GEOLOGY (GEOL)

Geology majors must earn a grade of C or better in all required geology courses. Before enrolling in any required geology course, geology majors must have earned a grade of C or better in all geology courses prerequisite to that course.

Credit will not be given for both: 1) GEOL 1040 and GEOL 1310, 2) GEOL 1040 and GEOL 3210, and 3) GEOL 1310 and GEOL 3210.

GEOL 1020. Field Experiences in the Geosciences. Lec. 2. Credit 1.
This course will introduce students interested in science to the practice of scientific research in the field and the laboratory, with emphasis on the geosciences. Field trips and in-class activities will stimulate critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills unique to the sciences. Current geoscience-related issues will be discussed in class (e.g. Sumatra tsunami, Himalayan earthquakes).

uGEOL 1040. The Dynamic Earth. Lec. 3. Lab. 2. Credit 4.
Origin and classification of minerals and rocks; geologic processes and landform development.

uGEOL 1045. Earth Environment, Resources, and Society. Lec. 3. Lab. 2. Credit 4.
Application of physical geology principles to geologic hazards, environmental pollution, and land/resource use.

uGEOL 1310. Concepts of Geology. Lec. 2. Lab. 3. Credit 3.
Introduction to the earth sciences: maps, weather and climate, minerals and rocks, water, geologic processes, time, and earth's history. This course will not count as part of a geology sequence.

GEOL 2000. Earth Evolution and Life History. Lec. 3. Credit 3.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1040. Illustrate how biological and geological interactions have influenced life patterns and Earth history and how these processes continue to shape human history today. Also, the impact of human population upon these Earth systems.

GEOL 2010. Topical Minicourse in Geology. Credit 1.
Independent study including library and outdoor projects. No formal classwork is required. May be repeated.

GEOL 2500. Geologic Fundamentals. Lec. 2. Lab. 2. Credit 3.
Prerequisite or corequisite: GEOL 1040. Basic geologic field techniques and map reading. Detailed study of rocks and minerals.

GEOL 3010. Dinosaurs. Lec. 3. Credit 3.
Recent concepts in the study of dinosaurs, including their paleobiology, relationships to other organisms, extinction, and distribution in space and time.

GEOL 3110 . Principles of Mineralogy and Petrology.  Lec. 2. Lab. 4. Credit 4. 
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 and CHEM 1110 or consent of instructor.  Physical properties of minerals; identification of basic rock-forming minerals, elements of rock classification, and megascopic properties of common rocks.

GEOL 3120. Mineralogy. Lec. 2. Lab. 4. Credit 4.  
Prerequisites: GEOL 3110, MATH 1720, and CHEM 1120, or consent of instructor. Geometrical crystallography; determination of silicate and non-silicate minerals by physical properties, chemical tests, and X-ray diffraction.

GEOL (GEOG) 3200. Water Resources. Lec. 3. Credit 3.
This course deals with water as a resource basic for life on Earth. Topics to be covered include: dams and reservoirs, irrigation, inter-basin transfers, river channel modification, flood control, water quality, and water law.

GEOL 3210. Geology for Engineers. Lec. 2. Lab. 2. Credit 3.
Introduction to principles of geology and practical application of geology to engineering problems.

GEOL 3230. Structural Geology and Tectonics. Lec. 3. Lab. 2. Credit 4.
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 or GEOL 3210.The mechanisms of plate tectonics and the geologic structures that result from rock deformation; application of methods for structural analysis in the field and the lab.

GEOL 3410. Paleontology. Lec. 2. Lab. 4. Credit 4.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1045 or BIOL 1110 or consent of instructor. Systematics, morphology, stratigraphic distribution, and evolutionary significance of all major taxa of invertebrate macrofossils and selected microfossils.

GEOL 3830. Field Geology. Credit 4.
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 and GEOL 2500. Introduction to field methods involving the identification and tracing of geologic formations, aerial mapping and structure contouring. Eight hours field work per week.

GEOL 4040. Summer Field Geology. Credit 4-9.
Field course in geological mapping.

GEOL 4100. Environmental Sedimentology. Lec. 2. Lab. 4. Credit 4.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1040. Basic sampling and analytic techniques to determine compositions and textures of non-lithified sediments and the use of grain-sized distributions to interpret depositional process. Field trips will be taken to examine modern river and coastal deposits.

GEOL 4110. Sedimentation and Stratigraphy. Lec. 3. Lab. 2. Credit 4.
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 and GEOL 2500, or consent of instructor. Fundamental depositional processes, sedimentary structures, and facies models of siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks. Basic stratigraphy concepts, methods of correlation, and introduction to sequence stratigraphy.

GEOL (GEOG) 4150 (5150). Geomorphology. Lec. 3. Lab. 2. Credit 4.
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 and 2500 or consent of instructor. Analysis of landforms and processes that shape them.

GEOL 4210.  Advanced Historical Geology.  Lec. 3.  Credit 3.
Prerequisite:  Completion of core curriculum in geology and GEOL 3410.  Advanced treatment of the Earth's history concentrating on plate tectonics, evolution of the biosphere, and chemical changes from the Archaean to the Holocene.

GEOL (GEOG) 4410 (5410). Remote Sensing. Lec 2. Lab. 2. Credit 3.
Prerequisite: GEOL 2500 and GEOL 3230 or consent of instructor. Principles and applications of remote sensing.  Provides a survey of the concepts and techniques of remote sensing and image analysis for natural resources, geomorphology, and Earth surface processes.

GEOL 4610. Optical Mineralogy and Petrography. Lec. 2. Lab. 4. Credit 4.
Prerequisites: GEOL 3120 or consent of instructor. Theory and use of the petrographic microscope in mineral optics and study of rocks in thin sections using the petrographic microscope.

GEOL 4650 (5650). Applied Geochemistry. Lec. 3. Credit 3.
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 and CHEM 1110 or consent of instructor. Application of geochemistry to mineral exploration, environmental pollution, public health, and geologic hazards. Three field trips required.

GEOL (GEOG) 4711 (5711). Hydrogeology. Lec. 3. Lab. 2. Credit 4.
Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 and GEOL 1045; CHEM 1120; MATH 1830 or 1730 (MATH 1910 is recommended); or consent of instructor. Occurrence and movement of ground water, well hydraulics, water quality, and pollution.

GEOL 4810 (5810), 4820 (5820). Special Problems. Credit 1-3.
Prerequisite: Major and consent of instructor. Advanced students may do independent investigations in some approved field. Course may be taken for credit more than once.

GEOL (GEOG) 4930.  Senior Thesis.  Credit 3.
Prerequisite:  Consent of instructor.  Supervised independent study of an original research problem.  Student is required to make a research proposal, collect data, review appropriate literature, write a paper, and present orally the results of the research problem.  (Available only to geology majors.)

GEOL (GEOG) 4931.  Senior Thesis.  Credit 3.
Prerequisite:  GEOL 4930 and consent of instructor.  Supervised independent study of an original research problem.  Student is required to make a research proposal, collect data, review appropriate literature, write a paper and present orally the results of the research problem.  (Available only to geology majors.)

The following courses are offered at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratories:

GEOL 2510. Oceanography 1. Physical, Chemical and Geological.-- Summer. Credit 5.
Prerequisites: College algebra, eight semester hours of chemistry. Fundamentals of oceanography integrating chemical, geological, and physical oceanography.