Graduate Course Descriptions

 
300-0 - Earth and Planetary Materials
Mineralogy of the earth and planets from atomic to continental scales, focusing on structure, composition, identification, and physical properties of minerals as they pertain to geological and societal applications. Prerequisites: EARTH 201, CHEM 103; MATH 220, and PHYSICS 135-1.   Instructor: Jacobsen  

301-0 - Petrology: Evolution of Crustal and Mantle Rocks
Origin, composition, and classification of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Application of laboratory characterization and basic thermodynamics to interpreting observed rock textures and mineral assemblages in terms of geological processes. Prerequisite: EARTH 300 or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Jacobsen or Bina  

302-0 - Physics and Thermochemistry of the Earth's Interior
Finite strain theory, solid solution thermodynamics, phase transitions, subduction zone processes, seismic velocity structures, mineral equations of state. Prerequisite: EARTH 301 or consent of instructor.    Instructor: Bina  

310-0 - Introductory (Aqueous) Geochemistry
The geochemistry of rivers, groundwater, lakes, and seawater. Topics include the hydrologic cycle and water resources, acids and bases, pH and alkalinity, carbonate equilibria, redox chemistry, sorption processes and surface reactions, mineral solubility and weathering, and reaction kinetics.  Prerequisites:  CHEM 103 or equivalent.    Instructor: Jacobson  

311-0 - Sedimentary Geochemistry
Geochemical differentiation of the Earth's surface. Primordial volatiles and the beginnings of sediment formation. Sedimentary environment on the prebiotic Earth. Control of Earth's climate by sediment-water interactions. Oceanic carbon system: inorganic and biological sedimentation. Sedimentary history from the isotope records. Burial and diagenesis of carbonate and silicate sediments. Prerequisites: CHEM through 103, EARTH 201 and 330.   Instructor:  

312-0 - Stable Isotope Geochemistry
We will examine both the traditional stable isotopes (carbon, oxygen, etc.) and some of the more novel ones (lithium, boron, transition elements, etc.). The aim is to understand the principles governing these isotopic systems and apply these isotopic tools to important problems in Earth Sciences. Emphasis will be on the Earth surface processes and climate change. Prerequisites: EARTH 201 and 310; or consent of the instructor.    Instructor: Hurtgen  

313-0 - Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry
Application of radiogenic isotopes to problems in geochemistry, petrology, hydrology, oceanography, ecology, and environmental science. Includes radioactive decay, nucleosynthesis, cosmochemistry, geochronology, mixing processes, and numerical modeling. Prerequisites: CHEM 103; or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Jacobson  

314-0 - Organic Geochemistry
The origin, modification and preservation of organic matter in the sedimentary record; how it relates to global carbon cycle and climate in the geologic past; implications for future greenhouse warming.  Prerequisites:  one quarter of earth or environmental science and one quarter of chemistry.   Instructor: Blair  

315-0 - Geochemistry of Global Environments
The major geochemical processes that shape the Earth's surface environment, its outer shell from -150 to +30 km from the surface. Chemical and isotopic evidence from the geological past and present. Mineral-water-gas reactions near the Earth's surface. Oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Biogeochemical cycles behind the global environmental change. Prerequisite: EARTH 201 or consent of instructor.   Instructor: 

316-0 - Earth's Changing Climate
This course deals with (1) the principles of operation and variability of Earth's physical climate system at different spatial and temporal scales, (2) climate’s interactions with the biogeochemical cycles of the land, ocean, and biosphere. The course also provides a critical appraisal and discussion of some major paleoclimatic and ocean/atmosphere issues, as studied by observations and modeling, including history of atmospheric chemistry and seawater, physical and biotic feedbacks to global warming, and the Pleistocene glaciations. Prerequisite: EARTH 201 or consent of instructor.   Instructor:  

317-0 - Biogeochemistry
The cycling of biogenic elements (C, N, S, Fe, Mn) in surficial environments is the focus of this course. Emphasis is placed on microbial processes and isotopic signatures. Prerequisites: 1 quarter of chemistry plus 1 quarter or earth, environmental science, or biology.   Instructor: Blair  

320-0 - Global Tectonics
Kinematics of plate tectonics. Geometry, determination, and description of plate motions. Paleomagnetism, marine magnetism, and hot spots. History of ocean basins and mountain-building processes. Prerequisites: EARTH 202 and PHYSICS 135-2; or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Okal  

321-0 - Reflection Seismology
Theory of seismic reflection technique. Acquisition, data processing and interpretation of seismic reflection data, seismic stratigraphy. Applications to hydrocarbon prospecting, structural geology, tectonics, stratigraphy, and deep continental structure. Prerequisites: EARTH 202, MATH 230 and PHYSICS 135-1, or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Jurdy  

