courses of instruction - Lafayette College

GEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
liberal arts education, is designed for stu
dents who wish to study geology, yet pur
sue other professional objectives after
graduation. The B.A. also is an ideal de
gree for students pursuing a double major;
recent graduates have combined geology
with areas such as Government and Law
(environmental law), International Affairs,
Economics and Business (environmental
management), and Chemistry.
The curriculum and the interests of the
faculty span a wide range of topics from
sedimentology, marine geology, and geo-
morphology to geophysics, geochemistry,
and earth materials. Field and laboratory
work are integral parts of the curriculum
and many opportunities exist for coopera
tive student-faculty research. Students
have traveled as far as Alaska, Nevada,
Mexico, and Cambridge, England, to per
form cooperative research with Lafayette
faculty, and many excellent projects also
are available locally.
The James L. Dyson Scholarship Prize
is given to a junior major for a summer
field experience in geology, usually a sum
mer field camp.
Requirements for the major Students in
the B.S. Degree Environmental Geo-
sciences track are required to take any 100-
level geology course, Geology 200,210,215,
224,300,307,322,428, and two environmen
tal electives approved by the department.
Students in the B.S. Degree Geology
track are required to take any 100-level ge
ology course, Geology 200,215,224, 300,
307, 428, and four technical electives ap
proved by the Department; at least two of
the latter must be geology courses, one of
which must be 200-level or above.
Both B.S. tracks also require Mathematics
125,186 or 161,162 or 161,176, Chemistry
121 and 122 (or Chemistry 121 and Geolo
gy 321), Physics 111 or 121, and the Col
lege's Common Course of Study.
Students in the A.B. Degree program, in
addition to fulfilling requirements in the
College's Common Course of Study, are
required to take any 100-level geology
122
course, six additional geology courses (at
least four of which must be 200-level or
above), and two electives approved by the
department. In the case of a double major,
the two elective courses could potentially
be in the second major.
Requirements for the minor A minor in ge
ology requires five geology courses, at least
three of which must be 200-level or above.
Additional geology courses may be found
under Interim Session in this catalog.
100. From Fire to Ice: An Introduction to
Geology. A broad introduction to the geo
logical processes acting within the earth
and on its surface that produce volcanoes,
earthquakes, mountain belts, mineral de
posits, and ocean basins. The course consid
ers the dramatic effects of plate tectonics, as
well as the enormous periods of time over
which geologic processes take place, also
familiar features of the landscape formed
by landslides, rivers, groundwater, and gla
ciers. Practical aspects of the science are
learned through discovery-oriented labora
tory exercises, which include several field
excursions. Lecture/laboratory. Preference
to first- and second-year students, geology
majors, and environmental science minors.
Mr. Hovis
110. Environmental Geology. From human
perspective on the earth's surface, the planet
appears almost infinite. From an Apollo
spacecraft, however, earth is simply a larger
spaceship with more resources, but resources
that are nonetheless finite. Environmental
Geology is the study of the interaction of
humans and the earth. The course examines
the interplay between land-use activity and
geologic processes such as flooding, shoreline
erosion, and soil erosion. Students explore
groundwater resources, geological constraints
on waste disposal, and the impacts of re
source utilization, such as acid rain and the
greenhouse effect. Lecture/laboratory/field
excursions. Preference to first- and second-
year students, geology majors, and environ
mental science minors. Mr. Germanoski