| Earth Sciences |
ESCI 803 - Fluvial Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Mechanics of natural open channel flows: forces, the
continuity and energy principles, velocity distributions,
flow resistance, fluvial erosion and sediment transport,
channel form, computation of flow profiles, weirs, hydraulic
jumps, and streamflow routing. Lab and field exercises.
Prereq: one year each of calculus and physics. Special fee.
ESCI 805 - Principles of Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Physical principles important in the land phase of the
hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, snow melt,
infiltration and soil physics, and surface and subsurface
flow to streams. Problems of measurement and aspects of
statistical treatment of hydrologic data. Field trips.
Transportation fee. Prereq: one semester of calculus and one
year of physics. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI #808 - Hydrology and Water Resources
Credits:
3.00
Interrelations of hydrologic data and analysis with the
environmental, economic, and legal aspects of water
resources management. Examines local, national, and global
water-resource problems. Prereq: ESCI 805; basic statistics;
or permission.
ESCI 810 - Groundwater Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Principles for fluid flow in porous media with emphasis on
occurrence, location, and development of groundwater, but
with consideration of groundwater as a transporting medium.
Major topics include well hydraulics, regional groundwater
flow, exploration techniques, and chemical quality.
Laboratory exercises involve use of fluid, electrical, and
digital computer models to illustrate key concepts. Prereq:
ESCI 805 or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 815 - Global Atmospheric Chemistry
Credits:
3.00
Introduction to the principles of atmospheric chemistry and
their relationship to biogeochemical cycles, climate, and
global change. Focus is on understanding the basic physical
and chemical processes that determine the trace gas
distribution in the global troposphere. An introduction to
atmospheric vertical structure and global circulation
dynamics provides the foundation. Chemical cycles of
important C, S, and N molecules examined, including their
possible perturbation by human activities. Basic
photochemical processes outlined, particularly with respect
to reactive nitrogen hydrocarbons, and the
production/destruction of ozone. Prereq: one year college
chemistry. (Also offered as EOS 815.)
ESCI 817 - Macro-scale Hydrology I
Credits:
4.00
Focus on the numerous roles of water in the Earth System.
Topics include the global water cycle, impacts of the
greenhouse effect and other anthropogenic disturbances,
hydrologic modeling, soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer
schemes, water quality, GIS and water-related remote sensing
tools. Based on extensive reading of current scientific
literature, the students and instructor jointly select a
research topic in macro-scale hydrology which will result in
the preparation of a manuscript for publication in a
refereed scientific journal. Course designed to be taken
two consecutive semesters (fall and spring). Prereq:
principles of hydrology or permission. (Also offered as
EOS 817.)
ESCI 818 - Macro-scale Hydrology II
Credits:
4.00
Students and instructors jointly select a research topic in
macro-scale hydrology to be analyzed in depth during the
course of the semester. A primary goal is the preparation of
a manuscript for publication in a refereed scientific
journal. Extensive library research, reading of recent and
relevant scientific literature, technical analysis, writing.
Course designed to be taken two consecutive semesters
(fall and spring). Prereq: macro-scale hydrology I. (Also
offered as EOS 818.) (Alternate years only.)
ESCI 825 - Igneous Petrology
Credits:
4.00
The evolution of igneous rocks as determined from field,
petrographic, chemical, experimental, and theoretical
studies. Application of thermodynamics to igneous
petrogenesis. Physical properties of magmas. Prereq:
mineralogy; petrography; adequate background in calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
(Offered alternate years with ESCI 826.)
ESCI 826 - Metamorphic Petrology
Credits:
4.00
The metamorphism of pelitic, mafic, and calc silicate rocks
as determined from field, petrographic, mineral chemistry,
experimental, and theoretical studies. Closed- and
open-system reactions, multisystems, reaction space.
Calculation of pressure, temperature, time paths. Prereq:
mineralogy; petrography; adequate background in calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
(Offered alternate years with ESCI 825.)
ESCI 832 - Regional Geology and Advanced Structure
Credits:
4.00
Readings, discussion, and field/lab exercises in the
tectonic analysis of mountain systems. Emphasis on the
northern Appalachian Orogen. Application of modern
structural analysis. Prereq: structural geology or
permission. Field excursion; lab fee.
