UC Davis General Catalog, 2006-2008 - General Catalog - UC Davis

286 Geology
Courses in Geology (GEL)
Lower Division Courses
1. The Earth (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Introduction to
the study of the Earth. Earth’s physical and chemical
structure; internal and surface processes that mold
the Earth; geological hazards and resources. Not
open for credit to students who have completed
course 50. Only 2 units of credit to students who
have completed course 2. GE credit: SciEng.—I, II,
III. (I, II, III.) Osleger, Verosub
2. The Blue Planet: Introduction to Earth
Science (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Study of the solid and fluid earth
and its place in the solar system. Holistic examination
of how the solid earth interacts with the atmosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere, and extraterrestrial
environment. Not open for credit to students who
have completed course 50. Only 2 units of credit to
students who have completed course 1. GE credit:
SciEng.—I. (I.) Sumner
2G. The Blue Planet: Introduction to Earth
Science Discussion (1)
Discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 2 concurrently.
Small group discussion and preparation of
short papers for course 2. GE credit with concurrent
enrollment in course 2: Wrt.—I. (I.) Sumner
3. History of Life (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 1 recommended.
The history of life during the three and onehalf
billion years from its origin to the present day.
Origin of life and processes of evolution; how to
visualize and understand living organisms from their
fossil remains. GE credit: SciEng.—II. (II.) Motani
3G. History of Life: Discussion (1)
Discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 3 concurrently.
Small group discussion and preparation of
short papers for course 3. GE credit with concurrent
enrollment in course 3: Wrt.—II. (II.) Motani
3L. History of Life Laboratory (1)
Laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 3 concurrently.
Exercises in understanding fossils as the clues
to interpreting ancient life, including their functional
morphology, paleoecology, and evolution.—II. (II.)
Motani
4. Evolution: Science and World View (3)
Lecture—2 hours; discussion—1 hour. Introduction to
biological evolution. Emphasis on historical development,
major lines of evidence and causes of evolution;
relationships between evolution and Earth
history; the impact of evolutionary thought on other
disciplines. GE credit: SciEng.—I. (I.) Vermeij
10. Modern and Ancient Global
Environmental Change (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Fundamental scientific concepts
underlying issues such as global warming, pollution,
and the future of nonsustainable resources presented
in the context of anthropogenic processes as well as
natural forcing of paleoenvironmental change
throughout Earth’s history. GE credit: SciEng.—III.
(III.) Montañez
12. Evolution and Paleobiology of
Dinosaurs (2)
Lecture—2 hours. Introduction to evolutionary biology,
paleobiology, ecology and paleoecology, using
dinosaurs as case studies.—II. (II.) Carlson
17. Earthquakes and Other Earth Hazards
(2)
Lecture—2 hours. The impact of earthquakes, volcanoes,
landslides and floods on Man, his structures
and his environment. Discussion of the causes,
effects, and solution of geologic problems in rural
and urban settings.—I, III. (I, III.) Dewey
16. The Oceans (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Introductory survey of the marine
environment. Oceanic physical phenomena, chemical
constituents and chemistry of water, geological
history, the seas biota and human utilization of
marine resources. Not open for credit to students
who have taken course 116. GE Credit: SciEng—II.
(II.) Hill
16G. The Oceans: Discussion (2)
Discussion/laboratory—2 hours; term paper or discussion.
Prerequisite: course 16 (concurrent). Scientific
method applied to discovery of the processes,
biota and history of the oceans. Group discussion
and preparation of term paper. Not open for credit
to students who have taken course 116G. GE
Credit: SocSci, Wri.—II. (II.) Hill
20. Geology of California (2)
Lecture—2 hours. The geologic history of California,
the origin of rocks and the environments in which
they were formed, the structure of the rocks and the
interpretation of their structural history, mineral
resources, and appreciation of the California landscape.—II.
(II.) Osleger
25. Geology of National Parks (2)
Lecture—2 hours. Appreciation of the geologic
framework underlying the inherent beauty of U.S.
National Parks. Each park provides a visual focus
for understanding a variety of geologic processes
such as mountain building, volcanism, stream erosion,
and glacial action.—I. (I.) Osleger
32. Volcanoes (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Role of eruptions, and eruptive
products of volcanoes in shaping the planet’s surface,
influencing its environment, and providing
essential human resources. GE: SciEng.—III. (III.)
Cooper
35. Rivers (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Introduction to geomorphology, climate
and geology of rivers and watersheds, with
case examples from California. Assessment of
impacts of logging, agriculture, mining, urbanization
and water supply on river processes. Optional river
field trips. GE credit: SciEng.—III. (III.) Mount
36. The Solar System (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Nature of the
sun, moon, and planets as determined by recent
manned and unmanned exploration of the solar system.
Comparison of terrestrial, lunar, and planetary
geological processes. Search for life on other planets.
Origin and evolution of the solar system. (Former
course 113-113G.) GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—III. (III.)
