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Undergraduate Courses

1301. EARTH SYSTEMS. This course will examine the origin of the earth, its composition, structure, antiquity, and the processes which shape it. The best overview of the geological sciences. Very environmentally oriented. Optional field trip. This course may also be taken during the summer at the beautiful Fort Burgwin Campus in New Mexico. Two lectures and one two-hour laboratory each week. Recommended for most geology tracks.

1305. OCEANOGRAPHY. A study of the physical (geological), biological, and chemical processes responsible for the existence of the ocean as we know it today. Examines the impact of man on the oceans and oceanography's role in resource development, climatic and environmental modification, and other human concerns. Two lectures and one two-hour laboratory each week.

1307. THE SOLAR SYSTEM. A study of the formation and evolution of the solar system. Discussion of solar system materials, nebular processes, meteorites, the formation and evolution of the planets and their satellites, the origin of stars and the evidence for the standard model of cosmology.

1308. EVOLUTION AND LIFE HISTORY. Evolution as observed in the fossil record in light of biological principles. Evolution as a process, origins of life, adaptation, extinction, emphasizing examples from the geological record. Field trips. Recommended for the paleontology track.

1313. EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES. Seismic and volcanic activity are two important manifestations of plate tectonics on the earth. They are also two major natural hazards affecting humankind. This course will emphasize the geologic insights provided by earthquakes and volcanoes, and their impact on society.

1315. INTRODUCTION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES. Fundamental principles of ecology, hydrology, geology, population dynamics, land-use management, and related fields will be used as the basis for understanding many of the major environmental issues which face our planet -- greenhouse climate changes, soil and water pollution, acid rain and related atmospheric pollution problems, habitat destruction and species extinctions, waste disposal, land use management, energy resource development, geologic hazards, and others.

2320/2321. SOUTHWESTERN ENVIRONMENTS: A GEOLOGIC APPROACH. Practice of the scientific method by investigation of the processes affecting geologic and environmental change in the southwestern U.S. Offered only through SMU-in-Taos program. Course will satisfy either the laboratory science requirement (2320) or the second-semester writing requirement (2321). Either course can fulfill a 1300-level geology major or minor course requirement.

3159. COMPUTER METHODS IN GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES. Elements of high-level computer programming applied to geological and geophysical problems. Designed to give the student sufficient skill to efficiently program geoscience problems using the application of computer languages such as MATLAB. Prerequisites: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences and consent of instructor.

3240, 3241, 3242, 3243. GEOLOGY FIELD STUDIES. Project- and mapping- oriented, two-week field trips to classical geological localities in or outside of the United States. Trips will normally be conducted either during the May Interterm or between semesters. Examples of trips planned are to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Grand Canyon area, Lake Superior/Canada, and New Mexico/Colorado. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences and consent of instructor.

3330 RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT. A study of earth materials and processes and how they bear on planning, resource, conservation, and pollution problems arising from humankind's intense use of the planet earth. Class projects and/or field trips are an integral part of this timely course. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or consent of instructor.

3340. FACE OF THE EARTH. A study of the theory of plate tectonics focusing on understanding earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain belt formation. Specific application of the theory is illustrated in terms of its application to understanding features of the regional geology of North America such as the Coastal Region and the San Andreas fault. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or consent of instructor.

3353. MODERN AND ANCIENT CLIMATES. Science of the modern atmosphere, modern climate, and evidence of historical climatic change. Geological evidence for atmospheric and climatic changes throughout Earth's history. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or permission of instructor.

3360. PROCESS GEOMORPHOLOGY. Analysis of geological processes and other factors which influence or control the origin and development of landforms of the earth. Laboratory exercises and field trips are included. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or consent of instructor.

3363. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY SEMINAR. This seminar will focus on timely geoscience-based environmental problems and address scientific, environmental, political, economic, legal, and social aspects of potential "solutions" through selected readings, seminars, guest speakers, and research projects. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or consent of instructor.

3366. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES. An introduction to the physical and chemical processes occurring in the earth's atmosphere, oceans, rivers and groundwater at both a local and global scale. Prerequisites: High school algebra and chemistry as well as one 1300-level course in Geological Sciences.

3369. PALEOBIOLOGY. A survey of biological diversity, phylogenetic analysis, rates of evolution, extinction, biogeography, taphonomy and paleoecology. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or consent of instructor. BIOL 1401 also a suitable prerequisite.

3451, 3452. EARTH MATERIALS I AND II. The study of minerals and rocks: elementary crystallography, crystal chemistry, mineral structures and physical properties, rock classification and identification of rocks and minerals in hand specimen, principles of mineral optics, identification of minerals in thin section, introduction to relationships among rock textures, origins, and rock-forming processes. Prerequisites: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences, credit or registration for CHEM 1301 or 1303.

