Earth Sciences Courses

ERSC 1F90
Geology and the Environment
Intended primarily for non-science majors. Current hypotheses about the history of planet Earth; the significance of understanding modern environments in interpreting ancient settings and predicting future developments. Topics include earthquake prediction, hazardous waste disposal, floods, erosion, landslides, glaciation, global climate change and historical geology.
Lectures, 2 hours per week; lab, 2 hours per week alternating weeks.
Note: secondary school sciences are not a prerequisite. Students achieving an exceptional level of performance in ERSC 1F90 may, at the discretion of the department, register in upper year courses.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in ERSC 1F95.

ERSC 1F95
Introduction to Earth and Environmental Science
Earth as a member of the solar system; chemical and physical properties of the earth and originating processes; the fossil record and the history of life; energy and hydrocarbon formation and exploitation; environmental geology, global warming and paleoclimatology, acid precipitation, natural-anthropogenic weathering of rocks, minerals and soils; hydroenvironmental geology, soil-groundwater conta-mination, radioactive and general waste disposal, elemental toxicology.
Lectures, lab or local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: any two of biology, chemistry, environmental science, earth science, mathematics or physics beyond grade 11 or equivalent.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in ERSC 1F90.

ERSC 2P00
Natural Hazards
(also offered as ENVI 2P00)
Identification of naturally occurring atmospheric and geological hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, floods and their impacts on urban planning and development, infrastructure, public safety and policy issues.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F90, 1F95, GEOG 1F91.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in ERSC 2P61 or ERSC 2P64.

ERSC 2P01
Structural Geology
Measurement and effects of stress and strain. Genesis of brittle and ductile structural features and their classification. Methods of structural analysis and examination of hand specimens.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F95.

ERSC 2P02
Introduction to Oceanography
Overview of the oceans, their origin, composition, circulation, geology and biota, from the coastal zone to the abyss. Importance of oceanography to humans, history of oceanography, overview of marine hazards and resources, ocean-atmosphere interactions and the global climate.
Lectures 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F90, 1F95, BIOL 1F90.

ERSC 2P05
Earth Surface Processes
(also offered as ENVI 2P05 and GEOG 2P05)
Introductory geomorphology with emphasis on basic principles and their application to global environments.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F95 or GEOG 1F91 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 2P09
Principles of Biogeography
(also offered as ENVI 2P09 and GEOG 2P09)
Autoecological aspects of soils and plants including the human impact at all scales. Patterns of soils and plants and their explanation. Spatial patterns of soils and vegetation communities and their explanation.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: one of ERSC 1F95 and MATH 1P98, CHEM 1F92 (CHEM 1P80 and 1P81 or CHEM 1P90 and 1P91), GEOG 1F91 and MATH 1P98, or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 2P11
Research Methods in the Geosciences
(also offered as GEOG 2P11)
Appraisal of scientific method. Problems of research design and the acquisition of information from the field by mapping, instrumental measurement, sampling and the use of published and unpublished data sources. Quantitative analysis of data, interpretation and the communication of results.
Lectures, lab, seminar, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 1F95 or GEOG 1F91; MATH 1P98 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 2P21
Mineralogy
Crystal systems, symmetry operations, introduction to the 32 crystal classes; mineral composition and structure; physics and chemistry of minerals; mineral identification.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F95.

ERSC 2P22
Optical Mineralogy
Properties of light and its interaction with mineral grains: reflection, refraction, polarization, interference phenomena, extinction, colour and pleochroism. Refractometry; isotropic, uniaxial and biaxial optics; interpretation of interference figures. Transmitted light petrography in the identification of and familiarization with major rock-forming minerals in grain mounts and in thin section.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P21.

ERSC 2P31
Clastic Sedimentology
Description and elementary interpretation of sedimentary materials. Topics include the textural characteristics of sediment, porosity and permeability of granular materials, classification of sedimentary rocks, fluid flow and sediment transport, bedforms and stratification. Laboratories will illustrate common techniques employed in the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F95.

