GRADUATE PROGRAMS

• Degree of Master of Science

  The M.S. degree requires 30 hours of credit (six hours of which must be the thesis courses 6398, 6399), satisfactory defense of a research proposition, and the preparation and public defense of an acceptable thesis.

• Degree of Master of Science in Applied Geophysics

  The M.S. in applied geophysics degree is specifically developed for students interested in a career in petroleum exploration. This degree plan requires a minimum of 33 hours of credit and satisfactory completion and public defense of a research projects related to a facet of applied geophysics.

• Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

  The Ph.D. degree required a minimum of two academic years of residency as a graduate student on campus or at a research facility approved by the Department faculty; satisfactory defense of two original research propositions; and the preparation and public defense of a dissertation that is a significant original contribution to the advancement of science. Proficiency in a foreign language may be required by the advisory committee.

ADMISSION

• Completed applications for admission and financial aid should be received before February 15. Applications filed later than this date will be considered for financial aid if funds are available. The minimum standards for admission are an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, a GPA of 3.25 in the major, and a GRE General Test score of 1200 (combined verbal and quantitave). DOWNLOAD GRADUATE APPLICATION

FINANCIAL AID

• Most graduate students in residence receive financial aid. All tuition and fees are paid for students on stipend support, which may take the form of research assistantships, endowed scholarships, or teaching assistantships. Stipends range from $12,000 to $15,000 annually.

COURSE OFFERINGS

• 5320. DYNAMIC EARTH I. Physical and chemical structure of the Earth and its evolution through geologic time. Dynamic processes in the mantle and crust. Development of the theory of plate tectonics as a unifying mechanism for large-scale geologic processes. Implications of plate tectonics and contemporary applications to geological and geophysical problems. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

• 5366. VERTEBRATE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION. An introduction to biological and geological processes that have affected the diversity of vertebrate oranisms throughout the Earth's history, including origination, biogeography, adaption, and extinction. Strong emphasis on vertebrate anatomy. Prerequisite: GEOL 1308 or consent of instructor. The accompanying laboratory is strongly recommended.

• 5166. VERTEBRATE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION LABORATORY. This is a laboratory course to accompany GEOL 5366. Exercises include basic anatomy, dissections, and examination of fossils. Corequisite: GEOL 5366.

• 5368. PALEOECOLOGY. Interactions between the living world and the Earth's changing environments through geologic time. Prerequisite: GEOL 3369 or consent of instructor.

• 5380. PRINCIPLES OF STRATIGRAPHY. Evolution and application of modern stratigraphic concepts and the development of stratigraphic nomenclature. Emphasis on the integration of physical, biological, and chemical parameters in interpretation of the rock record. Prerequisite: GEOL 3340 or consent of instructor.

• 5481. IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC PETROLOGY. The origin, occurrence, and classification of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Problems of genesis are considered in e light of chemical equilibria and features of geologicl occurrence. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 3452 or consent of instructor.

• 5384. HYDROGEOLOGY. An introduction to the chemical and physical behavior of natural waters and the role of fluids in geologic processes. The course will stress the application of thermodynamics, kinetics, and fluid mechanics to understand such geologic processes as ore formation, sediment diagenesis, isograd formation, acid rain, global warming, and groundwater contamination. Prerequisites: MATH 1338 and CHEM 1304 or consent of instructor.

• 5386. GEOCHEMISTRY. A survey of geochemicl processes within the Earth and at the Earth's surface, emphasizing mineral water interactions and application of the principles of chemical equilibrium to solution of geochemical problems. Prerequisites: CHEM 1303 and 1304.

• 5389. THEORY OF DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING IN GEOPHYSICS. Linear transofrm theory, convolution, correlation, linear systems, Shannon sampling theorem, discrete Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform, Z transform, inverse filtering, recursive filtering, optimum filtering, deconvolution, and power spectrum analysis. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

• 5392. INTRODUCTION TO SEISMOLOGY. Basic principles of seismology. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

• 5394. GEOPHYSICAL PROBLEM SOLVING. Approaches to problem solving. "Back-of-the-envelope" approximations to dimensional analysis. Analytical solutions and numerical techniques on the computer. Inverse theory and error propagation. Using models in the real world. Term project. Prerequisites: MATH 2343, 5353; knowledge of a programming language.