ESCI 834 - Applied Geophysics
Credits:
4.00
Gravity, magnetic, seismic, and electrical methods of
investigating subsurface geology. Fieldwork and use of
computers in data analysis. Prereq: one year of calculus;
introductory geology; one year of college physics;/ or
permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 841 - Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Thermodynamics applied to geologic processes; geochemical
differentiation of the earth; the principles and processes
that control the distribution and migration of elements in
geological environmentsl; stable and radiogenic isotopes in
geologic processes. Prereq: one year of mineralogy or
permission.
ESCI #845 - Isotope Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Discussion of element abundance and isotope formation;
radioactive decay as applied to geologic systems, detailed
investigation of K-Ar, Rb-Sr, U-Pb, and Sm-Nd systems, and
geologic-oceanographic applications of stable isotopes. Lab
involves mass spectrometric and chemical techniques of
isotopic analysis. Course includes the completion of a
laboratory project. Prereq: ESCI 841 or permission. Special
fee. Lab.
ESCI 846 - Analytical Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the theory, instrumentation, and
applications of analytical methods in geochemistry. Prereq:
one year of chemistry or geochemistry;/ or permission.
Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 847 - Aqueous Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Processes that determine the geochemical characteristics of
water bodies. Emphasis on the geochemical continuum of
terrestrial water and its geochemical evolution. Topics
include the influence of cyclic salts, the nature of
weathering reactions, the CO2-CACO3 system, the
formation and dissolution of salts and authigenic mineral
formation. Prereq: one year of chemistry or geochemistry;/
or permission. Lab.
ESCI 850 - Biological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Biological processes of the oceans, including primary and
secondary production, trophodynamics, plankton diversity,
zooplankton ecology, ecosystems and global ocean dynamics.
Field trips on R/V Gulf Challenger and to the Jackson
Estuarine Laboratory. Prereq: one year of biology or
permission of instructor. (Also offered as ZOOL 850,
EOS 850.) Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ESCI 852 - Chemical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
Water structure, chemical composition, and equillibrium
models; gas exchange; biological effects on chemistry;
trace metals; and analytical methods. Prereq: permission.
Optional 1 credit lab (see ESCI 852L).
ESCI 852L - Chemical Oceanography Lab
Credits:
1.00
Optional lab for ESCI 852. Includes short cruise aboard
R/V Gulf Challenger. Coreq: ESCI 852. Special fee.
Co-requisites:
ESCI 852
ESCI 854 - Sedimentary Rocks and Stratigraphy
Credits:
4.00
Examine observational and interpretative techniques to
evaluate sedimentary rocks in their stratigraphic context.
The relationship between time, space, and deposition is
assessed using a problem solving approach based on real
geological examples. Topics such as facies analysis,
stratigraphic correlation, and basin analysis provide the
framework to interpret the stratigraphic record of earth
history. Prereq: optical mineralogy and petrography or
permission. Special fee. Lab and field trip.
ESCI 855 - Analytical Techniques for Sediments
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
A laboratory course focusing on applied analytical
techniques geoscientists use in sediment sampling;
coarse- and fine-grained textural analysis, and some
aspects of mineralogical composition. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI #856 - Estuarine Sedimentation
Credits:
4.00
Examines all aspects of estuarine sedimentation from erosion
and transportation to deposition. Emphasis on fine-grained
estuarine sediments and factors affecting particulate matter
transport. Animal/sediment and plant/sediment interactions
are considered in detail, including the salt marsh
environment. Includes an in-depth field research project
in the student's area of interest. Subject matter is
relevant to students in related disciplines where
animal/plant/sediment relationships are important. Lab.
ESCI 858 - Introduction to Physical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
A descriptive treatment of atmosphere-ocean interaction;
general wind-driven and thermohaline ocean circulation;
waves and tides; continental shelf and near-shore processes;
instrumentation and methods used in ocean research.
Simplified conceptual models demonstrate the important
principles. Prereq: college physics; introduction to
oceanography;/ or permission.
ESCI 859 - Geological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Major geological features and processes of the ocean floor;
geological and geophysical methods; plate tectonics. Prereq:
permission. Lab.
ESCI #860 - Introductory Dynamic Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
Basic physical laws governing ocean and atmospheric
circulation under the influence of Earth rotation, density
stratification, and friction. Topics include surface waves,
wind-driven and thermohaline ocean circulation,
ocean/atmosphere interaction, instabilities, fronts, and
climate. Simplified mathematical models demonstrate the
important principles. Prereq: college physics and
differential equations or permission. (Also offered as
EOS 860.)
