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Geological Sciences (GEOL)
- D class assignments for undergraduates available in ZHS117; phone (213) 740-6106.
- D class assignments for graduate students available in ZHS117; phone (213) 740-6106.
- NOTE: Proof of insurance is mandatory when participating in field trips for credit in any Earth Sciences class. Email address to request D clearance: Earthsci@usc.edu.
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.
- General Education: This course satisfies the university's general education requirement.
- Note: Register for lecture and one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24800D | 060 | Lecture | 9:30-10:50am | Tue, Thu | 123 of 135 | Heidi Houston | ONLINE | PDF (162333 KB) |    |
| 24802R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 12 of 15 | Naomi Rodgers | ONLINE | | |
| 24804R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Naomi Rodgers | ONLINE | | |
| 24806R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | Abra Atwood | ONLINE | | |
| 24808R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 14 of 15 | William Schmidt | ONLINE | | |
| 24809R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Friday | 14 of 15 | Naomi Rodgers | ONLINE | | |
| 24812R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Abra Atwood | ONLINE | | |
| 24814R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 11 of 15 | William Schmidt | ONLINE | | |
| 24816R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 13 of 15 | William Schmidt | ONLINE | | |
| 24819R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | Abra Atwood | ONLINE | |
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.
- General Education: This course satisfies the university's general education requirement.
- Note: Register for lecture and one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24824D | 060 | Lecture | 2:00-3:20pm | Tue, Thu | 238 of 242 | Sarah Feakins | ONLINE | PDF (311130 KB) | |
| 24826R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Tuesday | 14 of 16 | Xiaopeng Bian | ONLINE | | |
| 24828R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 18 of 18 | Rachel So | ONLINE | | |
| 24830R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 18 of 18 | Charles Woolley | ONLINE | | |
| 24833R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 16 of 16 | Xiaopeng Bian | ONLINE | | |
| 24834R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 17 of 17 | Yun Hsin Wu | ONLINE | | |
| 24835R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 16 of 16 | Victoria Cassady | ONLINE | | |
| 24836R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Friday | 17 of 17 | Charles Woolley | ONLINE | | |
| 24837R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 17 | Yun Hsin Wu | ONLINE | | |
| 24838R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Yun Hsin Wu | ONLINE | | |
| 24840R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 14 of 16 | Rachel So | ONLINE | | |
| 24842R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 14 of 17 | Rachel So | ONLINE | | |
| 24844R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 14 of 16 | Charles Woolley | ONLINE | | |
| 24846R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 17 of 18 | Xiaopeng Bian | ONLINE | | |
| 24847R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 16 | Victoria Cassady | ONLINE | | |
| 24848R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 17 of 17 | Victoria Cassady | ONLINE | |
Exploration of factors that influence climate and the scientific basis for concern about rising greenhouse gases, the threat to human society know as global warming.
- General Education: This course satisfies the university's general education requirement.
- Note: Register for lecture and one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24920R | 060 | Lecture | 10:00-10:50am | MWF | 181 of 185 | Lowell Stott | ONLINE | PDF (439444 KB) | |
| 24924R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ONLINE | | |
| 24925R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 16 of 16 | Mark Peaple | ONLINE | | |
| 24926R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Ryley Collins | ONLINE | | |
| 24927R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ONLINE | | |
| 24928R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Alex Dill | ONLINE | | |
| 24929R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 16 | Ryley Collins | ONLINE | | |
| 24930R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | Mark Peaple | ONLINE | | |
| 24931R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ONLINE | | |
| 24932R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 13 of 15 | Ryley Collins | ONLINE | | |
| 24934R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | Mark Peaple | ONLINE | | |
| 24935R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Alex Dill | ONLINE | | |
| 24936R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 16 of 17 | Alex Dill | ONLINE | |
Survey of natural geological/ environmental processes (systems) and variability active near the earth's surface in the region that houses most life (the biosphere).
- General Education: This course satisfies the university's general education requirement.
