Discusses the origin and distribution of conventional and unconventional petroleum resources, source rocks, types of traps and seals, reservoir rock properties, exploration methods (seismic data analysis and interpretation, formation evaluation, subsurface mapping), reservoir characterization and modeling, reserves calculations. Department enforced prereq., GEOL 1010. Recommended coreq., GEOL 3430.
Discusses the evolution of life on Earth, beginning with the earliest origins and surveying the major steps that led to the rise of higher plants and animals. Covers modern ideas on the causes of periodic mass extinctions in both the marine and terrestrial realms. Emphasizes geologic evidence for the pathways of evolution, using examples from the ordinary to the bizarre. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.
Examines the myriad forms of fluid behavior found on Earth, from the atmosphere to the inner core. Explores how basic principles of fluid physics may be used to understand a broad range of earth processes, including mantle convection, atmosphere and ocean dynamics, stream flow, lava spreading, and glacier motion, among others. Covers fundamental fluid concepts such as viscosity, pressure, convection, friction, and free-surface flow. Department enforced prereq., GEOL 1010 or MATH 1300 or APPM 1340 and 1345 or APPM 1350.
Offers an academically supervised opportunity for geological sciences majors to work with public or private organizations. Projects are usually associated with students' career goals; each project has an academic emphasis. Department enforced requisite, restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors). Department enforced prereq., completion of at least two courses (min grade B) for geology majors.
Surveys historic and prehistoric natural disasters, their cause, and potential for recurrence. Meteorite impact, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides, floods, magnetic reversals, and major extinction events. Course formerly numbered as GEOL 4950. Department enforced prereq., one year of science. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.
Examines the ocean as a system influencing the Earth's surficial processes and climate. Composition and properties of seawater, ocean circulation, waves, tides, coastal-, shallow-, and deep-water processes, biogeochemical cycles, deep sea sediments. Laboratory emphasizes the use of oceanographic data. Department enforced prereq., one semester chemistry or physics or geology. Same as GEOL 5060.
Covers the primary forcings and feedbacks that determine Earth's energy balance and the resultant climate system on decadal to millennial time scales. Covers ocean/atmosphere circulation, the role of ice sheets in the climate system, monsoons, Holocene climate change and 20th Century warming. Includes coverage of the proxies available to reconstruct climates of the past and the archives that contain these proxies. Recommended for natural science majors only. Department enforced prereq., environmental science or geology introduction sequence courses. Credit not granted for this course and GEOL 3040.
Covers acquisition and interpretation of environmental data by remote sensing. Discusses theory and sensors, as well as manual and computerized interpretation methods. Stresses infrared and microwave portions of the spectrum. Same as GEOL 5093 and GEOG 4093.
Provides an introduction to fundamental geophysics including seismology, geomagnetism, gravity, radiometric dating, and heat flow with applications to plate tectonics and exploration of the subsurface. Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of MATH 1300 and PHYS 1110 and GEOL 1010 and GEOL 2001 either GEOL 2005 or GEOL 2700 (all minimum grade D-).
Covers fundamentals of biogeochemical cycling, emphasizing water, carbon, and nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems; chemical interactions of atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere; and natural and human-managed environments. Department enforced prereqs., GEOL 3320 or EBIO 3270 and CHEM 1011. Same as ENVS 4160 and EBIO 4160.
Constraining the timing of events and rates of processes is fundamental to earth science research. The field of geochronology and thermochronology is rapidly evolving. Cutting-edge aspects of geochronologic methods and emerging techniques will be especially emphasized. Lectures will emphasize the principles and assumptions of each technique. Seminar discussions will focus on recent papers that demonstrate state-of-the-art applications to diverse problems. Same as GEOL 5215.
Studies weathering, mass-wasting, fluvial, wind, and marine processes and the resulting landforms. Same as GEOG 4241. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of GEOL 1011 or 1010 or 1020 or 1030 or 1040 or 1060 and APPM 1340 & 1345 or 1350 or ECON 1088 or MATH 1081 or 1300 or 1310 (minimum grade D-).