ERSC 2P32
Paleontology
Fossil preservation and bias in the fossil record; ontogeny and growth of invertebrates; functional morphology of selected invertebrate groups; an introduction to population ecology; speciation; paleoecology; mass extinctions in the fossil record. Labs deal with the classification and morphology of the major invertebrate groups and principles of taxonomy.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F95 or BIOL 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 2P90
Environmental Geoscience Field Course
(also offered as GEOG 2P90)
Introduction to interpreting, collecting, recording and synthesizing field data. Library research on selected topics. Elementary field mapping, mapping with existing maps and air photos. Preparation of field reports. Field sites chosen in Niagara Peninsula will include examples of exposed sections in Quaternary sediments, and coastal, hillslope, escarpment, and fluvial environments.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: one of ERSC 1F90, 1F95, GEOG 1F91; two credits from ERSC or GEOG (Group B) numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99.
Note: field trips undertaken in laboratory periods.

ERSC 3P00
Soil Science
(also offered as GEOG 3P00)
Pedogenesis; processes of profile development. Weathering and soil evolution. Major world soil types, soil taxonomy. Soils of Canada.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or 2P09 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous grade in GEOG 3P31.

ERSC 3P21
Introductory Petrography and
Petrology Igneous rocks: nomenclature and classification; magmatic processes. Application of one, two and three component phase diagrams to interpret the formation of igneous rocks. Metamorphic rocks: types, classification, mineral parageneses. Labs include the study of rocks in thin section, their mineralogy, textures, origin and classification.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 2P22 and CHEM 1F92 (CHEM 1P80 and 1P81 or CHEM 1P90 and 1P91).

ERSC 3P22
Principles of Geomorphology
(also offered as GEOG 3P22)
Field examples in the Niagara Peninsula establishing the late Quaternary chronology.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or 2P11 or permission of the instructor.
Note: field trips undertaken in laboratory periods.

ERSC 3P23
Advanced and Applied Geomorphology
(also offered as GEOG 3P23)
Selected topics in geomorphology using maps, aerial photographs and modern scientific literature. Application of geomorphological principles to environmental management is developed wherever possible.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or 2P11 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P24
Glacial Geomorphology/Geology
(also offered as GEOG 3P24)
Introduction to glaciology; glacial processes, glacial deposits; their genesis and sedimentology. Relationship of glacial processes to landforms and surface topography. Glacial systems and facies associations. Applied aspects of glacial geology, such as drift exploration.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P25
Quaternary Geology
(also offered as GEOG 3P25)
Glaciations in the geological record, causes of glaciations, biotic responses to climatic changes, sea level changes in response to glaciation, Quaternary stratigraphy and correlation of glacial and non-glacial events, application of Quaternary geology to economic and environmental problems, methods of paleoclimatic reconstruction.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P31 or 3P24 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P26
Glacial Soils and Sediments
(also offered as GEOG 3P26)
Applied aspects of glacial deposits. Geotechnical and pedochemical properties and structural attributes of glacial soils and sediments. Micromorphology, glacial soil discontinuity analyses. Introductory aspects of soil mechanics. Drift exploration. Landfill problems and issues related to glacial soils and sediments.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P31
Geochemistry
History of geochemistry; elemental nucleosynthesis and cosmic abundances; classification of elements; crystal chemistry, bond energy, crystal defects and elemental partitioning; kinetic chemistry, elemental diffusion, nucleation and transformation; aqueous geochemistry, water-mineral interactions; Gibbs free energy and the formation, weathering of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks; principles of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and strontium isotopes and hydrogeochemical applications.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: CHEM 1F92 (CHEM 1P80 and 1P81 or CHEM 1P90 and 1P91).
Note: students must supply their own safety equipment (safety glasses and lab coats).