• 6209, 6309. SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES.

• 6301. SEDIMENTOLOGY: CARBONATE ENVIRONMENTS. Carbonate depositional models from modern arid and humid areas are key to the interpretation of ancient carbonate rocks. Analysis of fauna, texture, classification, sedimentary structure, and primary geochemistry will be stressed.

• 6302. SEDIMENTOLOGY: CLASTIC ENVIRONMENTS. Description and classification of terrigenous clastic sediments and sedimentary structures. Principal emphasis on analysis of modern and ancient siliciclastic depositional systems.

• 6303. SEDIMENTOLOGY: CARBONATE DIAGENESIS. Post-depositional alteration of carbonate strata is examined with particular emphasis on the prediction of porosity. Field, petrographic, and geochemical lines of evidence are evaluated.

• 6304. SEDIMENTOLOGY: CLASTIC DIAGENESIS. Post-depositional alteration of sandstones and shales are examined with emphasis on process-oriented controls on mineral reaction and porosity/permeability modification. Petrographic, petrophysical, stratighraphic, and geochemical evidence are evaluated.

• 6305. SEDIMENTARY GEOCHEMISTRY. Processes controlling the composition of natural waters and minerals in sedimentary realms will be examined with emphasis on subsurface environments. interpretation of analytical data and theoretical treatments are used to understand geochemical cycling from weathering to precipitation of new minerals.

• 6306. RESERVOIR FACIES ARCHITECTURE. Description of clastic and carbonate reservoirs using sedimentological, petrological, petrophysical, and petroleum engineering data to formulate realistic models for primary and enhanced recovery in various depositional systems that contain oil and gas reserves.

• 6308. BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND BIOCHRONOLOGY OF MAMMALS. The succession of mammalian faunas through time with emphasis in stratigraphic, chronological, and zoogeographic principles and their application to geology.

• 6316. ADVANCED STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY. Structural description, strain and displacement in orogenic belts. This course introduces the theory, methodology, applications and limitation of modern structural analysis techniques, and incorporates these tools into understanding the evolution of major orogenic belts.

• 6321. THE DYNAMIC EARTH II. Description of modern methods of measuring geological time and the establishment of isotopic, biostratigraphic, paleonmagnetic, and geochemical stratigraphies. Examinination of of sedimentary, biological, and geochemical cycles (sea level fluctuations, climatic variations, evolutionary pattersn, atmospheric-oceanic compositions, continental positions, etc.) and their influence on the earth's sedimentary record.

• 6333. ADVANCED IGNEOUS PETROLOGY I. Theoretical and experimental aspects of igneous petrology. Thermodynamics and properties of silicate melts, crystallization and nucleation, trace element behavior, and high- and low-pressure phase relations.

• 6334. ADVANCED METAMORPHIC PETROLOGY. Study of metamorphic rocks as mineral assemblages. Mineral equilibria are observed by comparison of field and experimental data. Prerequisite: GEOL 5481 or equivalent.

• 6335. ADVANCED IGNEOUS PETROLOGY II. Geochemistry and classification of igneous rocks, relationships between magnetism and tectonism, Volcanology, emplacement of plutonic rocks, and processes of magmatic differentiation.

• 6338. THERMODYNAMICS OF GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES. Introduction to theoretical aspects of thermodynamics as they are applied in the earth sciences to igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary presses. Emphasis is on fundamental relationships in thermodynamics and mineral equilibria in aqueous solutions, solid rocks, silicate melts, and isotopic systems.

• 6341. BASIN ANALYSIS. Description of modes of origin of sedimentary basins, their thermal and subsidence history, and their patterns of sediment infill. Broad examination of modern concepts of thermal modelling, stratigraphy, sedimentology, and hydrocarbon generation. Offered only upon request.

