Undergraduate Courses
Overview
- 100 Level (Foundation Courses)
- 200 Level (Survey Courses)
- 300 Level (Core Courses)
- 400 Level (Advanced Courses)
100 Level (Foundation Courses)
| Course/Number | Prerequisite | Description | Professor/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planet Earth 01:460:100:01 01:460:100:02 01:460:100:03 01:460:100:04 01:460:100:06 01:460:100:08 01:460:100:11 (Credits 3) |
None; designed for non-science majors and minors; PARTIALLY FULFILLS SCIENCE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL COLLEGES NOTE: Credit not given for both 460:100 and 460:101 | Introductory geology for the non-science major, designed to give a broad, basic iunderstanding of the planet on which we reside, its age and origin, composition and evolution, interrelationships of Earth's major physical systems, scientific revolutions in Earth Science, and the role the physical Earth plays in global politics and economics. | J. Browning M. Feigenson C. Lepre D. Monteverde L. Adamo P. Sugarman B. Turrin |
| Introductory Geology 01:460:101 (4) |
Course designed for all science majors and minors Required for all Geology Majors / Minors Non Science Majors / Minors SHOULD REGISTER FOR 01:460:100 Planet Earth NOTE: Credit not given for both 460:100 and 460:101 | Geological concepts, principles, processes, chemistry, and physics of the Earth and the interplay of Earth Systems. Course explores the Earth as a whole, its origin, structure, composition, history and the nature of the processes that resulted in its formation and its present state. Course includes a 3-hour laboratory sesession, previously listed as 01:460:103 | C. Swisher |
| Introductory Geology II: Historical 01:460:102 (3) |
Prerequisite: 01:460:101 | Principles and concepts of plate tectonics and reconstructing past geography and environments; the history of Earth's climate, environments, biogeochemical cycles, and life through time. Designed for majors and minors. | D. Kent J. Wright |
| Introductory Geology Laboratory 01:460:103 (1) |
Lab. 3 hrs. Pre-req 01:460:101 or 01:460:100 | Development of geologic concepts and principles through experiments and field observations. Laboratory is now part of 01:460:101. Registration for 01:460:103 lab only is by permission of instructor. | C. Swisher / Staff |
| Honors Introductory Geology Laboratory 01:460:105 (2) | Lab. 6 hrs. Pre- or corequisite: 01:460:101 | Fundamentals of physical geology. Field observations and measurements of geologic processes and outcrops. | D. Kent |
| Sea Change: The rise and fall of sea level and the Jersey shore 01:460:110 (3) |
Signature class for all students; recitation meets every other week. |
History of climate and sea-level change over the past billion years | K. Miller |
| Introduction to Oceanography 01:460:120 (3) | P. Rona |
200 Level (Survey Courses)
| Course/Number | Prerequisite | Description | Professor/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquakes and Volcanoes01:460:201 (3) | Plate tectonics and the origin of earthquakes and volcanoes: causes, mechanisms, consequences, and effect on man.Prof. | M. Carr V. Levin L. Adamo |
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| Environmental Geology 01:460:202 (3) | Analyses of issues and case studies related to cleaning of the environment, finding and using resources, predicting and mitigating natural disasters, and understanding global change. | P. Sugarman | |
| Building and Maintaining a Habitable Planet 01:460:203(3) |
Understanding human-cause environmental changes in the context of Earth's 4.6 billion year history. Geological and human timescales; planetary habitability; planetary, biological, and civilizational flows of energy and entropy; feedbacks between life, the carbon cycle, and climate; the evolution of complex life; human alterations of the Earth system; intelligent life in the universe. | R. Kopp | |
| Water Planet 01:460:204 (3) | Survey of the science, environmental impact, and resource allocation of water on the Earth. Characteristics of water; hydrologic cycle; runoff and erosion; river systems; past and present climates; water quality; political and economic aspects of water. | Y. Rosenthal | |
| Dinosaurs 01:460:206 (3) | Survey of dinosaurian evolution and diversity. Discovery and collection; reconstruction of anatomy, behavior, physiology, and habitats; origin, evolutionary radiation, and extinction. |
G. McGhee L. Adamo |
|
| Earth's Resources and the Global Economy01:460:207 (3) | Geological occurrence, exploration, production, and distribution of oil/gas, mineral ores, and interrelationships to world politics and the global economy. World events during the course will be tracked and evaluated as to impact on the supply and demand of oil, gas and mineral commodities. Prerreqs: 460:100 or 460:101 suggested |
M. Withjack |
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| The Last 11,000 Years01:460:208 (3) | Geologic events since the last ice age. Sea-level changes, volcanism, earthquakes, climatic change, erosional and depositional effects. Ancient record of events, myths | Staff (this class was not offered in the last three years) |
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| Exploration of the Oceans 01:460:209 (3) | Geological and geophysical exploration techniques; deep sea drilling; continental shelves; deep ocean basins; plate tectonics; coral reefs; offshore petroleum exploration; marine archaeological discoveries; Monitor, Titanic. | P. Rona | |