- Note: Register for lecture and one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24937R | 060 | Lecture | 9:00-9:50am | MWF | 135 of 135 | Steve Lund | ONLINE | | |
| 24938R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Nathaniel Kemnitz | ONLINE | | |
| 24939R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Paul Byrne | ONLINE | | |
| 24941R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Nathaniel Kemnitz | ONLINE | | |
| 24943R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Paul Byrne | ONLINE | | |
| 24944R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Friday | 15 of 15 | Shannon Brophy | ONLINE | | |
| 24946R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | Paul Byrne | ONLINE | | |
| 24947R | 060 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Shannon Brophy | ONLINE | | |
| 24948R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Shannon Brophy | ONLINE | | |
| 24949R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 16 of 16 | Nathaniel Kemnitz | ONLINE | |
The role of metals in life, from the origin of life to modern environmental problems.
- General Education: This course satisfies the university's general education requirement.
- Note: Register for lecture and one discussion
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24975R | 060 | Lecture | 11:00-12:20pm | Tue, Thu | 134 of 136 | Seth John | ONLINE | | |
| 24976R | 060 | Discussion | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Phil Kong | ONLINE | | |
| 24977R | 060 | Discussion | 8:00-9:50am | Friday | 15 of 15 | Phil Kong | ONLINE | | |
| 24978R | 060 | Discussion | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Kathleen Denniston | ONLINE | | |
| 24980R | 060 | Discussion | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Kathleen Denniston | ONLINE | | |
| 24982R | 060 | Discussion | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Magdalene Smith | ONLINE | | |
| 24984R | 060 | Discussion | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Phil Kong | ONLINE | | |
| 24986R | 060 | Discussion | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 14 of 15 | Kathleen Denniston | ONLINE | | |
| 24988R | 060 | Discussion | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Magdalene Smith | ONLINE | | |
| 24990R | 060 | Discussion | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 14 of 15 | Magdalene Smith | ONLINE | |
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.
- General Education: This course satisfies the university's general education requirement.
- Note: Register for lecture and one lab.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24950D | 060 | Lecture | 12:30-1:50pm | Tue, Thu | 154 of 180 | James Dolan | ONLINE | | |
| 24952R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 13 of 15 | Maya Yanez | ONLINE | | |
| 24954R | 060 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 9 of 15 | Maya Yanez | ONLINE | | |
| 24956R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Maya Yanez | ONLINE | | |
| 24958R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Anahi Carrera | ONLINE | | |
| 24960R | 060 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Friday | 10 of 15 | Christoffel Anthonissen | ONLINE | | |
| 24962R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 11 of 15 | Christoffel Anthonissen | ONLINE | | |
| 24964R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 12 of 15 | Dannielle Fougere | ONLINE | | |
| 24966R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Dannielle Fougere | ONLINE | | |
| 24968R | 060 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 12 of 15 | Anahi Carrera | ONLINE | | |
| 24970R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 13 of 15 | Dannielle Fougere | ONLINE | | |
| 24972R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Christoffel Anthonissen | ONLINE | | |
| 24974R | 060 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 14 of 15 | Anahi Carrera | ONLINE | | |
| 24979R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | Canceled | |
Laboratory component for GEOL 105Lg, 107Lxg, 108Lg, 125Lxg, 130Lxg, 150Lxg, or 240Lxg for students with equivalent lecture credit from another institution.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tba | |||||||||
| 24945D | 001 | Lecture-Lab | TBA | TBA | 3 of 12 | Frank Corsetti | OFFICE | | |
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.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24940R | 001 | Lecture | 11:00-12:20pm | Tue, Thu | Canceled | Emily H. G. Cooperdock | | ||
| 24942R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Mon, Fri | Canceled | |
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.
- Note: Register for lecture and lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25007R | 001 | Lecture | 2:00-3:20pm | Tue, Thu | 9 of 20 | David Bottjer | MHP101 | | |
| 25009R | 001 | Lab | 3:00-4:50pm | Monday | 9 of 20 | James Beech | MHP101 | |
Examination of the tools used to reconstruct past climate change and a thorough discussion of past climate changes on Earth with an emphasis on the recent past. Recommended preparation: Any introductory GEOL course.
