Geology (GEO)
Composition of the atmosphere, atmospheric processes, weather disturbances, and climate elements and controls. Emphasis is placed on climate classification and measurements of human inputs into the atmosphere.
The chemistry of the earth’s surface. Emphasis on the dynamic chemical and biological reactions on land, in the oceans, and in the atmosphere and their influence upon the global budgets and cycling of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Includes field trips.
Non-hydrocarbon economic mineral deposits. Origin and migration of ore-bearing fluids; mineralogy and geometry of ore bodies; relations of ore deposits to magnetism and tectonics. Field trip to Central Texas mining district.
Microscopic and field characteristics of sedimentary rocks. Emphasis on interpretation of depositional and diagenetic environments and relationships between geometry of rock bodies and sedimentary processes.
Analysis of volcanic ejecta. Mechanisms of lava and pyroclastic eruptions. Geomorphological analysis of volcanic landforms. History of volcanological studies and case studies of well-known volcanoes. Field trips.
Principles and practice of X-ray fluorescence and electron probe analysis of geologic materials. Includes extensive laboratory work.
Relationship of fossil plants and animals to their physical and biological environment. Examination of principles of paleosynecology and paleoautecology; data gathering, analysis, and techniques of interpretation.
Continuation of GEO 3341/5333. Field examination of marine environments. Individual research projects emphasize biology and geology of carbonate depositional regimes.
Development and modification of land-surface forms by atmospheric, fluvial, glacial, mass-wasting, volcanic, and tectonic agents. Emphasis is placed on the spatial aspects of landscape evolution.
Basic applied techniques in surface and ground water hydrology. Surface water hydrology will incorporate analysis of precipitation records, runoff processes, and calculation of flood hazard. Ground water hydrology will emphasize hydrogeology techniques, including simple models of ground water movement.
Hydrogeology (ground water hydrology) for geologists and engineers. Topics to be covered include evaporation and precipitation, soil moisture, principles of ground water flow, regional ground water flow, geology of ground water occurrence, flow to wells, ground water chemistry, and ground water development and management.
Concepts and methods of the geosciences applied to solving archaeological problems. Emphasis on stratigraphy, soils, climate, dating techniques, site formation, and site preservation related to both New World and Old World archaeology.
Theory and application of the wetland concepts: classification, hydrology, biochemistry, soils, vegetation, construction, regulation, and delineation. Field lab.
Fundamentals of soil genesis, classification, geomorphology, ecosystems, and environmental interpretation. Includes the role of soil biogeochemical cycles in past, current, and future global change issues. Field lab.
Physical mechanisms of surface and atmospheric materials absorption, transmittance, reflection, and emittence of light measured by various remote sensing platforms. Survey various applications related to earth science, ecology, meteorology, and environmental science.
An examination through morphologic, stratigraphic, and biogeochemical proxy data of the nature of earth environments, focusing on the three most important components: Quaternary stratigraphies, Quaternary chronologies, and Quaternary environmental proxies and their interpretation.
The evolutionary history of plants as studied through the fossil record, including preservation, plant morphology and anatomy, and techniques used to reconstruct paleoenvironment and paleoecology. Weekly labs, with one weekend field trip.
Techniques used to extract geological information from three-dimensional seismic reflection data. Laboratory emphasizing interpretation of real data sets, integration of other geologic and geophysical data, and construction of subsurface maps and sections.
Theory of wave propagation in the Earth, earthquake mechanics, Earth structure, interpretation of seismograms, faults, seismotectonics, earthquake locations, magnitudes, and focal mechanisms.
Exploration geophysics, using gravity, magnetics, heat flow, telluric currents, resistivity, and other methods of remote sensing of hidden geological phenomena exclusive of seismic exploration. Laboratory work will emphasize geological interpretation of geophysical data.
Exploration geophysics, using latest seismic techniques and well-log analyses, with emphasis on petroleum exploration.
The course covers the use of GIS to acquire primary geographic data, solve geographic problems, automate geographic analysis, and render explanations for geographic patterns and trends. Students will use the latest GIS software and data layers in a lab section.