322-0 - Computer Methods in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Introduction to computer methods for processing and analyzing geophysical and geochemical data volumes. Data formats and manipulation, Unix, MATLAB, computer programming, shell scripting, R, generic mapping tools, Seismic Analysis Code, data request methods, visualization, Python, parallel processing.  Instructor: Van der Lee  

323-0 - Seismology and Earth Structure
Elastic theory, seismic waves, seismometers, ray paths, travel times; internal structure of the Earth; earthquakes: location, characteristics, origin, mechanism and relation to plate motions. Prerequisites: EARTH 202, PHYSICS 135-2, MATH 250; or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Stein or Van der Lee  

324-0 - Earthquakes and Tectonics
Earthquakes: location, characteristics, origin, mechanism, and relation to plate motions; seismic hazard. Prerequisites: EARTH 202, MATH 250, and PHYSICS 135-2; or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Stein or Van der Lee 

325-0 - Tectonophysics
On short time scales, the Earth is a hard solid (kick it and see), but we know that on the scale of geologic time, the Earth flows like a viscous fluid. How can this be? We will examine some aspects of the answer to this paradox in this course by outlining solid Earth geodynamics in some detail, including: elasticity and flexure of the lithosphere; heat production, heat transfer, and the Earth's thermal budget; fluid mechanics and flow of the Earth's mantle; rock rheology; and Earth rotation, gravity, and moment of inertia. Prerequisites: MATH 250, PHYSICS 135-2, or equivalents, or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Stein  

326-0 - Data Analysis for Earth and Planetary Sciences
Types and characteristics of earth science data, development and applications of model types, observational and systematic sources of uncertainties and their characterization, spatial and temporal predictions.    Instructor: Stein  

327-0 - Geophysical Time Series Analysis and Inverse Problems
Introduction to analysis techniques applied to seismic and other geophysical data. Sampling, windowing, discrete and fast Fourier transforms, deconvolution, filtering, and inverse methods. Prerequisites: EARTH 202 and MATH 250 or consent of the instructor.   Instructor: Stein  

328-0 - Tectonics and Structural Geology
Deformation of rock masses: strain, fracture, slip, stress, and rheologic regimes; rock structures; folds, faults, foliations; seismic parameters in tectonic studies; orogenic belts and their tectonic evolution. Lectures and lab. Prerequisites: EARTH 201, MATH 240, and PHYSICS 135-1, or consent of the instructor.  Instructed by Faculty

329-0 - Mathematical Inverse Methods in Earth and Environmental Sciences
Theory and application of inverse methods to gravity, magnetotelluric, seismic waveform, multilateration, and students’ data. Nonlinear, linearized; underdetermined, and mixed-determined problems and solution methods, such as regularized least-squares and neighborhood algorithms. Prerequisite: MATH 230, STAT 232, or equivalent; MATH 240 or STAT 320-1, 320-2 recommended. Instructor: van der Lee

330-0 - Sedimentary Geology
Review of description and classification of sedimentary rocks; principles of stratigraphy and sedimentology; methods of local, regional and global correlation; interpretation of ancient depositional systems (facies analysis); cyclostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy in the context of tectonic, eustatic, and climatic controls on deposition; tectonics and basin analysis. Prerequisite: EARTH 201 or consent of instructor.   Instructors: Sageman and Hurtgen  

331-0 - Field Problems in Sedimentary Geology
Field methods in stratigraphy and sedimentology; interpretation of depositional systems and paleoenvironments; methods of observations, data recording and analysis, and presentation of geological information (maps, cross sections). Course involves 2.5-week field trip to Colorado/Utah in late August - mid September (returning to Evanston in time for regular classes) and meets through the Fall quarter. Prerequisite: EARTH 330.   Instructors: Sageman and Hurtgen  

340-0 - Paleobiology
Review of major fossil groups and major events in the history of life: origin and early evolution of life, speciation and mass extinction, evolution of communities and ecosystems through geologic time. Application of paleobiologic methods to geologic problem solving and paleoenvironmental reconstruction (e.g., biostratigraphy, functional morphology, community paleoecology). Prerequisite: EARTH 105, 106, 201, or 203; or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Sageman  

341-0 - Quaternary Climate Change: From the Ice Age to the Age of Oil
Methods for reconstructing and dating past environmental changes, causes of natural climate change, and major climate events of the Quaternary through the present. Their relevance for understanding current climate change. Prerequisite: EARTH 201 or consent of instructor.   Instructor: Axford  

342-0 - Topics in Contemporary Energy and Climate Change
The increasing worldwide demand for energy presents a number of complex interdisciplinary challenges, from oil depletion to climate change. This class will challenge students to answer the question, How shall we power the world in the 21st century? We will examine the history and geography of energy use; links between energy and climate change; and technological, economic and environmental benefits and drawbacks of various energy sources. Prerequisite: Open to graduate students from all disciplines, senior undergraduates majoring in natural sciences or engineering, and other interested undergraduates by instructor consent. Cross listed with ISEN 410.  Instructor: Axford  