| Earth and Life Through Time 01:460:212 (3) | Relationships between the development of Earth and its continents and oceans, atmosphere and climate, and the evolution of life through time. Designed for non-majors. | M.P Aubry | |
| Planet Mars (Mars, The Next Frontier)01:460:222 (3) |
Prerequisite Planet Earth 01:460:100 and Intro Geology 01:460:101 recommended, but not required |
Planet Mars is the next frontier. Cross-disciplinary evidence for the formation and evolution of the planet over 4.56 billion years and the Martian climate system will be explored. Interpretation of Mars' surface from current and future space missions will be used to search for likely landing sites on the planet. | J. Delaney G. Ashley |
| Geology of the Moons and Planets 01:460:224 (3) | Origin, composition, and evolution of the solar system, meteorites, comets, asteroids, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Saturn and its satellites, Uranus, and Neptune. | Staff (this class was not offered in the last three years) |
300 Level (Core Courses)
| Course/Number | Prerequisite | Description | Professor/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineralogy 01:460:301 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:160:161-162 | Introduction to crystallography, optics and crystal chemistry, systematics of rock-forming minerals. Laboratory: crystal chemical calculations, minerals in hand specimen and thin section. | C. Herzberg |
| Petrology 01:460:302 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 01:460:301. | Geological setting, and origin of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Laboratory: hand specimens and thin sections of igneous and metamorphic rocks. | C. Herzberg |
| Paleontology 01:460:303 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 01:460:101. | The principles of paleontology. Classification, relationships, and evolutionary history of invertebrate fossils. Laboratory study of morphology of invertebrates | G. McGhee |
| Evolution and Geologic Time 01:460:305 (3) | Prerequisite: 01:460:101 | Introduction to the concept of deep time and overview of major events in the evolution of life on earth. Evolutionary patterns and processes through the last 600 million years. | M.-P. Aubry |
| Structural Geology 01:460:307 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:460:101,103, 301 and CALC2; Corequisite: 01:460:341. | Investigation of how rocks deform on various scales using field examples, results of scaled experimental modeling, and seismic-reflection profiles. Topics include: geometry and origin of brittle and ductile structures; strain, stress, and rheology; deformation mechanisms; introduction to tectonics and regional structural geology. | R. Schlische & M. Withjack |
| Sedimentary Geology 01:460:330 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3hrs. Prerequisite: 01:460:101. Credit not given for both this course and 01:460:340 or 341. | Interpretation of sedimentary rocks; their relation to depositional environment and processes. Analysis of sedimentary sequrences in time and space. Principles of correlation. | C. Feibel |
| Fundamentals of Mineralogy and Petrology 01:460:331 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 01:460:101. Credit not given for both this course and 01:460:301 or 302. | Systematics of rock-forming minerals. Description, geologic setting, and origin of igneous and metamorphic rocks. | M. Feigenson |
| Sedimentology 01:460:340 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 01:460:101. | Interpretation of sediments and sedimentary rocks, with emphasis on processes in recent sedimentary environments and their ancient analogs. | G. Ashley |
| Stratigraphy 01:460:341 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 01:460:340. | Analysis of sedimentary rocks of earth's crust; their distribution in time and space; principles of correlation. Interpretation of seismic reflection records. | K. Miller |
| Geology Colloquium 01:460:355,356 (1) | Lec. and discussions 1 hr. | New research in geology presented by visiting speakers and Rutgers scientists. For Geology majors and minors only. | M. Feigenson |
400 Level (Advanced Courses)
| Course/Number | Prerequisite | Description | Professor/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Geochemistry 01:460:401 (4) | Prerequisite: 01:460:301 | Application of chemical principles and techniques to geologic problems. Geochemical structure of the earth, element distribution, Eh-Ph diagrams, and phase-equilibrium diagrams. | M. Feigenson |
| Ore Deposits 01:460:402 (3) | Prerequisite: 01:460:302. | Geochemistry, mineralogy, and origin of ore deposits. Physical- chemical, ore-forming processes and their relation to geologic environment. | M. Feigenson |
| Geomorphology 01:460:408 (3) | Lec. 3 hrs., field trips. Prerequisite: 01:460:101 or equivalent. | The evolution and classification of landforms and the processes involved in their development. | G. Ashley |
| Field Geology 01:460:410 (3) | Lec. 1hr., lab. 6 hrs. Prerequisites: Structural Geology AND Stratigraphy or Sedimentary Geology; OR permission of instructor | Capstone investigation of the geology of the Fundy rift basin, maritime Canada, integrating sedimentology, stratigraphy, and structural geology. Students gain skills in geologic mapping on air-photo and topographic base maps; construction of geological maps and cross sections; interpretations of seismic-reflection profiles; preparation of oral presentation and written report. | R. Schlische & M. Withjack (this class was not offered in the last three years) |
