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Geological Sciences (GEOL)
- D class assignments for undergraduates available in ZHS; 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 & one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24800R | 001 | Lecture | 3:30-4:50pm | Tue, Thu | 222 of 226 | Sylvain Barbot | THH201 | PDF (299111 KB) |   |
| 24801R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24802R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Kilian Ashley | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24803R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 13 of 15 | Alexia Rojas | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24804R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 16 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24806R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 17 of 17 | Alexia Rojas | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24808R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 13 of 15 | Kilian Ashley | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24809R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Friday | 14 of 15 | Alexia Rojas | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24812R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24814R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24816R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 14 of 15 | Kilian Ashley | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24819R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Friday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24820R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24821R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24822R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | | |
| 24823R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Friday | 15 of 15 | Kenneth Bolster | ZHSB54 | |
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 & one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24824R | 001 | Lecture | 2:00-3:20pm | Tue, Thu | 266 of 270 | Sarah Feakins | SGM123 | Word (452608 KB) | |
| 24826R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Rucha Wani | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24828R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Rachel So | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24830R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Jessica Zaiss-Bowman | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24833R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Friday | 14 of 15 | Ronmel Rugama-Montenegro | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24834R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 16 of 16 | Adit Ghosh | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24835R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Jessica Zaiss-Bowman | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24836R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 14 of 15 | Jessica Zaiss-Bowman | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24837R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Friday | 13 of 15 | Ronmel Rugama-Montenegro | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24838R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Adit Ghosh | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24840R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Matthew Quinan | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24842R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 16 | Ronmel Rugama-Montenegro | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24844R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Friday | 15 of 16 | Matthew Quinan | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24846R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Rachel So | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24847R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 14 of 15 | Rucha Wani | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24848R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Rachel So | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24850R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Adit Ghosh | ZHSB61 | | |
| 24852R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Rucha Wani | ZHSB61 | | |
| 25166R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Friday | 14 of 15 | Matthew Quinan | ZHSB61 | |
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 & one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24920R | 001 | Lecture | 10:00-10:50am | MWF | 228 of 230 | Lowell Stott | SAL101 & ONLINE | PDF (263964 KB) | |
| 24921R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Priyanka Soni | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24922R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 18 of 18 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ONLINE | | |
| 24923R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Priyanka Soni | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24924R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Friday | 15 of 15 | Matthew Williams | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24925R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24926R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 16 of 16 | Alex Dill | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24927R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24928R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Matthew Williams | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24929R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Matthew Williams | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24930R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Priyanka Soni | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24931R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Philip-Peter Maxeiner | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24932R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Matthew Williams | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24934R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | Alex Dill | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24935R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Alex Dill | ZHSB65 | | |
| 24936R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 13 of 15 | Alex Dill | ZHSB65 | |
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 & one lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24937R | 001 | Lecture | 8:00-8:50am | MWF | 122 of 135 | Steve Lund | SLH200 | Word (657060 KB) | |
| 24938R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | James Beech | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24939R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 16 of 16 | Shannon Brophy | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24941R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 11 of 15 | Emily Patellos | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24943R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | James Beech | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24944R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Wednesday | 15 of 16 | Shannon Brophy | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24946R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Thursday | Canceled | | |||
| 24947R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 15 of 15 | James Beech | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24948R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 13 of 15 | Shannon Brophy | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24949R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 11 of 15 | Emily Patellos | ZHSB56 | | |
| 24953R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | Canceled | | |||
| 24955R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | Canceled | ZHSB56 | | ||
| 24957R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 13 of 15 | Emily Patellos | ZHSB56 | |
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 | 001 | Lecture | 12:30-1:50pm | Tue, Thu | 124 of 135 | James Dolan | SAL101 | | |
| 24952R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Wednesday | 12 of 15 | Christoffel Anthonissen | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24954R | 001 | Lab | 8:00-9:50am | Thursday | 11 of 15 | Christoffel Anthonissen | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24956R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Wednesday | 15 of 15 | Christoffel Anthonissen | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24958R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Thursday | 16 of 16 | Dannielle Fougere | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24962R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Tuesday | 14 of 15 | Judith Gauriau | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24964R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Wednesday | 13 of 15 | Judith Gauriau | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24966R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Thursday | 14 of 15 | Dannielle Fougere | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24970R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Tuesday | 0 of 1 | ZHSB63 | | ||
| 24972R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Wednesday | 14 of 15 | Judith Gauriau | ZHSB63 | | |
| 24974R | 001 | Lab | 4:00-5:50pm | Thursday | 15 of 15 | Dannielle Fougere | ZHSB63 | |
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 | 4 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 | 7 of 20 | Aaron Celestian | ZHS200 | | |
| 24942R | 001 | Lab | 12:00-1:50pm | Mon, Fri | 7 of 20 | Justine Grabiec | ZHSB65 | |
Processes of erosion, sediment transport, and deposition that shape the land surface; landscape response to tectonism; recognition and interpretation of depositional environments in the stratigraphic record.