A forum for: (a) outside speakers, (b) presentation of student research, (c) discussion of current geologic and geophysical literature, and (d) guidance in thesis preparation. May be repeated as required by the department. M.S. and M.A. students must attend at least four semesters. Ph.D. candidates must attend while in residence.
Evolution of geological thought. Required, or its equivalent, of all M.S., M.A., and Ph.D. candidates.
This 2-credit course for graduate students demystifies the process of grant writing and provides a systematic approach to preparing proposals for Federal grantmaking agencies and foundations. Eligible students are mentored through the preparation and submission of Graduate Research Fellowship Applications.
Interpretation of seismic data for the purpose of inferring stratigraphic changes and depositional environments.
May be repeated once with change of content.
Special topics in paleoclimatology, including discussions of climate change events in earth history and methods for reconstructing ancient climates including paleoclimate proxies and general circulation models. May be repeated once with change of topic.
Criteria for the recognition of clastic and carbonate depositional environments.
Special topics in geophysics. May be repeated with change of content.
Advanced standing in geology. Application of isotope geochemistry, thermodynamics, and phase equilibrium studies to the solution of geological problems.
Theory and application of stable and radioactive isotopes in geology with particular emphasis on the use of stable isotopes in solving environmental and hydrogeologic problems.
Investigate the chemical composition of organic matter in soils, sediments, and petroleum source rocks. Interpretation of biomarkers and molecular proxies. The course includes an intensive review of the requisite organic chemistry concepts and nomenclature.
Advanced study of microbial physiology as it relates to evolution of the earth system. Study of interactions between microbes and minerals using tools of organic and inorganic geochemistry. Applications to the study of earth’s climate system.
Special topics in geochemistry-petrology. May be repeated with change of content.
This course covers the various forces and types of deformation that act on the interior of the Earth and other planets, with applications to tectonic faulting and mantle flow. Topics include continuum mechanics, stress and strain, elasticity, mantle rheology, and heat transfer.
Intensive examination of igneous rocks. Format and subject material will vary from year to year, but will include descriptive and genetic aspects of igneous rocks and their relationships to tectonic settings. Laboratory and field trips.
This course studies volcanic eruptions, focusing on the behavior of compositionally diverse magmas in the subsurface. Students use physics and chemistry to understand processes of magmatic ascent during an eruption and then connect eruption processes to the volcanic products and landforms that result. Weekly lab exercises include microscopy, hand samples, and field methods. There is one four-day mandatory field trip.
Field experience in the American West. Designed with exercises to acquaint graduate earth science majors with the fundamentals of field geology. Offered in the field during summer sessions for three hours of credit.
Continuation of GEO 5331. Offered in the field during summer sessions for three hours of credit.
Field study of depositional systems and facies. Course participants will examine modern depositional environments varying from fluvial, deltaic, beach, and near shore systems to modern barrier and fringing reefs along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and in the Caribbean. These depositional environments will be used to interpret ancient sedimentary facies examined in the field during the last portion of the course. Offered in the field during summer session for three hours of credit.
Continuation of GEO 5333. Offered in the field during the summer session for three hours of credit.
Taxonomy, morphology, evolution, paleoecology, and stratigraphic occurrence of important microfossils. Independent field and laboratory problems may be required.
Paleobiology encompasses the study of biological processes and concepts in deep time at various spatial and temporal scales. Concepts covered in the course aim to examine empirical and modeled data on evolutionary and ecological processes, as well as explore the interplay between biological systems and environmental conditions.
Special topics in remote sensing and geomorphology. May be repeated with change of content.
Special topics in paleontology. May be repeated with change of content.
Petrography of clastic sedimentary rocks. Includes mineralogical study, provenance analysis, and diagenetic interpretation. Field trips.
Field, microscopic, and geochemical analysis of fossil soils (paleosols) and comparison with modern analog soils; interpretation of changes in paleoweathering processes, paleoclimate, and paleoatmospheric chemistry over 4.6 billion years of earth history based on paleosols.
