Introduction to geoscience focusing on human activities as agents of geologic change. Examines human planetary processes in our current epoch, the Anthropocene. Provides a novel frame for contemporary environmental issues such as climate change, sustainability, mass extinctions, land use, and waste disposal. Interaction between earthly processes and human affairs. CA 3.

A reconstruction of the Mesozoic world of the dinosaurs based on paleontological and geological evidence. Past and present environmental catastrophes leading to mass extinctions and changes in biodiversity. Fundamental concepts of geology, stratigraphy, historical geology, and paleoclimatology. CA 3.

Origin and history of planet Earth, emphasizing how rock, air, water, and life interact at different scales to produce the earth's crust, landforms, life systems, natural resources, catastrophes, and climatic regimes. Provides a scientific context for human-induced global change. CA 3-LAB.

Origin and history of planet Earth, emphasizing how rock, air, water, and life interact at different scales to produce the earth's crust, landforms, life systems, natural resources, catastrophes, and climatic regimes. Provides a scientific context for human-induced global change. Students who complete both ERTH 1051 and 1052 may request that ERTH 1051 be converted to a CA 3 Laboratory course. CA 3.

Laboratory complement to ERTH 1010, 1051, 1055, and 1070. Provides an opportunity to work with specimens (minerals, fossils, rocks), terrain images, maps, physical models, and simulation experiments. Includes local field trips. Students who complete both ERTH 1052 and one of ERTH 1010, 1051, 1055 or 1070 may request that the prerequisite be converted to a CA 3 Laboratory course.

An Honors Core course. Foundation course in geology linked to the American Landscape through readings from American history and literature. Students who complete both ERTH 1055 and ERTH 1052 may request that ERTH 1055 be converted to a CA 3 Laboratory course. CA 3.

(Also offered as GEOG 1070.) Climate change, global warming, natural hazards, earth surface processes, and the impact these have on human populations now and in the past. Students who complete both ERTH 1070 and ERTH 1052 may request that ERTH 1070 be converted to a CA 3 Laboratory course. CA 3.

An exploration of different aspects of Earth and environmental science involving human planetary impacts that hones the writing skills used for different modes of communication. Geoscience topics will involve climate change, natural hazards, natural resources, earth history, geo-education, and landscape interpretation. Modes of communication will include some combination of field notes, oral presentations, interviews, videos, podcasts, websites, essays, opinions, reviews, and technical articles.

(Also offered as GEOG 2310E.) Geologic processes that create the Earth’s iconic landscapes through the study of National Parks, Monuments, and Seashores. Plate tectonics, climate and biotic change, natural hazards, Earth materials and resources, environmental conservation, and the interactions between human society and the natural world.

Introduction to earth system science, geoscience research methods, and professional practice through lab work, field work in UConn Forest, visits to faculty labs, and culminating project.

An introduction to atmospheric science, including a history of the field, features of the atmosphere, weather forecasting, a geologic history of climate change, and the impact of anthropogenic systems. CA 3.

Reconstruction of earth history from geological data. Processes and events responsible for the stratigraphic record, and techniques used to decipher it. An integrated survey of earth history. One or more weekend field trips may be required.

Processes responsible for the formation of the unconsolidated materials, landforms, and soils which constitute the Earth's surface. Introduction to surface-water and groundwater hydrology, geological hazards and the effects of climatic change. One or more weekend field trips may be required.

Description and interpretation of geological structures; stress and strain; contractional, extensional, and strike-slip tectonics; survey of New England geology; and application of principles of structural geology to environmental issues. One full-day field trip on a weekend may be required.

Principles of symmetry and crystal chemistry and the identification of minerals by hand sample, petrographic and x-ray methods. Description of the mineralogy and texture of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and the application of contemporary petrogenetic models to the interpretation of the geologic environments they record. One or more weekend field trips may be required.

(Also offered as MARN 3230.) Introduction to the processes that form and modify coasts and beaches, including tectonic setting, sediment supply, coastal composition, energy regimes and sea level change; tools and techniques utilized in marine geologic mapping and reconstruction of submerged coastal features; field trips to selected coastal features.

(Also offered as CE 3530.) Application of geological principles to engineering and environmental problems. Topics include site investigation, geologic hazards, slope processes, earthquakes, subsidence, and the engineering properties of geologic materials. Course intended for both geoscience and engineering majors.

Application of fundamental geological principles to issues of concern to society such as global climate change; wildfires; drought and water resources; earthquake, volcano, and tsunami hazards; medical geology; energy resources; sustainability; and coastal processes.

Principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy. Physical processes of sediment transport and deposition. Characteristics of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Facies models for terrigenous clastic, chemical, and biochemical sediments. Stratigraphic frameworks and methodologies. One or more weekend field trips may be required.

(Also offered as EEB 4120.) Ancient life, including the preservation of organisms as fossils, evolution, ecology, geobiology, biostratigraphy, and major events in the history of life. Includes microorganisms, animals, and plants.

