Geology (GEOL)

Processes responsible for the Earth's minerals, rocks, structure, and surface features. Volcanism; mountain building; plate tectonics; weathering. Erosion and deposition by streams, glaciers, wind and waves. Geological resources, earth hazards, and interaction of humanity with global processes. 3 lectures, 1 discussion. Fulfills GE Area B1 (GE Area B3 for students on the 2019-20 or earlier catalogs).

Individual investigation, research, studies, or surveys of selected problems. Total credit limited to 4 units, with a maximum of 2 units per quarter.

Processes responsible for the Earth's rocks, structural surface features, geologic hazards, and natural resources, with emphasis on interactions with human activities. 3 lectures.

A historical account of life on Earth interpreted from the fossil record. Paleoenvironmental controls on the rise and decline of lineages of organisms deduced from stratigraphy, and from the composition, character, and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks. Identification of fossils. 3 lectures, 1 discussion. Fulfills GE Area B1 (GE Area B5 for students on the 2019-20 or earlier catalogs).

Field trips to places of geologic interest. The Class Schedule will indicate destinations. Students must provide their own transportation, food, and camping equipment. May be repeated for a maximum of 3 units provided field trips are taken to different locations. Credit/No Credit grading only. 1 laboratory.

Properties and identification of minerals and rocks. Topographic maps and landform analysis. Geologic maps and interpretation of rock structure. 1 laboratory.

Directed group study of selected topics. The Class Schedule will list topic selected. Total credit limited to 8 units. 1 to 4 lectures.

Development and analysis of geodynamical models. Stress and strain, flexure, heat flow, faulting, and elastic waves in the solid earth. Additional topics may include fluid flow, flow of natural materials, geochronology, and equations of state in high pressure mineral physics. 4 lectures.

Introduction to scientific programming and data visualization for solving problems in the geosciences. Import and export of data, plotting data and maps, time series analysis, statistical description of data, and numerical approximations of equations. 2 lectures, 1 laboratory.

Elastic waves in layered media. Principle of the seismometer. Magnitude, seismic moment and energy calculations. Source mechanics. Major California faults and paleoseismology. Theory of plate tectonics. Seismic properties, structure, and composition of the Earth. Field trip required. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory. Fulfills GE Area Upper-Division B (GE Areas B5, B6, or B7 for students on the 2019-20 catalog).

Processes associated with melt generation and igneous crystallization with special attention to relationships with tectonic setting. Field trip required. Not open to students with credit in GEOL 310. 2 lectures, 1 laboratory.

Textures and minerals associated with the metamorphism of igneous and sedimentary rocks. Principles of metamorphic reactions and thermobarometry. Special attention to metamorphic processes in the context of plate tectonics. Field trip required. Not open to students with credit in GEOL 310. 2 lectures, 1 laboratory.

Description and analysis of stratified rock and sediment. Sedimentology, diagenesis, transgressive/regressive sequences, bedform interpretation, marine and terrestrial sediment and sedimentary-rock sequence interpretation, and sequence stratigraphy. Required field trips. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.

Individual investigations, research, studies, or surveys of selected problems. Total credit limited to 4 units, with a maximum of 2 units per quarter.

Individual investigations, research, studies, or surveys of selected problems. Credit/No Credit grading only. Total credit limited to 4 units, with a maximum of 2 units per quarter.

Recognition, interpretation, and depiction of geological structures. Understanding rock deformation through the study of faults and folds. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory. Required weekend field trips.

Collecting and interpreting field-geologic data. Description of sedimentary rocks and construction of stratigraphic columns. Mapping geologic structures in the field. Surficial geologic stratigraphy and surficial geologic mapping. Understanding geologic processes through field study. Communicating results of field study. 1 lecture, 3 activities. Crosslisted as ERSC/GEOL 416. Formerly ERSC/GEOL 401.

Bedrock geologic mapping on topographic maps and aerial photos. Surficial geologic mapping on topographic maps and aerial photos. Correlating and defining surficial geologic map units on the basis of soil development. Understanding landscape evolution using soil development 4 activities. Crosslisted as ERSC/GEOL 417. Formerly ERSC/GEOL 402.

Introduction to geophysical exploration of the shallow subsurface: seismic refraction, seismic reflection, electrical resistivity, magnetic and gravity methods. Application to determination of subsurface structure, groundwater and mineral resources. Field trip required. 2 lectures, 1 laboratory.

Directed group study of selected topics for advanced students. Open to undergraduate and graduate students. The Class Schedule will list topic selected. Total credit limited to 8 units. 1 to 4 lectures.

Directed group laboratory study of selected topics for advanced students. Open to undergraduate and graduate students. The Class Schedule will list topic selected. Total credit limited to 8 units. 1 to 4 laboratories.