GEOL-104 Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography

Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography courses are designed to serve first-year students and sophomores interested in exploring the natural sciences. These courses also prepare students for upper-level coursework in geology, physical geography, and the earth, oceanographic, and atmospheric sciences. Students may only take one section of GEOL-104.

GEOL-104AP Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography: 'Art in Paleontology'

Fall. Credits: 4

Paleontological art brings ancient organisms back to life. In this course we will consider the role that PaleoArt itself plays as a mode of scientific discovery. Beginning with an analysis of the pioneering paleoart of Charles R. Knight, we will examine how paleoartists have uncovered key information about prehistoric life well in advance of its recognition by the scientific community. In a collaborative class project, we will identify the best and most representative of "paleort". For individual final class projects, students may choose between a research paper and presentation, and their own paleontological artwork in any visual medium.

Crosslisted as: GEOG-104AP
Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-104DN Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography: 'Dinosaurs'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

The first dinosaur fossils recognized in North America were footprints found in South Hadley. One of the most ancient dinosaur species in the United States was discovered close to campus. In this course we will learn the main types of non-avian dinosaurs, compare them to other ancient and modern vertebrates, and explore their physiology and their relationship to birds. To complete the final project, students will select a dinosaur species and study its geological age, geographic distribution, burial conditions, environmental preferences, ecological roles, feeding and reproductive strategies, and body form as they review the history of attempts to reconstruct their adopted dinosaur.

Crosslisted as: GEOG-104DN
Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive

GEOL-104EG Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography: 'Environmental Geology'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

The only planet known to sustain life, Earth provides all the resources that sustain us, yet at the same time it can be an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous home. Floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural processes challenge our ingenuity, while we also contend with self-induced problems such as pollution, desertification, and global climate change. This course examines earth processes, how these affect our lives, and how we can best live with and sustain our environment.

Crosslisted as: GEOG-104EG
Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-104HM Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography: 'Earth As Home'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

Earth is our home, and it is essential to understand the planet's geology and physical geography if we aspire to be good planetary stewards. In this course we will learn about the physical structure and constituents of earth. We will consider in detail its rocks, its atmosphere, and its oceans, with particular focus on earth's surface features: their origins, their beauty, and their utility as habitat for humans and other creatures. The primary goal of this course is to give you a sufficient understanding of geology and physical geography to enable you to both appreciate the majesty, and respond to any threats to the integrity of our collective home.

Crosslisted as: GEOG-104HM
Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-104WR Introduction to Geology and Physical Geography: 'Water Resources for Sustainable Communities'

Fall. Credits: 4

How can we sustain drinking water resources at the scale of community? The goal of this course is to explore and extend geoscience approaches to managing the waters flowing in streams, lakes, wetlands, and underground. Topics include sources of drinking water, water quality and abundance, the hydrologic cycle, and intersections of water science with environmental justice. Drawing on methods from physical geography and hydrogeology, this course offers students opportunities to gather and interpret environmental data on campus, explore maps and cartography, and collaborate and dialogue with peers. Students at all levels of experience with science and dialogue are welcome.

Crosslisted as: GEOG-104WR
Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-107 Environmental Geology

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

The only planet known to sustain life, Earth provides all the resources that sustain us, yet at the same time it can be an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous home. Floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural processes challenge our ingenuity, while we also contend with self-induced problems such as pollution, desertification, and even global climate change. This course examines earth processes, how these affect our lives, and how we can best live with and sustain our environment. May be taken for 200-level credit with permission of instructor.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-201 Rocks and Minerals

Spring. Credits: 4

In this course you will learn to recognize the common rock-forming minerals and principal rock types, and to understand their origins, properties, associations, and geological significance. Observational skills and hand sample identification will be emphasized in lab.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Coreq: GEOL-201L.
Advisory: Students must have either a one-year high school earth science class or any 100- or 200-level Geology, GEOG-107, or CHEM-150.

GEOL-203 The Earth's Surface

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

The surface of the Earth is a history book of past environmental change. Every hill and valley, every erosional feature and every deposit is the result of processes acting at the Earth's surface. In this course we study these processes (e.g. glaciers, rivers, slopes, coastlines, arid regions, frozen ground, cave formation, soil development and groundwater) to understand how they work and to understand the resulting landforms and deposits. With this understanding we can then observe different landforms and deposits and infer past processes (i.e. environments of deposition).

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: One 100-level Geology course.

GEOL-210 Plate Tectonics

Fall. Credits: 4

Plate tectonic theory explains the origins of volcanoes and earthquakes, continental drift, and the locations of mountain belts and oceans. This course focuses on the geometry of plate tectonics. Topics include mid-ocean ridge systems, transform faults, subduction zones, relative plate motion, earthquake analysis, triple point junctions, and stereographic projection.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: Any one course in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Geology, or Physics.
Advisory: Comfort with geometry and trigonometry required.