- Prerequisite: GEOL 315
- Note: Register for lecture & lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24981R | 001 | Lecture | 2:00-3:20pm | Tue, Thu | 14 of 20 | Frank Corsetti | ZHS200 | | |
| 24983R | 001 | Lab | TBA | TBA | 14 of 20 | Reena Joubert | OFFICE | |
Introduction to scientific inquiry, field research opportunities, and history of physical sciences; strategies, research methodologies, and writing skills for proposals, abstracts, papers, and professional development. Duplicates credit in the former GEOL-385. Recommended preparation: A GE course in Earth Science.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24985R | 001 | Lecture | 10:30-12:20pm | Wednesday | 4 of 20 | Sarah Feakins | ZHS130 | Word (721422 KB) | |
Introduction to mathematical methods giving insight into Earth and Environmental data. Topics include: probability and statistics, timeseries analysis, spectral analysis, inverse theory, interpolation. Recommended preparation: MATH 126, familiarity with matrix algebra.
- Note: Register for lecture & lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24987R | 001 | Lecture | 2:00-3:20pm | Mon, Wed | 11 of 23 | Julien Emile-Geay | ZHS118 | PDF (136202 KB) | |
| 24989R | 001 | Lab | 2:00-3:50pm | Friday | 11 of 23 | Shuye Huang | ZHS130 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33045R | 001 | Lecture | 8:00-9:20am | Tue, Thu | 16 of 30 | Victoria Petryshyn | THH110 | Word (32064 KB) | |
Concepts in hydrogeology and application to environmental problems. Topics include groundwater and surface water hydrology, chemistry, and contamination. Includes labs, guest lectures, and field trips. Recommended preparation: GEOL 105, GEOL 160, or equivalent.
- Note: Register for lecture & lab
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24991R | 001 | Lecture | 9:00-10:20am | Mon, Wed | 11 of 20 | Doug Hammond | ZHS200 | PDF (99995 KB) | |
| 24993R | 001 | Lab | 10:00-11:50am | Friday | 11 of 20 | Abra Atwood | ZHSB56 | |
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 | 2 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 | |
Principles of paleoecology for marine and terrestrial settings; interrelationships between organisms and their environment in geologic time including evolutionary and conservation paleoecology.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24995R | 001 | Lecture | 4:00-6:20pm | Tuesday | 7 of 20 | David Bottjer | ZHS200 | |
In-depth review of carbonate chemistry, aqueous and solid phase; speciation, calculations of carbonate parameters, carbonate biogeochemistry, sedimentary diagenesis and sedimentary records.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24997R | 001 | Lecture | 1:30-3:50pm | Thursday | 10 of 20 | William Berelson,Vardui Ter-Simonian | ZHS118 | Word (34434 KB) | |
Advanced treatment of probabilistic forecasting of natural hazards: physical-process modeling, statistical forecasting, representations of uncertainty, proper scoring, testing and use in risk analysis and decision-making.
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25006R | 001 | Lecture | 9:00-10:25am | Tue, Thu | 4 of 20 | Tom Jordan | ZHS118 | PDF (100986 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 | 001 | Lecture | 10:00-11:50am | Monday | 15 of 20 | William Berelson | ZHS118 | Word (30929 KB) | |
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 | 0 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 | ||||||||||
| 25025R | 001 | 2.0 | Lecture | 3:30-4:30pm | Monday | 4 of 30 | Julien Emile-Geay | ZHS159 | | |
| 10:00-10:50am | Friday | ZHS118 | ||||||||
Current research on the physics governing earthquakes and faults, including results from continuum and fracture mechanics, statistical physics, lab experiments and seismological observations.
- Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Doctoral Student, Graduate Visitor, Master Student
| Section | Session | Type | Time | Days | Registered | Instructor | Location | Syllabus | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25008R | 001 | Lecture | TBA | TBA | 5 of 20 | Yehuda Ben-Zion | TBA | |
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 | 29 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 | 8 of 30 | OFFICE | |