• 6363. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY SEMINAR. This seminar will focus on timely geoscience-based environmental problems and address scientific, environmental, political, economic, legal, and social aspects of potential "solutions" through selected readings, seminars, guest speakers, and research projects.

• 6369. ADVANCED GEOCHEMISTRY. Low temperature aqueous geochemistry with emphasis on carbonate equilibria. The chemistry of natural waters. Application to sedimentary diagenesis and formation of ore deposits.

• 6370. AQUATIC AND MINERAL-WATER INTERFACE GEOCHEMISTRY. Chemical equilibria and kinetics in natural water and at the mineral-water interface to help understand the distributions of aqueous species at and near the earth's surface and man's influence on them. Prerequisite: GEOL 5338 or 5386 or consent of instructor.

• 6371. ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY AND GEOCHRONOLOGY. Geochemistry of radiogenic and stable isotopes; evolution of Pb, Sr and Nd isotope systems; application to problems in magma genesis, geothermal studies, tectonophysics and geochronology, application of isotopes as natural tracers.

• 6375. THEORY OF HEAT FLOW AND DIFFUSION. Heat transfer theory applied to the study of the thermal field of the earth and terrestral planets. Convection and conduction in geologic systems. Geochemistry of the heat-producing elements uranium, thorium, and poptassium and their inter-relationship with terrestrial heat flow.

• 6380. GEOPHYSICAL INVERSE THEORY. Theoretical development and application of inversion theroy to problems in geophyics. Prerequisites: MATH 5353 and consent of instructor.

• 6385. ELECTRICAL METHODS IN GEOPHYSICS. PHYS 1304 and consent of instructor.

• 6391. THEORETICAL GEOPHYSICS. Introduction to potential theory. The figures, gravitational and magnetic fields of the planets. Interpretation of field gravity, magnetic, and electrical data. Prerequisites: MATH 5334.

• 6392. INTERIOR OF THE EARTH. Formation and thermal evolution of the Earth, generation of the magnetic field, physicsl and chemical state of mantle and core, convection in the mantle and geochemical reservoirs, evolution of the crust, relationship of interior processes to lithospheric tectonic, comparison to the other terrestrial planets.

• 6393. GEOPHYSICAL CONTINUUM MECHANICS. Stress, strain, and stain-rate tensors. Rheology of geological materials. Formulation and solutions of the equations describing the elastic plastic, viscous and thermal behavior of the Earth. Application to lithospheric flexure, plate tectonics, post-glacial rebound, sedimentary basin evolution, convection in the mantle and interaction with the lithosphere, and comparative planetary tectonics. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and MATH 5334 or equivalent.

• 6394. MATHEMATICAL METHODS OF GEOPHYSICS AND THEORETICAL SEISMOLOGY I. Continuum mechanics including viscoelastic materials, reciprocity, representation theorem, moment tensors, kinematic and dynamic source models, Green's functions, and matrix methods, including Haskell-Thompson. Prerequisite: GEOL 6394 or consent of instructor.

• 6395. MATHEMATICAL METHODS OF GEOPHYSICS AND THEORETIC SEISMOLOGY II. Synthetic seismograms for layered materials, transform methods in the solution of the wave equiation, Cagnaird do Hoop and the generalized ray solution, first motion approximation, WKBJ approximation, reflectivity, and full wave theory. Prerequisite: GEOL 6394 or consent of instructor.

• 6396. APPLIED SEISMOLOGY--THEORY AND PRACTICE. The theoretical tools necessary for processing and interpretation of seismic reflection surveys will be presented. Exploration sources and receivers will be developed. Processing techniquest including sampling theory, demultiplexing, normal moveout corrections, stacking, deconvolution, and migration will be discussed. Practical applications of techniquest to observational data. Prerequisites: GEOL 5389, 5392.

• 6398, 6399. THESIS.

• 7000, 7300. RESEARCH.

• 7380. RESEARCH PROJECT IN APPLIED GEOPHYSICS. Graduate level research in applied geophysics, including interaction with ongoing programs in the industrial community.