The following directory lists the graduate courses which the University expects to offer, although the University in no way guarantees that all such courses will be offered in any given academic year, and reserves the right to alter the list if conditions warrant. Click on the links below for a list of courses in that subject area. You may then click “View Classes” to see scheduled classes for individual courses.
5000. Geoscience Core Course
3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Exposes students to a solid background in a variety of topics related to integrative geosciences, emphasizing interdisciplinarity. Development of speaking skills through oral presentations, and writing skills through preparation and defense of large, interdisciplinary grant proposals. Required of all first year graduate students in Geosciences. Formerly offered as GSCI 5000.
View Classes »5050. Special Problems in Geology
1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 36 credits.
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Advanced study and research in geology. Formerly offered as GSCI 5050.
View Classes »5110. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5110.
View Classes »5130. Geomicrobiology
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open to students who have passed ERTH/MARN 4130.
Grading Basis: Graded
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.
View Classes »5140. Sedimentary Basin Analysis
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4140.
Grading Basis: Graded
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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5140.
View Classes »5150. Applied Data Analysis in Earth Sciences
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: STAT 1000Q or 1100Q, GEOG 3500Q. Not open for credit to students who have passed GEOG 4150 or ERTH 4150.
Grading Basis: Graded
Multivariate spatial analysis methods and statistical inference in earth science, emphasizing how to translate conceptual understanding into computer code. Formerly offered as GSCI 5150.
View Classes »5160. Carbonate Platforms and Reefs
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: Undergraduate coursework or research in sedimentology/stratigraphy or related fields.
Grading Basis: Graded
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.
View Classes »5210. Glacial Processes and Materials
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: ERTH 3020. Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4210.
Grading Basis: Graded
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, and tutorial meetings. Formerly offered as GSCI 5210.
View Classes »5230. Advanced GIS for Remote Sensing for Geoscience Applications
Also offered as: GEOG 5230
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open to students who took ERTH 4230.
Grading Basis: Graded
Research methods for using Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, and image interpretation to investigate problems in geoscience. Includes research techniques for data acquisition, processing and analysis of Digital Elevation Models and satellite imagery. Geologic materials, processes, landforms and landscapes. Formerly offered as GSCI 5230.
View Classes »5240. Watersheds and Environmental Change
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Instructor consent. Recommended preparation: ERTH 3020 or equivalent. Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4240.
Grading Basis: Graded
Research methods and advanced theory for studying 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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5240.
View Classes »5310. Advanced Structural Geology
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Application of finite and incremental strain analyses using advanced geometric techniques. This course integrates field studies of deformed rocks with theoretical understanding and quantitative analysis. Formerly offered as GSCI 5310.
View Classes »5320. Advanced Plate Tectonics
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Introduces students to techniques used in analyzing plate motions on a sphere, including poles of rotation and instantaneous and finite motions. The course integrates geologic data and analytical techniques with a rigorous understanding of plate motions and provides students with a global understanding and appreciation of the Earth. Formerly offered as GSCI 5320.
View Classes »5330. Active Tectonics
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4330.
Grading Basis: Graded
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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5330.
View Classes »5430. Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4430.
Grading Basis: Graded
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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5430.
View Classes »5440. Dates and Rates in Earth and Environmental Science
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4440.
Grading Basis: Graded
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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5440.
View Classes »5510. Applied Geophysics for Geologists and Engineers
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Introductory survey of surface and borehole geophysical methods and their application to hydrogeologic, environmental monitoring, and geotechnical engineering studies. Laboratory involves geophysical field measurement, data reduction and geologic interpretation. Formerly offered as GSCI 5510.
View Classes »5520. Exploring and Engineering Seismology
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Theory of elasticity applied to wave propogation: equations of motion; reflection and refraction of elastic waves; velocity analysis and fundamental petrophysics; and principles of detecting subsurface interfaces and structures. Formerly offered as GSCI 5520.
