105Lg Planet Earth (4, FaSpSm) Geologic structure and evolution of planet earth. Principles of plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, processes of mountain building, continent and ocean formation, earthquakes, volcanism, development of landforms by running water and glaciers. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or two-day field trip required.
107Lxg Elements of Oceanography (4, FaSp) Physical, chemical, and geological character of the oceans and ocean basins. Origin of the oceans. Ocean processes and agents. Economic value of the oceans. Not available for major credit to earth or geological science majors. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day field trip required.
108Lxg Geology and the Environment (4, FaSpSm) Geological interaction of man, mineral resources, pollution, energy, and water; geologic hazards such as landslides, earthquakes, floods, and volcanism related to man and modern society. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. Field trips. Not available for major credit to earth or geological sciences majors.
205L Quantitative Methods for the Earth Sciences (4, Sp) Introduction to quantitative methods applied to the earth sciences: scalar and vector statistics, spreadsheet analysis, 2- and 3-D graphics and computer algorithm development. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory. Recommended preparation: GEOL 105L.
215abL Mineralogy and Petrology (4-4, FaSp) Introduction to the study of minerals and rocks; chemical bonding and crystal chemistry; mineral identification and paragenesis; rock identification and paragenesis; processes of formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 6 hours; required field trips. Recommended preparation: GEOL 105L; corequisite: CHEM 105aL or CHEM 115aL.
240Lxg Earthquakes (4, FaSpSm) 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 field trip required. Not available for major credit to earth or geological sciences majors.
305Lx Introduction to Engineering Geology (4, Sp) Principles of geology with emphasis on stratigraphy, structural geology and degradational processes; basic geologic considerations in civil engineering practice; introduction to mineralogy and petrology. Field trip required. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Not available for major credit to earth sciences majors. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 105L.)
320L Surficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems (4, Fa) 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. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 334L, GEOL 451L.) Prerequisite: GEOL 215bL.
321L Structural Geology and Tectonics (4, Sp) Field and theoretical aspects of rock deformation, analysis of structural systems, and stress and strain; orogenic belts and plate tectonics; introduction to field techniques and construction of geologic maps. Prerequisite: GEOL 320L.
333L Paleontology and the Evolution of Life (4, Fa) Origin and evolution of life; major marine fossil groups and their evolutionary history; utilization of fossils in age determinations; fossils and reconstructing ancient environments, geography and ecology. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours; field trips. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 406.)
390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.
412 Oceans, Climate, and the Environment (4, Sp) Survey of physical, chemical, and geological oceanography emphasizing the role of the ocean in environmental problems, including modulation of climate and atmospheric composition, biogeochemical cycling, pollutant transport, paleoceanography, and paleoclimate; discussion section covers problem sets illustrating simple calculations. PrerequisiteCHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL, MATH 126; recommended preparation: PHYS 151L, PHYS 152L or PHYS 135ab.
421L Advanced Structural Geology (4, 2 years, Sp) Advanced field and theoretical aspects of rock deformation, analysis of structural systems, and stress and strain. Field mapping and construction of geologic maps in ductilely deformed rocks. Field trips. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite: GEOL 321L.
440 Geophysics and Geoengineering (4, Sp) Earth's gravity, magnetic field, earthquakes, seismic wave propagation, internal constitution and dynamics, heat flow and internal temperatures with geoengineering and plate tectonics applications. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, one hour. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 427L.) Prerequisite: MATH 126; corequisite: PHYS 135bL or PHYS 152L.
460L Geochemistry and Hydrology (4, Fa) Composition and origin of the earth; principles of physical chemistry applied to aqueous systems; reaction-diffusion modeling; principles of hydrology; environmental problems. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory/discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: CHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL and MATH 126.
465 Summer Field Geology (4, Sm) (SS only) Four weeks of geological field mapping from a centrally located camp in the California Coast Ranges or Great Basin. Recommended preparation: GEOL 321L.
470 Environmental Hydrogeology (4, Irregular) Concepts in hydrogeology and their application to environmental problems. Topics include groundwater chemistry and hydrology, contaminants and their behavior. Guest lectures on regulations and remediation techniques. Recommended preparation: GEOL 460L.
485 Senior Seminar (4, Sp) Analysis and discussion of selected topics in earth sciences; topics will be chosen by students and faculty to focus on areas of recent advances. Senior Earth Sciences or Environmental Studies majors only.
490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: departmental approval.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995