applied to research in natural science and engineering. Involves computer lab exercises. Fulfills Core Technology and Applied Science requirement.
3450. Paleontology and Paleoecology (4:3:3). Classification, evolution, and paleobiology of invertebrate fossils. Applications of paleontological data in geological dating, correlation, and paleoenvironmental analyses.
4000 Level Courses
4001. Problems in Geosciences (V1-6). Independent study under guidance of faculty member.
4101. Undergraduate Seminar (1:1:0). May be repeated for credit.
4300. Independent Studies in Geology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Independent studies in geology. May be repeated for credit.
4312. Undergraduate Research (3). Prerequisite: Senior standing. Independent research in an area of current interest in the geosciences. Prior approval from specific professor required.
4318. Geology of Texas (3:3:0). A comprehensive study of the structure, stratigraphy, and economic geology of Texas and parts of adjacent states.
4320. Optical Mineralogy (3:2:3). Prerequisite: GEOL 2305. Principles of transmitted light within isotropic and anisotropic crystals, and the identification of minerals by observation and measurement of their behavior in plane-polarized light. Emphasis on variations due to chemical changes in the common rock-forming silicates.
4321. Igneous and Metamorphic Petrography (3:2:3). Prerequisite: GEOL 4320. The study of rock texture and paragenesis in thin section.
4324. Geology of Hydrocarbons (3:3:0). A study of the world-wide distribution and geologic setting of petroleum in addition to methods of exploration.
4331. Digital Imagery in Geosciences (3:2:3:). Prerequisite: MATH 1320 or equivalent. Introduction to digital image processing, visualization, and raster GIS modeling applied to geosciences. Involves computer lab exercises.
4332. Spatial Data Analysis and Modeling in Geosciences (3:2:3). Prerequisite: MATH 2300 or equivalent. Introduction to vector GIS data manipulation, geostatistics, and spatial modeling applied to geosciences. Involves computer lab exercises.
4361. Advanced Structural Geology (3:3:3). Prerequisite: GEOL 3302. Topics include deformation mechanisms and rheology, tectonic evolution of oceanic lithosphere and evolution of arcs.
4362. Tectonics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Senior standing in geology or consent of instructor. Survey of the plate tectonic paradigm in terms of historical development and modern application.
4420. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4:3:3). Prerequisite: Senior standing in geosciences or approval of instructor. Sedimentary textures and structures, classification, petrography, and diagenesis of sedimentary rocks, lithostratigraphy, facies, and basin models.