3454. STRUCTURAL OF GEOLOGY. Introduction to the stress-strain relations of rocks, the origin of faults, the brittle to ductile transition, mechanics of thrusting and folding. Laboratory problems in structure contouring, fault solutions, stereo-net manipulation, analysis of folded terrains. Prerequisite: GEOL 3452 or consent of instructor.

3472. PRINCIPLES OF SEDIMENTATION. A study of the origin and post- depositional modification of sediments, sedimentary structures, and sedimentary rocks. Application to the recognition and interpretation of ancient marine and non-marine sedimentary depositional sequences. Required weekend fieldtrips. Prerequisites: Credit or registration for GEOL 3451 or consent of instructor.

3374. INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM GEOLOGY. An introduction to stratigraphy, sedimentation, and petroleum geology. Prerequisite: One 1300-level course in Geological Sciences or consent of instructor.

4296, 4298. INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH. Faculty-supervised independent geoscience research project designed to acquaint the student with current scientific techniques in data gathering (in field and/or laboratory and/or library), data processing, and presentation of results. Prerequisite: Consent of Faculty Advisor.

4390. INTRODUCTION TO GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING. Introduction to geophysical exploration techniques. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: MATH 1338 or consent of instructor.

4657. FIELD GEOLOGY. Geologic mapping and field trips. Taught at Fort Burgwin during the first summer session. Prerequisite: GEOL 3454, 3472, or 5380 or consent of instructor.

5320. DYNAMIC EARTH I. Physical and chemical structure of the Earth and its evolution through geologic time. Dynamic processes in the mantle and crust. Development of the theory of plate tectonics as a unifying mechanism for large-scale geologic processes. Implications of plate tectonics and contemporary applications to geological and geophysical problems. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

5366. VERTEBRATE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION. An introduction to biological and geological processes that have affected the diversity of vertebrate organisms throughout the Earth's history, including origination, biogeography, adaptation, and extinction. Strong emphasis on vertebrate anatomy. Prerequisite: GEOL 1308 or consent of instructor. The accompanying laboratory is strongly recommended.

5166. VERTEBRATE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION LABORATORY. This is a laboratory course to accompany GEOL 5366. Exercises include basic anatomy, dissections, and examination of fossils. Corequisite: GEOL 5366.

5368. PALEOECOLOGY. Interactions between the living world and the Earth's changing environments through geologic time. Prerequisite: GEOL 3369 or consent of instructor.

5380. PRINCIPLES OF STRATIGRAPHY. Evolution and application of modern stratigraphic concepts and the development of stratigraphic nomenclature. Emphasis on the integration of physical, biological, and chemical parameters in interpretation of the rock record. Prerequisite: GEOL 3340 or consent of instructor.

5481. IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC PETROLOGY. The origin, occurrence, and classification of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Problems of genesis are considered in e light of chemical equilibria and features of geological occurrence. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 3452 or consent of instructor.

5384. HYDROGEOLOGY. An introduction to the chemical and physical behavior of natural waters and the role of fluids in geologic processes. The course will stress the application of thermodynamics, kinetics, and fluid mechanics to understand such geologic processes as ore formation, sediment diagenesis, isograd formation, acid rain, global warming, and groundwater contamination. Prerequisites: MATH 1338 and CHEM 1304 or consent of instructor.

5386. GEOCHEMISTRY. A survey of geochemical processes within the Earth and at the Earth's surface, emphasizing mineral water interactions and application of the principles of chemical equilibrium to solution of geochemical problems. Prerequisites: CHEM 1303 and 1304.

5389. THEORY OF DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING IN GEOPHYSICS. Linear transform theory, convolution, correlation, linear systems, Shannon sampling theorem, discrete Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform, Z transform, inverse filtering, recursive filtering, optimum filtering, deconvolution, and power spectrum analysis. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

5392. INTRODUCTION TO SEISMOLOGY. Basic principles of seismology. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

5394. GEOPHYSICAL PROBLEM SOLVING. Approaches to problem solving. "Back-of-the-envelope" approximations to dimensional analysis. Analytical solutions and numerical techniques on the computer. Inverse theory and error propagation. Using models in the real world. Term project. Prerequisites: MATH 2343, 5353; knowledge of a programming language.

For more information

For more information, please contact Dr. John Walther, or Dept. of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0395, USA. email: geol@mail.smu.edu Tel: 1-214-768-2750. Fax: 1-214-768-2701