- Prerequisite: ENST 320b and 1 from (MATH 118 or MATH 125)
- Crosslist: This course is offered by the ENST department but may qualify for major credit in GEOL. To register, enroll in ENST 445.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33035R | 060 | Lecture | 12:30-1:50pm | Tue, Thu | 19 of 30 | Victoria Petryshyn | ONLINE | Word (138686 KB) | |
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.
- Prerequisite: MATH 125
- Note: Register for lecture and lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25010R | 001 | Lecture | 1:00-2:20pm | Mon, Wed | 10 of 13 | Doug Hammond | ZHS200 | | |
| 25011R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 10 of 15 | Luis Vazquez | ZHS252 | |
Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.
- Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Junior, Senior
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24994D | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 1 of 20 | David Bottjer | OFFICE | |
Writing of a thesis under individual faculty supervision. Not available for graduate credit.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24996R | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 0 of 10 | David Bottjer | OFFICE | |
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.
- Restriction: Registration open to the following major(s): Geological Sciences, Ocean Sciences
- Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Master Student, Doctoral Student
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25074R | 001 | Lecture | 10:00-11:50am | Monday | Canceled | Emily H. G. Cooperdock | |
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.
- Prerequisite: CHEM 105B and MATH 126
- Crosslist: This course is offered by the OS department but may qualify for major credit in GEOL. To register, enroll in OS 512.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48300R | 060 | Lecture | 10:00-11:50am | Wed, Fri | 13 of 20 | Seth John | ONLINE | | |
| 48303R | 060 | Discussion | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 13 of 20 | ONLINE | |
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.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25003R | 060 | Lecture | 10:00-11:20am | Tue, Thu | 7 of 20 | Julien Emile-Geay | ONLINE | PDF (130700 KB) | |
Ancient and recent bioturbation and microbial structures and their utilization in stratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, paleoecological, sedimentological and geochemical studies.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25005R | 001 | Lecture | 4:00-6:20pm | Tuesday | 6 of 20 | David Bottjer | ZHS118 & ONLINE | |
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.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25073R | 001 | Lecture | 3:00-5:45pm | Thursday | Canceled | Yehuda Ben-Zion | |
Examination of deformation mechanisms and resulting microstructures in rocks; chemical and textural equilibrium; physical and chemical processes during fluid flow; porphyroblast-matrix relationships; interpretation of kinematic indicators. Laboratory.
- Prerequisite: GEOL 321L
- Note: Register for lecture and lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25078R | 001 | Lecture | 1:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 5 of 20 | John Platt | ZHS118 | | |
| 25079R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-4:50pm | Wednesday | 5 of 20 | ZHSB65 | |
Advanced methods of theoretical seismology for studying the generation of seismic waves from natural and artificial sources and the propagation through realistic earth models.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25015R | 060 | Lecture | 8:30-9:50am | Tue, Thu | 3 of 20 | Tom Jordan | ONLINE | PDF (71244 KB) | |
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.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25040D | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 0 of 40 | Frank Corsetti | OFFICE | |
Practical principles for the long-term development of effective teaching within college disciplines. Intended for teaching assistants in Dornsife College.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25041R | 060 | Lecture | 10:00-11:50am | Monday | 10 of 20 | Emily H. G. Cooperdock | ONLINE | |
Credit on acceptance of Thesis.
- Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Master Student
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25042D | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 1 of 30 | OFFICE | |
Special topics in the geological sciences. Field trip required when appropriate to the topic.
| Section | Session | Units | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cutting Edge of Geoscience Research | ||||||||||
| 25075R | 060 | 2.0 | Lecture | 3:30-4:20pm | Monday | 6 of 40 | Sarah Feakins, | ONLINE | Word (44785 KB) | |
| 9:00-9:50am | Friday | John Vidale | ONLINE | |||||||
Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25060D | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 26 of 40 | Frank Corsetti | OFFICE | |
Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.
- Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Doctoral Student
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25062D | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 5 of 30 | OFFICE | |