Examines the chemical, biological, geological, and physical processes affecting (and affected by) the chemistry of the oceans. Topics include: chemical separation in seawater; the marine carbon cycle and its long-term control on atmospheric CO2; the large-scale interdependence of nutrient distributions and biological productivity, chemical tracers of ocean circulation; and the chemistry of marine sediments, including early diagenesis. Department enforced requisite, restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors). Department enforced prereqs., CHEM 1113 and CHEM 1114 and introduction to geology and/or oceanography. Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Investigates chemical and isotopic data to understand the composition of the solar system: emphasis on the physical conditions in various objects, time scales for change, chemical and nuclear processes leading to change, observational constraints, and various models that attempt to describe the chemical state and history of cosmological objects in general and the early solar system in particular. Department enforced restriction, upper-division undergraduate or graduate standing in physical science. Department enforced prereq., upper-division undergraduate chemistry or physics or math courses. Same as GEOL 5330 and ASTR 4330.
Discusses the history and evolution of the vertebrates, including the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary patterns of the major groups. Lab focuses on comparative vertebrate osteology and fossil representation of major groups. Department enforced prereqs., GEOL 1010 and GEOL 1020 and GEOL 3410. Same as GEOL 5474. Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Deals with controversies within the broad realm of geological sciences, including planetary geology, evolution, paleobiology, global change, environmental issues, plate tectonics, resources, other societal problems, or geologic thought in general. Students are provided the opportunity to analyze and debate scientific issues in the earth sciences. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Department enforced prereq., any 1000-level geological science sequence.
Introduces concepts and methods of petroleum reservoir analysis and 3-D reservoir modeling using subsurface data (cores, well logs, 3-D seismic) and outcrop analogs. Examines petroleum system, petrophysics (lithology, porosity, permeability, capillary pressure, flow units), and sequence-stratigraphic, facies, and structural controls on reservoir properties, heterogeneity, and recovery efficiency. Deterministic and stochastic reservoir modeling methods are addressed. Department enforced prereqs., GEOL 1010 and GEOL 1020 and GEOL 3430. Same as GEOL 5550. Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Introduces principles of stable and radiogenic isotope systematics in inorganic and organic geochemistry. Emphasizes application of isotope data to problems in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology, geobiochemistry, and petroleum genesis. Same as GEOL 5670. Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of GEOL 3320 and CHEM 1131 and MATH 1300 (all minimum grade D-).
Studies in selected geological subjects of special current interest (for undergraduates). May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours within a term. Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Applies field techniques to interpretation of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Field exercises and lectures focus on collecting data required to map igneous and metamorphic rock units. Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of GEOL 3020 and GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 (all minimum grade D-).
Explores methods of field study of structure of rocks, including observations, data collection, and interpretation to understand geometry of deformation and causative processes and kinematics. Field projects are mapped using different scales, air photos, topographic maps, and compass and tape. Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of GEOL 3120 and GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 (all minimum grade D-).
Applies geophysical field techniques and data interpretation to studying geological and engineering problems. Fieldwork includes seismic, gravity, magnetic, and electrical measurements. Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 and MATH 1300 and PHYS 1110 (all minimum grade D-).
Introduces various field techniques and data analysis methods in hydrogeologic studies for students in geology, environmental studies, geography, and civil engineering. Exercises include mapping ground water levels, conducting slug and pumping tests, measuring stream flows, interpreting aquifer parameters from geophysical measurements, and using field data for water budget analysis. Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 (minimum grade D-).
Develops basic field skills in the most commonly performed tasks required for the environmental characterization of solid and aqueous wastes. Media of study include soils, stream sediments, surface waters, ground waters, and atmospheric particulates. Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 and GEOL 3320 and CHEM 1011 and CHEM 1031 or CHEM 1113 and CHEM 1133 (all minimum grade D-).
Studies geologic features in and around Colorado to gain an overview of the geologic and tectonic evolution of the western U.S. Department enforced prereqs., GEOL 2001 or GEOL 2700 and at least one of the following: GEOL 3120 or GEOL 3320 or GEOL 3430.