ERSC 3P32
Biogeography: Patterns and Processes
(also offered as GEOG 3P32)
Contemporary controls on plant and animal distributions (ecological biogeography). Past controls/paleo-geographical factors which shaped the distributions of species (historical biogeography), including plate tectonics and Quaternary climate change.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P09 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P33
Biodiversity
(also offered as GEOG 3P33)
Dispersal and migration, adaptation; speciation, extinction; ecological interaction, species invasion, plant and animal introductions, habitat fragmentation and application of biogeographical theory to conservation biology, and human impacts on fire regimes.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P43
Photogeology and Satellite Imagery
Analysis and geologic interpretation of aerial photography, including remote sensing data from airborne and satellite imagery. Temporal evolution and denudation of land masses in relation to tectonic, sedimentologic and climatic changes.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F90, 1F95, GEOG 1F91.

ERSC 3P50
Geological Foundations of Wine Terroirs
(also offered as OEVI 3P50)
Influence of bedrock, unconsolidated sediments and groundwater in glaciated, temperate and semi-desert terroirs. Field examination of Niagara appellation vineyards and the geological environs of the sub-appellations.
Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P61
Groundwater Geology
Occurrence, movement, exploration and exploitation of groundwater including the study of groundwater flow and principles of well hydraulics.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 1F95 and MATH 1P97.

ERSC 3P71
Stratigraphy and Carbonate Sedimentology
North American Stratigraphic Code, introduction to sedimentary facies models and subsurface stratigraphy. Petrography of carbonate grains; recent carbonate environments; textural, structural and chemical limestone diagenesis; dolomitisation; silification and pyritisation of carbonate grains.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 2P01, 2P22, 2P31 and 2P32.

ERSC 3P85
Ecology of a Changing Planet
(also offered as BIOL 3P85 and GEOG 3P85)
Impact of environmental change and human activity on ecosystems. Topics include climate change and global warming, habitat fragmentation, extinction, invasive species, conservation biology and the management of ecological integrity.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04.

ERSC 3P92
Computer Modelling in Groundwater Hydrology
Application of finite difference, finite element and numerical methods to simulate groundwater movement and solute transport. Applications and limitations of advanced computer programs to model; groundwater hydraulics for confined and unconfined aquifers, two-dimensional flownets, well head protection and three-dimensional groundwater flow in homogeneous and multilayer aquifers. Simulation of transport processes and attenuation mechanisms in contaminant migration. Modelling of remedial treatments.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P61.

ERSC 3P94
Igneous Petrology
Igneous petrogenesis, with emphasis on the physical chemistry of igneous processes; igneous rock complexes; studies of a number of petrologically important areas.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.

ERSC 3P95
Special Topics in Earth Sciences
Course in which a student may explore areas not represented by existing courses. Under certain circumstances, a student may carry out, under faculty supervision, a detailed research project, the results of which will be presented in a major essay and a formal seminar.
Restriction: consult the Chair and supervising instructor regarding permission to register. Open to ERSC (single or combined) majors with a major average of 70 percent and a minimum of 10.0 overall credits.
Note: this course may be taken once for credit.

ERSC 3P96
Geoprocessing
(also offered as GEOG 3P96)
Geoprocessing applied to research in the Earth Sciences, focussing on case studies in biogeography and glacial geology and geomorphology. Use of image analyses techniques to investigate various paleoenvironmental processes and conditions.
Tutorials, labs, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or 2P09.

ERSC 3P97
Applied Micropaleontology
Taxonomy, biostratigraphy and paleoecological significance of calcareous, siliceous, phosphatic and organic-walled microfossils. Methods of collection, preparation, observation and identification of fossils of marine and freshwater benthos and plankton, and terrestrial spores and pollen. Application of microfossil assemblages to solving geological, ecological and biological problems, such as paleoenvironmental, paleoclimatological and paleogeographic reconstruction, dating events in earth history, exploring for fossil fuels and understanding evolution and speciation.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P32.
Note: year 3 students enrolled in the ENVI (ENVS) Earth Sciences stream program are permitted to register in ERSC 3P97 provided they have successfully completed the ERSC requirements in year 2 of the program.

ERSC 3P98
Ore Geology
Mode of occurrence, distribution, genesis, evaluation of and exploration for metallic and industrial mineral deposits. Includes ore petrology and geochemistry as well as theory of ore deposition in hydrothermal systems.
Lectures, lab, seminar, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.
Note: ERSC 3P31 is recommended.