ESCI 862 - Glacial Geology
Credits:
4.00
The glacial environment: glacier dynamics and glacial
erosion and deposition. Review of world glacial statigraphy
in light of causes of glaciation and climatic change. Field
trips. Prereq: introduction to geology; geomorphology;/ or
permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI #863 - Glacier Research
Credits:
4.00
Glaciers as proxy indicators of climatic change with
specific emphasis on the interpretation of physical and
chemical time series collected from glaciers. Field and
laboratory work is used as a tool in the course. Prereq:
geomorphology; glacial geology; one year of college
calculus; one semester each of college physics and
chemistry;/ or permission.
ESCI 864 - Introductory Paleoclimate Analysis
Credits:
4.00
An overview of paleoclimate indicators for the last one
million years in the context of global teleconnections
(atmosphere-lithosphere-hydrosphere-cryosphere) and
mathematical tools developed to interpret and link the
different records of climate change. Prereq: one year
calculus; one year chemistry; basic statistics;/ or
permission. (Also offered as EOS 864.)
ESCI 865 - Natural Climate Variability
Credits:
4.00
Review of paleoclimate over the last several billion years
of Earth history with particular emphasis on paleoclimate
indications and major events. Prereq: permission. (Also
(Also listed as EOS 865.) Lab. (Alternate years only.)
ESCI 870 - Introduction to Ocean Mapping
Credits:
4.00
An introduction to the principles and practice of
hydrography and ocean mapping. Methods for the
measurement and definition of the configuration of the
bottoms and adjacent land areas of oceans, lakes, rivers,
estuaries, harbors and other water areas, and the tides or
water levels and currents that occur in those bodies of
water. (Also listed as OE 870.) Prereq: college physics.
Lab.
ESCI 871 - Geodesy and Positioning for Ocean Mapping
Credits:
3.00
The science and technology of acquiring, managing, and
displaying geographically referenced information; the size
and shape of the earth, datums and projections;
determination of precise positioning of points on the earth
and the sea , including classical terrestrial-based methods
and satellite-based methods; shoreline mapping, nautical
charting and electronic charts.
ESCI 895 - Topics in Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Study on an individual or group basis in geologic,
hydrologic, or oceanographic problems, under members of the
graduate staff. Topics include: geochemistry, geomorphology,
geophysics; glaciology; groundwater, structural, and
regional geology; crystallography, mineralogy; petrology;
thermodynamics; ore deposits; earth resource policy;
paleontology; sedimentation; stratigraphy; water resources
management; chemical, physical, and geological oceanography;
earth systems; earth science teaching methods. Prereq:
permission of staff concerned. May be repeated.
ESCI 896 - Topics in Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
See description for ESCI 895.
ESCI 897 - Earth Sciences Colloquium
Credits:
Presentation of recent research in the earth sciences by
guest speakers and department faculty. May be taken four
times. Credit/Fail.
ESCI 898 - Directed Research
Credits:
2.00
Research project on a specified topic in the Earth Sciences,
guided by a faculty member. Credit/Fail.
ESCI 899 - Master's Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 6.00
Credit/Fail.
ESCI 903 - Advanced Hydrology
Credits:
3.00
Application of quantitative methods to selected hydrologic
problems. Critical examination of deterministic and
stochastic models with emphasis on conceptualizing the
hydrologic problem, developing appropriate models, obtaining
solutions, and evaluating models and solutions in terms of
basic assumptions, data requirements, and verification of
results. Prereq: ESCI 805; computer methods; basic
statistics.
ESCI 904 - Contaminant Hydrology
Credits:
3.00
Physical mechanisms of the migration and dispersion of
miscible and immiscible contaminants through the saturated
and unsaturated zone. Deterministic and stochastic models of
transport phenomena including both analytical and numerical
solutions. Term project. Prereq: groundwater hydrology;
college chemistry; and computer methods. (Offered alternate
years.)
ESCI 906 - Statistical Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Application of statistical principles to hydrologic
problems. Covers laws of probability; parameter estimation;
discrete and continuous distributions of importance in
hydrology, inference, regression and multivariate analysis,
and elementary time series analysis. Prereq: ESCI 805; basic
statistics;/or permission. (Offered alternate years with
ESCI 803.)