Osleger
50. Physical Geology (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: high school physics
and chemistry. The Earth, its materials, its internal
and external processes, its development through
time by sea-floor spreading and global plate tectonics.
Students with credit for course 1 or the equivalent
may receive only 2 units for course 50.—I. II. (I,
II.) Rustad, McClain
50L. Physical Geology Laboratory (2)
Laboratory—6 hours; one or two one-day field trips.
Prerequisite: course 50 (preferably taken concurrently).
Introduction to classification and recognition
of minerals and rocks and to interpretation of topographic
and geologic maps and aerial photographs.
Students with credit for course 1L or the equivalent
may receive only 1 unit for course 50L.—I. II. (I, II.)
Rustad, McClain
60. Earth Materials: Introduction (4)
Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite:
Chemistry 2A; Mathematics 16A or 21A; course 1
or 50, 50L. Physical and chemical properties of
rocks, minerals and other earth materials; structure
and composition of rock-forming minerals; formation
of minerals by precipitation from silicate liquids and
aqueous fluids and by solid state transformations.—
I. (I.) Rustad
62. Optical Mineralogy (2)
Lecture—1 hour; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite:
course 60 (may be taken concurrently); high school
physics is strongly recommended. Optical properties
of inorganic crystals; techniques of mineral identification
using the polarizing microscope; strategies
for studying rocks in thin section.—I. (I.) Rustad, Day
91. Geology of Campus Waterways (1)
Lecture/discussion—1 hour; fieldwork—1 hour.
Research characterizing geological processes in
waterways on campus including links among hydrologic,
atmospheric, physical, and human processes;
carbon cycling and interpreting processes from sediments;
field research techniques; research project
design and implementation; implications of results
for society and environmental policy. May be
repeated for credit three times. (P/NP grading only)
—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Osleger, Sumner
99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor; lower division
standing. (P/NP grading only.)
Upper Division Courses
100. Earth Dynamics I: Extensional and
Translational Processes (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 50, 50L, Physics
7A or 9A (may be taken concurrently), or consent
of instructor. Structural features of, and geophysical
constraints on, regions of extensional and translational
tectonics. Observation, formation, and tectonic
environments of joints, fractures, normal faults,
and strike-slip faults. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—I. (I.)
Cowgill
100L. Earth Dynamics I: Structure/Tectonics
Laboratory (1)
Laboratory—3 hours; two one-day field trips
required. Prerequisite: course 50L and course 100
(may be taken concurrently); or consent of instructor.
Introduction to three-dimensional analysis of geologic
structures; introduction to field techniques; interpretation
of topographic and geologic maps;
tectonic analysis of extensional and strike-slip terranes.—I.
(I.) Cowgill
101. Earth Dynamics II: Convergent and
Collisional Processes (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: courses 50-50L, 100,
Mathematics 21B or 16B (may be taken concurrently),
Physics 5A or 7A or 9A (may be taken concurrently);
or consent of instructor. Geophysical and
structural signatures of convergent tectonics, subduction
zones, plate collisions and mountain belts. Topics
include ductile deformation, folds, seismic Benioff
zones, gravity and isostacy. Examples of collisions
and resulting mountain belts. Examples drawn from
western North America. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—II.
(II.) Billen
101L. Earth Dynamics II: Structure/Tectonics
Laboratory (2)
Laboratory and fieldwork—6 hours; six days of field
trips on four separate weekends required. Prerequisite:
courses 50L, 100L, and 101 (may be taken concurrently);
or consent of instructor. Continuation of
Geology 100L. Analysis of three-dimensional geologic
structures; introduction to field techniques; fieldmapping
projects; interpretation of topographic and
geologic maps; tectonic analysis of convergent and
collisional terranes.—II. (II.) Billen
103. Field Geology (3)
Fieldwork and laboratory—9 hours; 7-8 days on
weekends during quarter. Prerequisite: course 101L
or consent of instructor. Field mapping projects and
writing geological reports. Weekly classroom meetings
devoted to preparation of maps, cross sections,
stratigraphic sections, rock descriptions, and
reports.—III. (III.) Lesher
105. Earth Materials: Igneous Rocks (4)
Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite:
courses 60, 62; Mathematics 16A or 21A; Chemistry
2B (may be taken concurrently). Origin and
occurrence of igneous rocks. Laboratory exercises
emphasize the study of these rocks in hand specimen
and thin section. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—II. (II.)
Lesher
106. Earth Materials: Metamorphic Rocks
(4)
Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite:
course 105, Chemistry 2B, Mathematics 16A or
21A. Physical and chemical properties of metamorphic
rocks; interpretation of metamorphic environments.
Laboratory exercises emphasize the study of
these rocks in hand specimen and thin section. GE
credit: SciEng, Wrt.—III. (III.) Day
Quarter Offered: I=Fall, II=Winter, III=Spring, IV=Summer; 2007-2008 offering in parentheses
General Education (GE) credit: ArtHum=Arts and Humanities; SciEng=Science and Engineering; SocSci=Social Sciences; Div=Social-Cultural Diversity; Wrt=Writing Experience