ERSC 3P99
Field Geology
Two-week immersion course offered after final examinations in year 3 introducing students to collecting, recording and synthesizing field data, airphoto mapping, preparing geologic maps and reports. Field area, situated in northern Ontario, consists of Archaean, Proterozoic and Paleozoic lithologies.
Restriction: consult the department regarding permission to register. Students must have a minimum of 13.0 overall credits.
Note: registrants are expected to defray the cost of travel, accommodation and other expenses.

ERSC 4F91
Thesis
Research on geological problems involving field or laboratory study under faculty supervision.
Restriction: open to ERSC honours (single or combined) majors with a minimum of 13.5 overall credits and a minimum major average of 75 percent.
Note: submission and oral examination of thesis are required.

ERSC 4P01
Advanced Structural Geology
Deformation mechanisms; the use of kinematic indicators; relationships between micro and macrostructures; emphasis on recent topics and methods in structural geology.
Lectures, seminar, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P01.

ERSC 4P10
Advanced Clastic Sedimentology
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of terrestrial and marine deposits. Lab project will consist of a detailed study of the subsurface geology of a part of southern Ontario.
Lectures, seminar, lab, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 2P31 and 3P71.

ERSC 4P16
Precambrian Geology
Archaean and Proterozoic evolution of the Earth examining: geology, tectonics, stratigraphy and history of the Precambrian; evolution of the Earth's crust; Precambrian time scale; and evolution of life, oceans and atmospheres.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.

ERSC 4P22
Metamorphic Petrology
Synthesis of metamorphic textures, compositional variations and field characteristics with emphasis on the temperature-pressure relations of the metamorphic rocks and the role of fluids in metamorphism.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.

ERSC 4P26
Research Themes in Fluvial Geomorphology
(also offered as GEOG 4P26)
Modern literature in fluvial geomorphology complemented by local field work and the analysis of published river records.
Seminar, lab, field work, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 3P22, 3P23, 3P24 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 4P28
Advanced Glacial Sedimentology
(also offered as GEOG 4P28)
Sedimentology of present day glacial environments and of Quaternary sediments. Thermo-mechanical principles of glacier physics as applied to past and present glacier ice conditions. Glacial lithofacies associations. Glacio-tectonics and diagenesis. Principles of glacial erosion, entrainment and deposition.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 3P24, 3P25, 3P26 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 4P31
Applied Environmental Geochemistry
Principles of availability, mobility and accumulation of metals in the lithosphere and hydrosphere. Cycling of metals in sediments, chemical weathering and element migration, anthropogenic influences on metal concentration in sediments; quality assurance of sampling procedures. Practical field work on local hydrological systems.
Lectures, lab, local field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P31 or CHEM 2P42.
Note: students must supply their own safety equipment (safety glasses and lab coats).

ERSC 4P41
Quaternary Paleoecology/Paleoclimatology
Methods of reconstructing paleoenvironments using paleontological and physical/chemical proxies. Organization of plant communities past and present, and changes in biogeographic distribution and diversity accompanying global climate change throughout the Quaternary Period. Emphasis on field and laboratory methods applied to paleoclimatic, paleolimnological and paleohydrological studies in the Great Lakes.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P09 or 2P32.
Note: year 3 students enrolled in the ENVI (ENVS) Earth Sciences stream program are permitted to register in ERSC 4P41 provided they have successfully completed the ERSC requirements in year 2 of the program.

ERSC 4P52
Industrial Mineral Deposits and Coal
Industrial rocks, minerals and aggregates; geologic origin, occurrence and mutual relationships; classification, extraction, preparation and uses; properties, classification and origin of coal; structural control, exploitation of ore deposits, grade and tonnage calculation.
Lectures, lab, seminar, field trip, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P98.

ERSC 4P61
Surface Hydrology
Distribution and variation of run-off, recurrence of floods and droughts; fluvial processes and sediment transport; hydrologic and water management techniques; computer models for hydrologic and sediment analysis.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P31 or permission of the instructor.