Geologic history of the North American Cordillera from Precambrian to present, based on analysis of stratigraphic, structural, paleomagnetic, and paleobiogeographic constraints.
The description, interpretation, and measurement of components, features, and fabrics in soils and paleosols, at the microscopic level.
Concepts of facies analysis and spatial prediction are presented within a sequence stratigraphic context. The course is conducted as a three-week field excursion to various locations within the southwestern USA. The course emphasizes both outcrop and subsurface problem solving, and is supplemented by extensive literature review.
Instruction in advanced and specialized methods of structural analysis applied to a variety of problems in structural geology. Both local and regional structural relationships will be studied. Location of field study areas will be determined by instructor.
Instruction in the controls on sediment accumulation and distribution through time, and strategies for local and regional cyclostratigraphic correlation and associated stratal classification and interpretation.
Analytical techniques and concepts necessary for hydrogeologic research and problem solving. Areas of emphasis will include field methods, well hydraulics, and computer models of ground water systems. Occasional field trips will be required as part of the laboratory.
Lectures on the theory of analytical and numerical models applied to hydrogeological research. Laboratory exercises will involve solving hydrogeological problems, using the models discussed in lecture.
Interrelationships between geological processes and urban development. Case histories and applied field projects will be examined in surrounding urban areas.
Advanced topics in spatial statistics. Knowledge of basic statistics is expected (e.g., calculation of mean, variance, and covariance). Fundamentals of variograms. Methodologies for best linear unbiased estimates with and without drift of the mean value. Major elements and applications of Kriging and coKriging algorithms.
Special topics in sedimentary geology. May be repeated once with change of content.
Special topics in petroleum geology. May be repeated with change of content.
Special topics in structural geology-tectonics. May be repeated with change of content.
Special topics in hydrogeology. May be repeated with change of content.
Examines humans as a geologic force and how human activity has altered climate, ecosystems, glaciers, sea level, rivers, and deserts. Examines climate and planetary models to understand changes in Earth systems in the past, present, and future.
Insights into the oceanic, atmospheric, and terrestrial controls of global monsoon circulation, and variations in the past 20,000 years and into the future.
Special topics in hydrology-engineering geology. May be repeated with change of content.
The emphasis of this course is placed on climate changes and the associated environmental variations of different timescales and their forcing mechanisms (including human impacts). Defining the current climatic dynamics and predicting the future trends, based on the changing patterns of different timescales, are the concluding parts of this course.
Special topics in environmental-urban geology. May be repeated once with change of content.
Theory and applications of gravitational, magnetic, and electrical techniques to subsurface exploration.
Seismic refraction and reflection techniques and their application to determining Earth structure.
Topics chosen from earthquake location, focal mechanism computation, surface wave dispersion measurement, 1D inversion techniques, regional tomographic inversion, receiver functions, ray theory in spherical geometry, seismic attenuation, seismic anisotropy, seismic focusing, reflected phases, stacking, and interpretations of seismic results in light of other geophysical constraints.
Exploration and production methods for hydrocarbon recovery.
A field course in which seismic, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, well logging and ground penetrating radar techniques are used to solve problems associated with waste disposal, groundwater, and engineering characterizations.
Individual course in which students solve a geologic problem and submit a written report. Staff approval required.
Supervised directed research for students who have not yet advanced to candidacy for an advanced degree. A student may repeat this course for credit, for a maximum of 9 total hours.
Research, data analysis, writing, and oral defense of an approved master's thesis. At least six hours of GEO 5V99 are required.
Supervised research for designing dissertation project and for developing and writing a Dissertation Proposal that will be subject to review and approval by the Dissertation Committee. All coursework must be completed prior to registering for this course. A student may repeat this course for a total of 3 hours. Registration for this course is sufficient for achieving full-time status.
Required of all doctoral candidates. In no case will less than twelve semester hours be accepted for a dissertation. Students may not enroll for dissertation hours until they have been officially accepted into candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. After initial enrollment, students must enroll for at least one semester hour of dissertation every semester (summer semester excluded).