2002-2003 Graduate Calendar

Earth Sciences

 

Chair

Frank Fueten

Professors

Uwe Brand, Richard J. Cheel, Frank Fueten, Wayne T. Jolly, John Menzies, Francine M. McCarthy, Keith J. Tinkler

Associate Professors

Gregory C. Finn, JeanJacques Flint (on leave), Daniel P. McCarthy

Adjunct Professors

Andrew Panko, Kent Novakowski

 

Master of Science Program

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Administrative Assistant, extension 3526

Mackenzie Chown D433

http://www.brocku.ca/earthsciences/

The department offers a program leading to the Master of Science (MSc) degree. Graduate research topics may be conducted in the broad areas of Quaternary Studies and Crustal Studies.

 

Admission Requirements

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Candidates with a four year BA or BSc degree, or equivalent, with a minimum B average may apply to the Graduate Studies Office for entry into the program. Candidates holding a degree without sufficient concentration in the area of the intended Masters degree may be required to complete up to two half courses in addition to their regular graduate course requirements. Candidates may be required to write the Graduate Record Examination and/or a language examination.

 

Program Requirements

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Candidates with an honours degree or who have completed a qualifying year, require a minimum of one year of residency and satisfactory completion of a program which must include ERSC 5F90, four 5(alpha)00 or above level half credits or three such half credits and one ERSC 4(alpha)00 or above level half credit.

Completion of additional course work in specific areas may be required in some cases. All candidates are required to present a seminar on the topic of their thesis project.

 

Research Fields

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Research fields which are currently active in the graduate program reflect the areas of specialization of the faculty members. The following list provides a sampling of potential research topics; glacial geology and geomorphology, fluvial geomorphology, palynology, Quaternary geology, environmental studies, experimental sedimentology, economic geology, low temperature geochemistry, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, paleontology, petrography and structural geology. The interrelated aspects of these fields provide both a basic understanding of the geological processes that have shaped the Earth and the basic knowledge needed to cope effectively with some of the most pressing problems facing society today. Students are encouraged to undertake graduate studies programs involving other disciplines.

The department places special emphasis on field studies in order to acquaint students with geological problems in their proper environmental setting.

 

Facilities

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Equipment in the department includes Xray diffractometer, rotating polarizer stage microscopes, image analysis system, Sedigraph 5000 particle size analyzer, a 10m recirculating sediment flume, DTA, automated Varian 1475 atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), computerized GTA96400 P graphite furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, ion-selective electrode equipment, ultraphot photomicroscope, Nuclide cathode luminoscope, seismic, fluorometric and resistivity equipment, digitizer, Hach DR2000 UV/VIS Spectrophotometer, Horiba U10 water quality meter, aquatic system coring equipment, stable isotope extraction system, Carbon 14 dating equipment, digital diluters and an automatic diluting station. A Silicon Graphics Indigo 2 Impact and the University's mainframe and departmental computing facilities are also available.

These are supported by fully equipped geochemistry, palynology, sedimentology, hydrology, dendrochronology, paleontology and X-ray laboratories. The department shares the facilities of electronic, machine, woodworking and glassblowing shops with the other science departments.

 

Undergraduate Courses

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Some year 4 undergraduate courses can be taken for credit by graduate students with the approval and permission of their advisory committee and the department.

The year 4 courses are listed in the undergraduate calendar.

 

Course Descriptions

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The following courses are available in the department. A certain selection of these, determined in part by student interests, will be offered each year. All are half credit courses, except ERSC 5F90.

ERSC 5F90

MSc Thesis

ERSC 5P30

Structural Geology

Study of the relationship between strain and fabric elements in tectonites. Textures. Multiple strain histories and textures. Relationships between strain and geotectonics.

ERSC 5P31

Tectonics

Structural evolution of different types of "orogenic" belts. Emphasis will be on Canadian examples where possible. Limitations that structural evolution places on the acceptability of proposed tectonic models. Global systems of orogenic belts through time.

ERSC 5P32

Paleoclimatology

Phanerozoic climates, with special emphasis on the Quaternary. Techniques of climate reconstruction: fossil assemblages, stable isotope analysis, dendrochronology, sedimentary evidence. Causes of climatic change. Implications for predicting future climates.