| Geologic Field Methods 01:460:411 (2) | Lec. 1 hr., lab. 6 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:460:302,307, and 341; or permission of instructor | Introduction to geological mapping and related field investigations in the Fundy rift basin, maritime Canada; construction of geological maps and cross sections; interpretation of seismic-reflection profiles. | R. Schlische & M. Withjack |
| Introduction to Geophysics 01:460:412 (4) | Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Pre- or corequisites: 01:460:101 and 01:750:204, or permission of instructor | Principles of seismic exploration, refraction, reflection, deep earth seismology, gravity, magnetics, electrical surveys, heat flow. Application of geophysical techiques to the study of the subsurface | V. Levin G. Mountain |
| Hydrologic Processes 01:460:414 (3) |
Lec. 3 hrs., Prerequisites: 01:640:CALC2 and 01:750:204, or permission of the instructor | Introduction to physical principles of water cycling through the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, with emphasis on water storage, flux, and flow pathways among the various reservoirs near the land surface. | Ying Fan Reinfelder |
| Environmental Geochemistry 01:460:417 (3) | Pre- or corequisites: 01:460:101, 01:160:162. | Distribution of elements in the sedimentary environment; behavior of trace metals in sediments and waters. | N. Yee |
| Geological Modeling 01:460:418 (3) | Pre- or corequisites: 01:460:301, 307, 340, and 341. | Computer techniques for collection, processing, interpretation, and presentation of geological and geophysical data. Computer-based modeling exercises in geologic and geophysical exploration and environment assessment. | M. Carr |
| Remote Sensing for Geological Sciences 01:460:427 (3) | Introductory Geology I: Physical (01:460:101). Co-requisite(s) (if any): Structural Geology (01:460:307), Stratigraphy (01:460:341) or Sedimentary Geology (01:460:330) or by permission of instructor |
An applied course focusing on hands-on methods for extracting useful geologic information from aerial and/or satellite imagery. Topics covered include: EM characteristics of rocks, identifying geologic features in imagery, extracting geologic phenomena with image processing techniques, and mapping geologic data within a GIS. Concepts are relevant for environmental, energy, and planetary geology applications. | David Gwynn (this class was not offered in the last three years) |
| Hydrogeology 01:460:428 (3) | Prerequisites: 01:640:CALC2, 01:750:204, and 01:460:101, or permission of the instructor. | Introduction to physical and chemical principles of fluid flow and mass transport through geologic media, with emphasis on quantitative characterization of groundwater systems. | Ying Fan Reinfelder |
| Tectonics and Regional Structural Geology 01:460:429 (3) | Prerequisite: 01:460:307 | Theories of tectonics, regional tectonotratigraphic analysis, development of the earth's Phanerozoic orogens. | R. Schlische |
| The Quaternary Period 01:460:434 (3) | Lec. 3 hrs., field trips. Prerequisite: 01:460:101 or equivalent. | The last 2 1/2 milllion years has been a time of climate change. The course includes methods used to determine time and extent of continental-scale ice sheets; history of sea level change and appearance of land bridges; animal migrations; peopling of the New World; and paleo indians of New Jersey. |
C. Feibel |
| Marine Geology 01:460:451 (3) | Prerequisite: 01:460:341 | Current knowledge and approaches to studying the Earth covered by ocean, from the shoreline to the deepest trench. The depth and form of the seafloor as the lower boundary and modifier of the water that moves above it. The composition of marine sediments, modes of transport into and within ocean basins plus the global cycles and history they record. Geologic and geophysical tools used to determine this record and infer properties and evolution of ocean crust | G. Mountain J. Wright |
| Paleoecology 01:460:453 (3) | Prerequisites: 01:460:303 and 341, or permission of instructor. | Evolution in an ecological context: analysis of ancient living systems; evolution of marine ecosystems in geologic time. | G. McGhee |
| History of the Earth System 01:460:476 (3) | Prerequisites: Introductory Chemistry, Biology and Physics (or by permission of the Instructor). | Integration of atmospheric, oceanographic, geological and biological concepts with an historical perspective to introduce the major processes that have shaped Earth's environment; climatic processes on geological time scales; the evolution of organisms; the cycling of elements; the feedbacks between these processes. | P. Falkowski |
| Independent Studies in Geology 01:460:493,94 (3) | Prerequisites: Minimum 3.0 cumulative and geology grade-point averages. Adviser's approval required for registration | Topic of study chosen in consultation with a faculty adviser. | |
| Honors in Geology 01:460:495,96 (3) | Both terms must be completed to receive credit. See Departmental Honors Program | Research project chosen in consultation with a faculty adviser. |
Wright-Rieman Laboratories