(Also offered as MARN 4130.) Microbial diversity and biogeochemistry in aquatic ecosystems, microbe-mineral interactions, fossil record, atmospheric record, microbialites, and research methodology in geomicrobiology. A weekend field trip may be required.

Tectonic and environmental controls on the development and evolution of sedimentary basins. Emphasis on mechanisms of formation, characteristic depositional patterns, and sediment composition in modern and ancient tectonic settings. Basin analysis methods include sedimentology, stratigraphy, geochemistry, provenance and paleocurrent analysis, subsidence modeling, and interpretation of geophysical data.

(Also offered as GEOG 4150.) Multivariate spatial analysis methods and statistical inference in earth science, emphasizing how to translate conceptual understanding into computer code.

Carbonate platforms and reefs. Physical, chemical, and biological controls on the nature of carbonate depositional environments and their distribution in time and space. Characteristics and classification of carbonate sediments, limestones, and dolostones. Petrographic and geochemical techniques. Facies models for depositional systems. Stratigraphic frameworks and methodologies. One or more weekend field trips may be required.

The climates and dynamics of glaciers, the geologic processes responsible for the materials and landforms of glaciated regions, and the applications of glacial geology to paleoclimatology, paleoecology, land use history, hydrology, engineering, and natural resources. Includes two weekend days of field trips to be scheduled.

(Also offered as GEOG 4230.) Application of Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, and image interpretation to problems in geoscience. Data acquisition, processing and analysis of Digital Elevation Models and satellite imagery. Geologic materials, processes, landforms and landscapes.

Introduction to watershed processes, lake systems, late Pleistocene to present environmental change, the environmental impacts of dams, and the application of sediment coring. Includes field trips to lakes and reservoirs in eastern Connecticut.

Tectonic processes that shape the Earth's surface, particularly its landforms. Emphasis on short-term processes that produce disasters and catastrophes and affect human society.

Fundamentals of stable isotope biogeochemistry. Origin of elements and stable isotopes; equilibrium and kinetic fractionation; isotope systematics of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur; biogeochemical systems; isotopes as a forensic tracer; and isotopes in paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental research.

Introduction to the principles, materials, and diverse applications of commonly used geochronologic methods in geologic, environmental, archeological, and planetary studies. Topics may include the timing and tempo of planetary formation, Earth processes, natural hazards, formation of natural resources, biotic evolution, and environmental change.

Principles of imaging the Earth's interior using observations of electric, magnetic, and gravity fields, with applications to environmental problems.

Principles of seismic methods for imaging the interior of the earth, with applications to resource exploration and environmental problems.

(Also offered as PHYS 4100.) The composition, structure, and dynamics of the Earth's core, mantle, and crust inferred from observations of seismology, geomagnetism, and heat flow.

(Also offered as PHYS 4130.) Evolution of the solar system, celestial mechanics, tidal friction, internal composition of planets, black-body radiation, planetary atmospheres.

Introduction to hydrogeological environmental site assessments (ESAs), emphasizing southern New England. Identification of areas of concern; determination of sources of groundwater pollution; and characterization of contamination extent, sampling, modeling, and interpretation.

Introduction to geochemistry of terrestrial and aqueous environmental systems. Chemical weathering and water-rock interactions; geochemistry of natural waters; chemical systems of the geosphere, biosphere and atmosphere; and geochemistry and climate.

(Also offered as NRE 4135.) Basic hydrologic principles with emphasis on ground water flow and quality, geologic relationships, quantitative analysis and field methods. Occasional field trips.

Overview of energy resources, both fossil fuel and renewable, underground fluid storage, and greenhouse gas sequestration. Subsurface geoscientific exploration and extraction methods.

Modeling past and future climate, with an emphasis on conceptual understanding of the earth system and simulation results from climate models of different complexities.

Introduction to the geological evidence, research methods, and hypotheses associated with major climatic events in Earth's history through a combination of lectures, discussions of scientific papers, and a climate modeling project.

Independent research for the advanced undergraduate student interested in investigating a special problem involving field and/or laboratory observations in geoscience. The student is required to give an oral presentation in a departmental seminar at the end of the semester.

An internship program under the direction of Geoscience faculty. Students will be placed with government agencies or businesses where academic training will be applied in a program of activities to be planned and agreed upon in advance by the job site supervisor, the faculty coordinator, and the intern. One credit may be earned for each 42 hours of pre-approved activities up to a maximum of three credits. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory.)

Preparation of written report and oral presentation to Department summarizing internship experience and evaluating the applicability of academic experience to job situations and the impact of the internship experience on academic and career plans.

Investigation of special topics related to, but not ordinarily covered in the undergraduate offerings; emphasis on laboratory projects.

Writing of a formal thesis based on independent research conducted by the student.

May be repeated with a change in topic.