ERSC 5P35

Quaternary Palynology

Concepts and techniques in palynological investigations of marine and terrestrial Quaternary deposits; the Pleistocene and Holocene climatic changes; applied atmospheric palynology, dispersal of palynomorphs.

ERSC 5P37

Environmental Geochemistry

Principles of availability, mobility and accumulation of metals in the lithosphere and hydrosphere. Cycling of metals in soils and soil chemistry. Chemical weathering and stability regimes of minerals in aqueous systems. Anthropogenic influence on inorganic contaminants in sediments, soils and water. Quality control and assurance of sampling procedures.

ERSC 5P40

Quaternary Geochronology

Geochronological methods and techniques applicable to correlation and dating of Quaternary deposits and events (radiocarbon dating, varved sediments, the fossil record, paleomagnetism, tephrochronology, dendrochronology, paleotemperatures). Quaternary chronology in Canada and correlation with other parts of the world.

ERSC 5P41

Glaciology

Study of the physics of glaciers. Mass balance and glacier budget. Mechanics of glacier movement. Conditions of the ice/glacier bed interface. Dynamics of large ice masses. Glacier surges. Response of glaciers to changes in mass balance. Glaciers and climate. Glacier dynamics and glacial landforms.

ERSC 5P45

Advanced Paleoecology

Correlation between modern ecosystems and those in the fossil record; reconstruction of past environments and the time-sequenceof such environments. Applied paleoecology; delineation of past sedimentary basins using biofacies and lithofacies; evolutionary development of ecosystems; paleoecosystem analysis and models.

ERSC 5P46

Evolutionary Paleobiology

Paleoecology of the marine biosphere. Taphonomy and information loss in fossil record. Changes in composition of marine communities over the Phanerozoic. Regulation of taxonomic diversity through geologic time. Mass extinctions. Punctuated equilibria. Heterochrony and evolution.

ERSC 5P50

Sedimentary Environments

Study of modern depositional environments with emphasis on processes and the resulting facies organization. Development of facies models and their application to selected ancient examples.

ERSC 5P55

Volcanology

A detailed survey of volcano morphology, distribution of Quaternary volcanic belts, experimental volcanic petrology and volcanic geochemistry. The current ideas on the interrelations between volcanics and plate tectonics are summarized and the volcanic processes of the present are compared to those of the geological past, including ancient continental shield volcanic rocks.

ERSC 5P56

Ore Genesis

Examination of the geological controls of ore genesis. Thermodynamics and chemistry of metal transport and deposition. Use of isotopes and phase diagrams as indicators of physico chemical environments. Geomorphological control of metal mobility.

ERSC 5P58

Carbonate Diagenesis

Descriptive and chemical diagenesis of carbonates. Geochemistry of inorganic and organic carbonate grains. Low temperature thermodynamics of elemental and isotopic redistribution. Application of biogeochemistry and chemostratigraphy to global events and evolutionary processes. Descriptive and chemical diagenesis of carbonates.

ERSC 5P61

Quantitative Methods in Geology

Elements of data analysis and programming. Applications of statistical methods to geological data. Stochastic models in geology.

Prerequisite: an undergraduate course in statistics.

ERSC 5P70

Fluvial Geomorphology

Principles of flow dynamics. Origin and measurement of turbulent and laminar flows; bed roughness; shear stress and velocity. Flow competence; drag and lift forces, initiation of motion, suspension and bedload. Flow capacity, deterministic and probability models of sediment transport. Field studies of steep gravel and bedrock channels.

ERSC 5P75

Limnogeology

Formation of lake basins; physical and chemical characteristics of lake sediments and the water column; geological factors in the development of lakes; eutrophication; the fossil record in lake deposits; lakes as a resource (water consumption, recreation, conservation).

ERSC 5P76

Industrial Minerals

Geology and genesis of industrial mineral deposits. Use of these in the construction and chemical industries. Aggregate resources and testing. Urban requirements and land use planning.

ERSC 5P85

Quaternary Geology

Modern concepts of glaciers and glaciation as landscape forming factors; techniques and methods for study and mapping of Quaternary deposits and physiographic

 
Last updated: March 20, 2003 @ 11:13AM