View Classes »5530. Applied and Environmental Geophysics
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Potential theory (gravity, static electricity and magnetic fields), electromagnetic coupling, Maxwell's equations; electromagnetic wave propagation; principles of detection of subsurface interface and structures by geophysical methods. Formerly offered as GSCI 5530.
View Classes »5550. Physics of the Earth
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
The composition, structure, and dynamics of the earth's core, mantle, and crust inferred from observations of seismology, geomagnetism, and heat flow. Formerly offered as GSCI 5550.
View Classes »5560. Fundamentals of Planetary Science
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Evolution of the solar system, celestial mechanics, tidal friction, internal composition of planets, black-body radiation, planetary atmospheres. Formerly offered as GSCI 5560.
View Classes »5710. Advanced Hydrogeology
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Transport processes in groundwater systems. Mathematical methods in groundwater hydrology. Water quality and resource evaluation. Formerly offered as GSCI 5710.
View Classes »5720. Groundwater Modeling
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Numerical techniques for modeling flow and contaminant transport in groundwater systems. Model design, calibration, visualization, verification and sensitivity analysis. Application to field sites. Formerly offered as GSCI 5720.
View Classes »5740. Energy Resources: Past, Present, and Future
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4740.
Grading Basis: Graded
Overview of energy resources (fossil fuel and renewable), underground fluid storage, and greenhouse gas sequestration. Subsurface geoscientific exploration and extraction methods.
View Classes »5790. Field Methods in Hydrogeology
1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Field methods associated with ground water and contamination assessments. Formerly offered as GSCI 5790.
View Classes »5810. Modeling the Changing Atmosphere and Ocean
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4810.
Grading Basis: Graded
Modeling past and future climate, with an emphasis on conceptual understanding of the earth system and simulation results from climate models of different complexities. Formerly offered as GSCI 5810.
View Classes »5850. Paleoclimatology
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open to students who have passed ERTH 4850.
Grading Basis: Graded
Introduction to the geological evidence, research methods, and hypotheses associated with major climatic events in Earth's history through a combination of lectures, paper discussions, and a climate modeling project. Formerly offered as GSCI 5850.
View Classes »5900. Environmental Geochemistry
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed ERTH 4720.
Grading Basis: Graded
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. Formerly offered as GSCI 5900.
View Classes »6000. Seminar in Earth Sciences
1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Prerequisites: Instructor consent. Recommended preparation: Bachelors degree in Earth Sciences or related field.
Grading Basis: Graded
Weekly meetings focused on recent advances in Earth Sciences, including departmental seminars and/or discussions of scientific literature. May be repeated for a total of six credits.
View Classes »6130. Seminar in Paleontology
1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Readings and discussions on recent advances in paleontology and paleobiology. Formerly offered as GSCI 6130.
View Classes »6340. Seminar in Tectonics
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Readings and discussions of recent advances in tectonics. Formerly offered as GSCI 6340.
View Classes »6430. Seminar in Geochemistry
1.00 - 3.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Readings and discussions of recent advances in low temperature and stable isotope geochemistry.
View Classes »6520. Advanced Seismology
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: MATH 5410 and MATH 5411, which may be taken concurrently.
Grading Basis: Graded
Elastic wave propagation in plane layered media; seismogram synthesis by ray parameter integration, ray approximations, and mode summation; earthquake source representations. Formerly offered as GSCI 6520.
View Classes »6530. Geophysical Inverse Theory
3.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Fitting geophysical model parameters to data. Topics include model uniqueness, resolution, and error estimation. Formerly offered as GSCI 6530.
View Classes »6540. Seminar in Geophysics
1.00 - 6.00 credits
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Readings and discussions of recent advances in geophysics. Formerly offered as GSCI 6540.
View Classes »6550. Special Topics in Geophysics
1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 24 credits.
Prerequisites: None.
Grading Basis: Graded
Formerly offered as GSCI 6550.
View Classes »