ESCI #907 - Geostatistics
Credits:
3.00
Introduction to statistical methods of quantifying spatial
variability with emphasis on the application of these
methods to the earth and environmental sciences. Topics
including sampling strategy; variography; kriging;
simulation; and Monte Carlo techniques. Prereq: basic
statistics or permission. (Offered alternate years.)
ESCI 934 - Advanced Applied Geophysics
Credits:
4.00
Exploration methods including gravity, magnetics,
electromagnetics, and seismics at an advanced level.
Modern methods of interpretation as well as basic physics
and geological applications. Prereq: ESCI 834; elementary
computer programming; differential equations recommended.
Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ESCI #942 - Sedimentary Geochemistry
Credits:
3.00
Chemistry of recent and ancient estuarine, marine, and
lacustrine sediments, emphasizing both kinetic and
thermodynamic principles in the understanding of
biogeochemical processes, authigenic mineral formation, and
pore water chemistry in these environments. (Offered
alternate years.)
ESCI 952 - Advanced Chemical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00 or 4.00
Readings on physical, chemical, and biological processes
that affect the distribution of chemical components in
estuaries and the open ocean. Lab includes projects
investigating selected processes. Prereq: ESCI 852 or
permission.
ESCI #954 - Advanced Sedimentation
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
Extensive readings and discussions of original sources and
relevant literature dealing with sedimentation concepts.
Field project directed toward prethesis research. Prereq:
ESCI 854; 856;/ or permission. (Not offered every year.)
ESCI 958 - Dynamical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
The hydrodynamics of such ocean phenomena as waves, tides,
and ocean turbulence; wind-driven circulation on the
continental shelf and deep ocean is treated in detail.
Prereq: ESCI 858; ME 807;/ or permission. (Not offered every
year.)
ESCI 959 - Data Analysis Methods in Ocean and Earth Sciences
Credits:
4.00
Methods of analysis of oceanographic, geophysical,
geological, and environmental data. Introductory tutorial on
important mathematical concepts precedes the development of
the bases for a number of data analysis techniques; digital
filtering, regression analysis, cross-spectral analysis,
objective analysis, and elementary inversion theory, etc.
Students use these techniques on real data. Prereq:
differential equations or equivalent.
ESCI #962 - Glaciology
Credits:
3.00 or 4.00
Physical principles controlling glacier activity and the
implications of glacial activity in the context of current
scientific problems. Prereq: geomorphology; glacial geology;
one year of college calculus; one semester each of college
physics and chemistry;/ or permission. Lab and/or field
project optional. (Offered alternate years.)
ESCI 964 - Advanced Paleoclimate Analysis
Credits:
4.00
Extensive readings and problem solving concerned with the
interpretation of climate change focused on new developments
in the interpretation of ice core records. Ice core records
viewed as a framework for other proxy records of climatic
change and as analogs for future change. Prereq: ESCI 864
or EOS 864;/ or permission. (Also offered as EOS 964.) May
be repeated.
ESCI 972 - Hydrographic Field Course
Credits:
4.00
A lecture, lab, and field course on the methods and
procedures for the aquisition and processing of
hydrographic and ocean mapping data. Practical
experience in planning and conducting hydrographic
surveys. Includes significant time underway (day trips
and possible multi-day cruises) aboard suvey vessel(s).
Prereq: Introductory Hydrography, Geodesy Positioning for
Ocean Mapping; or permission. Special fee. (Also listed as
OE 972.)
ESCI 973 - Seafloor Characterization
Credits:
3.00
Remote characterization of seafloor properties using
acoustic (echo sounders, sub-bottom profilers, side-scan,
multibeam and interferometric sonars) and optical (video and
laser linescanner) methods. Models of sound interaction with
the seafloor will be explored as well as a range of possible
geologic, geotechnical, morphologic, acoustic, and biologic
descripters. Prereq: permission. (Also listed as OE 973.)
ESCI 995 - Advanced Topics in Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced work on an individual or group basis. Prereq:
permission. May be repeated.
ESCI 996 - Advanced Topics in Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced work on an individual or group basis. Prereq:
permission. May be repeated.
ESCI 997 - Seminar in Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00
Readings, discussion, and presentation of recent
investigations in the earth sciences. Required of all M.S.
students in Earth Sciences. Credit/Fail.
ESCI 998 - Proposal Development
Credits:
1.00
Introduction to research in the earth sciences and
development of thesis and directed research proposals.
Required of all M.S. students in Earth Sciences.
ESCI 999 - Doctoral Research
Credits: