USC Schedule of Classes

Geologic structure and evolution of planet earth. Principles ofplate tectonics, rocks and minerals, processes of mountainbuilding, continent and ocean formation, earthquakes, volcanism,development of landforms by running water and glaciers. Lecture, 3hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or two-day field triprequired.

Physical, chemical, and geological character of the oceans andocean basins. Origin of the oceans. Ocean processes and agents.Economic value of the oceans. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day field trip required.

Impact of civilization on planet earth, and impact of earth's natural evolution on society: earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, floods, global warming, acid rain, groundwater depletion and pollution; mineral and fossil fuel depletion, formation of the ozone hole. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or overnight field trip.

Climate systems from the beginning of earth history to the present; tools and techniques used to reconstruct prehistoric climate records; effects of climate variations on development of life forms on earth.

Survey of natural geological/ environmental processes (systems) and variability active near the earth's surface in the region that houses most life (the biosphere).

Causes of earthquakes and nature of large faults; earthquake hazard and risk; world's great earthquakes; understanding the Richter scale. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours; one fieldtrip required.

Laboratory component for GEOL 105Lg, 107Lxg, 108Lg, 125Lxg, 130Lxg, 150Lxg, or 240Lxg for students with equivalent lecture credit from another institution.

Minerals and their formation in Earth geosystems; includes discussions of mineral properties, crystal structures, uses and biogeochemical importance. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 6 hours; required field trips. Recommended preparation: any introductory GEOL course.

Introduction to field techniques used in a variety of Earth Science disciplines. Field and digital techniques for map making including use of GIS, GPS, and digital tablets. Field analyses of rocks and rock structures. Map interpretation and digital processing of field data. Includes weekly labs and some weekend field trips.

Origin and evolution of life; Precambrian life; evolutionary history of major groups during the Phanerozoic; mass extinctions; deep time and evolutionary processes. Recommended preparation: any introductory GEOL course. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours; required field trips.

Geosystems, such as mantle convection, active faults, climate, and the carbon cycle, will be studied using numerical models and concepts such as chaos, universality, emergence, and intermittency. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. Recommended preparation: MATH 126.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Writing of a thesis under individual faculty supervision. Not available for graduate credit.

Special topics in the earth sciences. Field trip required when appropriate to the topic. Departmental approval required.

Principles of marine paleoecology; interrelationships between marine organisms and their environment in geologic time. Recommended preparation: GEOL-577L

Lectures by Earth Sciences faculty about current research; introduction of new graduate students to the breadth of current research; applying for research funding; practicing effective research presentations. Graded CR/NC.

Principles of physical, chemical, and geological oceanography including discussions of air-sea interaction, biogeochemical cycling and the role of the ocean in modulating climate and atmospheric composition; discussion section will cover formulation of basic calculations that illustrate these principles.

Elementary physical principles underlying the behavior of Earth's atmosphere. Dry and moist thermodynamics, radiative transfer, conservation laws, fundamental dynamical balances, instability theory, cloud physics. Recommended preparation: PHYS 161L, PHYS 304.

Deformation mechanisms, strength and structure of the crust. Fractal scaling in structures and dynamic processes. Geodetic measurement of crustal deformation and spatio-temporal patterns of seismicity.

Principles of mapping geologically complex terranes of different structural style. Fieldwork will be coordinated with seminar review of diverse structural phenomena. Field trips. Recommended preparation: 321L and 465.

Current topics in geochemistry.

Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Practical principles for the long-term development of effective teaching within college disciplines. Intended for teaching assistants in Dornsife College.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.