350-0 - Physics of the Earth for ISP
Introduction to geophysics for students with strong mathematics and physics backgrounds. Basic ideas in seismic wave propagation, plate tectonics, geomagnetism, geothermics, and gravity. Study of the earth's surface and the deep interior. Prerequisites: Second-year standing in ISP, or equivalent background in physics and mathematics and permission of instructor.   Instructor: Bina or Okal  

351-0 - Forming a Habitable Planet
Formation and evolution of planets permitting life; global geophysical and geochemical processes critical in our planet's development; prospects for life within our solar system and beyond; exoplanet discovery and categorization. Prerequisite: EARTH 202 or ISP 350 or PHYSICS 101 or BIOL 103 or 210 or CHEM101.   Instructors: Jurdy and Stein     Course Website  

360-0 - Instrumentation and Field Methods
Theory and practicum on electronic instrumentation for monitoring and measurement in earth sciences, including data loggers, hands-on design and construction of electronic sensors, signal processing, data management, and network design. Prerequisite: EARTH 201 or 202; or consent of instructor.  Instructors: Beddows and Van der Lee  

390-0 - Special Topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Instructor: Varies

398-0 - Undergraduate Seminar
Opportunity for advanced work through supervised reading, research and discussion. Open only by invitation of the department. Instructor: Varies

399-0 - Independent Study
Special problems under direct supervision of one or more faculty members. Comprehensive report and examination required. Open with consent of department to juniors and seniors who have completed field of concentration in the department.   Instructed by Faculty  

420-0 - Geodynamics of Active Plate Margins
Structure, motions, and active processes of modern trenches, island arcs, accretionary wedges, and consuming continental margins; analysis of selected ancient orogenic belts in a modern plate tectonic context; nature of collision, obduction, subduction, sliding, and microplate evolution; plate history of North America.   Instructed by Faculty  

421-0 - Advanced Structural Geology and Tectonics
Stress and strain analysis, mechanics of fracturing and faulting applied to the earth's crust, kinematic models of folding and faulting, plate boundary rheology and deformation models, fabric analysis techniques. Prerequisites: EARTH 328, MATH 214-3.   Instructed by Faculty  

436-0 - Sedimentology
Modern and ancient depositional environments of clastic and carbonate sediments. Sedimentary structures, geometry, provenance, diagenesis, and bioturbation in facies analysis. Oceanographic and tectonic controls on sedimentary rock facies.   Instructor: Sageman  

**Advanced Topics courses listed below may be repeated for credit with a change of topic.  

438-0 - Advanced Topics in Geophysics
Topics include tectonophysics and the bodily structure of the earth, dislocation theory in earth motions, glaciology, geochronology, and emerging and new areas of geophysics.   Instructor: Bina, Jurdy, Okal, Stein, or Van der Lee  

440-0 - Advanced Topics in Geochemistry
Topics include organic and environmental geochemistry, global cycling of elements, stable isotope geochemistry, mineral surface reactions.   Instructor: Jacobsen 

450-0 - Advanced Topics in the Geological Sciences
Topics at the frontiers of research taught by visiting or departmental faculty.   Instructed by Faculty  

451-0 - Advanced Topics in Paleoclimate
Methodology in paleoclimate: stable isotopes, paleoecological and other methods for reconstructing the past climate. Fundamental principles of climate change on the time scale of thousands to millions of years. Climate reconstructions from the Cretaceous to the present.   Instructed by Faculty  

461-0 - Advanced Topics in Plate Tectonics
Geophysical study of plate boundary and intraplate processes; intraplate earthquakes and intraplate deformation; the subduction process; physical processes at mid-ocean ridges; history of the ocean basins; evolution of the earth's mantle/crust.   Instructor: Stein  

462-0 - Advanced Topics in Seismology
Earthquake source models, normal modes of the earth, and body wave synthesis methods.   Instructor: Okal or Stein  

499-0 - Independent Study
Study of special problems under the direct supervision of one or more members of the teaching staff. A comprehensive report and/or a comprehensive examination is required.   Instructed by Faculty  

TGS 500 Advanced Doctoral Study:  Available to doctoral students who have completed the residency requirement of eight quarters of full-tuition registration within their program and are receiving aid from the University. Provides full-time status. Students may register for TGS 500 via CAESAR.

TGS 503-0 - Resident Research Continuation
Available to master's degree students on a one-year extension and to doctoral students who have been admitted to candidacy, completed all residency requirements and three quarters of TGS 599 Postcandidacy Research, and need to use University facilities to complete a dissertation. Also appropriate for students receiving financial aid or on F-1 and J-1 visas. Provides full-time status.

TGS 509 International Student Institute:  Required for all international PhD students designated as International Summer Institute Fellows. Intensive instruction in English; immersion into American social and academic culture and life.

590-0 - Research
Independent investigation of selected problems pertaining to thesis or dissertation.  (For first and second year students)