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Augustana Geology Curriculum
MAJOR IN GEOLOGY. (30 credits): 101 or 105, 201, 301, 309, 325, 340, 403, 450, and 451, plus three additional geology credits. Required supporting courses (15 credits): Chemistry 121-122, Mathematics 219, and either (a) two from Physics 101-102-103 or 201-202-203 or (b) one from either Physics sequence and Geography 373. Recommended supporting courses for students planning graduate study include summer field work, computer science, biology, geographic information systems, and additional chemistry, mathematics, physics, and geology courses. MAJOR FOR TEACHING EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE. The approved program may be obtained from the department chair. See also the Director of Secondary Education. MINOR IN GEOLOGY. 16 credits, including 9 at the 200- to 400-level. GEOLOGY DEGREE WITH DISTINCTION. Students can earn a departmental distinction upon successful completion of both a superior senior research thesis, GL 451, and the geology degree with a GPA ³ 3.5 for all geology courses and the supporting courses that are required for the major. COURSES (GL) 101 [NB] (PN, I) Physical Geology (3) Introduction to earth materials (minerals and rocks), structures, composition, and dynamic processes (e.g., volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, weathering, erosion) of the Earth. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week and optional field trips; not for credit after GL105. 105 [NB] (PN,I) Summer Field Course: Physical Geology in the Rocky Mountains (3) Introduction to earth materials and processes during a rigorous 2 1/2-week August field study in Wyoming and South Dakota. Priority given to incoming first-year students. Prerequisite for currently enrolled students: first-year standing and consent of the instructors. Not for credit after GL101. 112 [NB] (PN, I) Dinosaurs and Extinction (3) The role of dinosaurs in Earth history. Dinosaur evolution, the environments to which they adapted, and theories that attempt to explain their mass extinction. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. Lab study will involve specimens in the Fryxell Geology Museum collection. 115 [NB] (PN, I) Environmental Geology (3) Introduction to the
application of geological concepts to the study of environmentally related
issues. Variable format; course may emphasize different topics such as
geological hazards (earthquakes, volcanic activity, floods, mass
movement), earth resources (mineral, energy, soil, water), and pollution
(waste disposal and other health hazards). Includes one two-hour
laboratory per week and optional field trips. 172 [NB] (PN,I) Summer Field Course: Fossil Mammals of the Badlands (3) 10-day summer field study in the Nebraska/South Dakota Badlands. Students will study the geologic setting of the Badlands followed by a search for Oligocene (30-million-year-old) fossil mammals. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. 201 [NB] Historical Stratigraphy (3) The study of stratigraphic principles used to study the physical and biological history of the Earth, followed by an overview of Earth history. Prerequistite: 101. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. 301 [NB] Mineralogy (3) An introduction to the building blocks of the solid Earth — minerals. The fundamentals of crystallography (2-D & 3-D symmetry of crystal structures), crystal and mineral chemistry, and the stabilities and occurrences of silicate minerals. Practical identification of silicate minerals in hand samples and in thin-sections and grain mounts using polarizing light microscopy. Prerequisites: 101 or 105 and Chemistry 122; CH 122 may be taken concurrently. Includes one three-hour laboratory per week. 309 [NB] Geomorphology (3) Quantitative analyses of the surficial geological processes and the landforms which they produce. Prerequisite: 101 or 105. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. 325 [NB] Paleontology (3) Study of the principles of paleobiology including methods of classification and interpretation of the fossil record. Also, systematic study of the major groups of invertebrate and vertebrate animals that have evolved since the beginning of the Cambrian. Prerequisite: 201 or Biology 200. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. 330 [NB] Hydrogeology (3) The study of physicochemical aspects of water and contaminant flow at the earth's surface and through subsurface earth materials. Includes case studies of environmental groundwater problems. Prerequisites: 101 or 105 and Mathematics 219. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. 340 [NB] Structural Geology and Tectonics (3) Quantitative study of rock structures (e.g. folds, faults and fabrics) and the forces that cause them. In addition, students study large-scale plate tectonic processes and regional geology. Prerequisite: 101 or 105. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. 370 Special Topics (1-3+) Intensive study of geologic topics, usually in connection with forthcoming departmental field trips. Prerequisite: 101 or 105. Variable format. 372 [NB] Summer Field Course: Fossil Mammals of the Badlands (3) Ten-day summer field study in the Nebraska/South Dakota Badlands. Students will study the stratigraphy and depositional environments of the Badlands followed by a search for Oligocene (30-million-year-old) fossil mammals. Prerequisite: prior coursework in geology and consent of the instructor. 403 [NB] Petrology (3) Quantitative analyses of the geologic processes and phase relationships of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, with emphasis on igneous systems. Prerequisites: 201 and 301. Includes one two-hour laboratory per week. 450 Research Methods (3) Planning and development of a research proposal involving literature searches, group discussions, and analytical instrumentation instruction in preparation for the required Senior Research project (GL 451). Prerequisite: consent of instructor and department chair. 451 Senior Research (3) A required research project, performed under the direction of a faculty advisor, culminating in both a written thesis and a public oral presentation. Prerequisite: 450. Individual Studies 199, 299, 399, 499 Directed Study (1+) Opportunity for students to study a particular subject under a faculty member's direction. Prerequisite: consent of instructor and department chair. |
Geology is a discipline that addresses both the materials that comprise
the Earth and the processes of Earth formation and evolution.
Subdisciplines include, but are not limited to: the study of life and
evolution as preserved in the rock record; the study of the resources upon
which our industrial society is based; the study of environmental problems
and remedial solutions; the study of geologic hazards and hazard
mitigation. As such an encompassing field, the modern interdisciplinary study of geology relies upon
mastery of geological principles and oral and written communications skills as well as the application of fundamental
principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics to complex
Earth systems.