GEOL-211 Uranium

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

From the A-bomb to zircon, uranium has revolutionized humanity's destructive potential and wisdom about time. Uranium is the planet's heaviest naturally occurring element, and it transforms by both radioactive decay and nuclear fission. This course explores these two transformations and what we make of them, specifically: nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear wastelanding, radiation and health, and research on deep time. We use modeling to explore high-precision dating of recent geologic and climate events as well as the age of the oldest rocks on earth. Some math is involved. Writing and reading assignments focus on science communication for a general audience.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: One course in Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Math, Physics, or Statistics.

GEOL-226 Oceanography and Marine Science

Spring. Credits: 4

Most of earth's surface is covered by oceans, giving our "blue marble" a unique look. Oceanic waters make it both nice and dangerous to live near the coasts. We will learn here about oceans by means of key questions. Where did all this water come from? What can we learn about the nature of the seas and their inhabitants? How have these creatures changed oceans through time? How do geology and tectonics determine the depth of an ocean basin? How do marine currents, the Coriolis effect, and strange ice-like substances in the sea floor influence global climate? In this course, we will gain a much-needed, more complete view of our global home.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-229 Hydrology and Hydrogeology: Hydrological Cycle, Surface, and Groundwater Movement

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This course will introduce students to water science where we investigate the hydrological cycle, water distribution on the earth's surface and subsurface at the continental and catchments scale. We will study atmospheric processes such as precipitation, evapotranspiration, and surface runoff to understand how it affects the quantity and quality of potable water availability. Students will learn and practice introductory level groundwater calculations which are mathematical equations that describe the flow and storage of water.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences

GEOL-295 Independent Study

Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 4

Restrictions: Contact instructor for independent study declaration form and signatures.
Instructor permission required.

GEOL-321 The Science of Paleontology

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

Our understanding of the fossil record is critical for today, as it helps us to comprehend the current state of the planet and its inhabitants. Using a variety of tools and techniques, this course will provide you with a one semester apprenticeship in paleontological science. We will examine the morphology, evolution, survivorship, paleogeography and ecological relationships of ancient organisms. Our subjects will include plants, invertebrate animals, and vertebrate animals, with examples ranging from the Precambrian to the Pleistocene. We will address quantitative questions in paleontology by means of Excel and R Studio.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: Two college-level science courses.

GEOL-322 Petrology

Fall. Credits: 4

This course covers mineralogical and chemical compositions, classification, genesis and mode of occurrence of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The structure of the course is a lab course, focusing on the methodology and analytical techniques used to study rock specimens.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: GEOL-201.

GEOL-323 Sedimentology

Fall. Credits: 4

Sedimentary rocks provide us with repositories of fresh water, hydrocarbons, and other critical raw materials, and also provide evidence for the history of planet earth. This course will introduce you to the study of sedimentary rocks and their environments of deposition, with a focus on the various processes of sediment accumulation. We will employ the principles of stratigraphic analysis and correlation to interpret ancient environments, paleoclimate, and paleogeography, and use these tools to study sedimentary basins. Field trips and class projects will introduce a variety of analytical techniques used to study sediments and sedimentary rocks.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: 8 credits in Geology.

GEOL-333 Structural Geology and Orogenesis

Spring. Credits: 4

This course covers the basic techniques of field geology and structural analysis, concentrating on field techniques, stress, strain, faulting, folding, rock strength, deformation mechanisms, geologic maps, and multidisciplinary approaches to mountain building (orogenesis).

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: 8 credits from Geology including GEOL-201.

GEOL-334 Historical Geology

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This course digs into the geologic time scale in the context of the evolution and interaction of life, sediments, rocks, oceans, and air during the past few billion years. Some topics covered are: ice ages and greenhouse atmospheres, continental drift, extinctions and radiations of flora and fauna, the early evolution of earth, and absolute and relative dating of rocks. Students collaborate during class meetings to develop a nuanced understanding of the data and methods that define the geologic time scale in scientific literature. A final exam involves memorization of the geologic time scale and significant events in earth history.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Prereq: two courses in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, or Geology.
Advisory: Students who have completed GEOL-202 may not take this course.

GEOL-342 Seminar in Geology

Seminars offer directed study and discussion of one or more selected topics in geology. Topics vary from year to year. Consult the department for information about future seminars.

GEOL-342SR Seminar in Geology: 'Sustainable Resources'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

Have you ever wanted to know where the materials in your phone came from? Or the gemstones in your jewelry? How about the environmental impacts of extracting those resources from the Earth? Or the human impacts? In this seminar, we will explore mining of minerals and gems, as well as the environmental cost of that extraction and use, with an eye to making Earth material resources more sustainable.

Applies to requirement(s): Math Sciences
Restrictions: This course is open to juniors and seniors

GEOL-395 Independent Study

Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 8

Restrictions: Contact instructor for independent study declaration form and signatures.
Instructor permission required.