Earth Sciences Courses

ERSC 1F01
Planet Earth
Earth as a member in the solar system, minerals and rocks, plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes; the fossil record and the history of life; glacial geology, geomorphology, earth surface processes; global warming, climate change and paleoclimatology; environmental geology, acid precipitation, soil-groundwater contamination, general and hazardous waste disposal.
Lectures, lab or local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: any two of biology, chemistry, environmental science, earth sciences, mathematics or physics beyond grade 11 or equivalent.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in ERSC 1F90 and 1F95.

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 1F01 and 1F95.

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 1F01 (1F95), 1F90, GEOG 1F91.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in ERSC 2P61 or ERSC 2P64.

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, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F01 (1F95), 1F90, BIOL 1F90.

ERSC 2P05
Earth Surface Processes
(also offered as ENVI 2P05 and GEOG 2P05)
Earth surface processes and geomorphology within global environments. A dynamic and physically based account of processes and the Earth's surface, linking the fields of sedimentology, physical geography and fluid mechanics.
Lectures, lab, field work, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F01 (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 1F01 (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 2P10
Sedimentology
Basic clastic sedimentology (grain size, shape, porosity/permeability, fabric) including fundamentals of unidirectional and oscillatory water flows, sediment transport under such flows and resulting sedimentary structures. Clastic rock classification.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F01 (1F95).
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in ERSC 2P31.

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 1F01 (1F95) or GEOG 1F91; MATH 1P98 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 2P12
Earth Science Methods
Introduction to the study and description, in the field and the lab, of surficial deposits, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks; analysis of geological maps and imagery.
Lectures, lab, field trips 6 hours per week, weekend field trips taken early in the semester.
Prerequisites: ERSC 1F01.
Note: field trips taken during lab periods and weekends to areas of geological interest.

ERSC 2P21
Introduction to Mineralogy and Mineral Associations
Crystal systems, symmetry operations, introduction to the 32 crystal classes; mineral composition and structure; physics and chemistry of minerals; mineral identification.
Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F01 (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, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P21.

ERSC 2P32
Paleontology and Earth History
Fossil preservation and bias in the fossil record; ontogeny and growth of invertebrates; functional morphology of selected invertebrate groups; evolution and 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 1F01 (1F95) or BIOL 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P01
Structural Geology
Measurement and effects of stress and strain. Genesis of brittle and ductile structures and their classification. Methods of structural analysis.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 2P12.
Completion of this course will replace previous grade in ERSC 2P01.

ERSC 3P10
Stratigraphy and Carbonate Sedimentology
Fundamentals of lithostratigraphy and introduction to the North American Stratigraphic code; subsurface geology techniques, subsurface mapping and correlation; geology and geological history of southern Ontario; introduction to facies and facies models; sequence stratigraphy. Formation of carbonate and chemical minerals and sediments; environments of formation; classification of carbonate minerals, rocks and environments of deposition; limestone diagenesis; dolomitization; hand specimen, thin section and rock section/sequence descriptions.
Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P10.
Completion of this course will replace previous grade in ERSC 3P71.

ERSC 3P21
Igneous and Metamorphic 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, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 2P22 and CHEM 1F92 (CHEM 1P80 and 1P81 or CHEM 1P90 and 1P91).

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 2P10 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 3P24 or 3P25 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P31
Geochemistry
Formation of the elements; nucleosynthesis and cosmic abundances; classification of elements; crystal chemistry, bond energy, crystal defects and elemental partitioning/distribution; 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; introduction to isotope geochemistry.
Lectures, lab, 6 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 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, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P36
Fluvial Geomorphology
(also offered as GEOG 3P36)
River basins, channel morphology, flood frequency analysis, elementary flow mechanics and sediment transport; analysis of river records; long term changes in river systems. Introduction to HEC-RAS flow modelling.
Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05 or permission of the instructor.

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, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 1F01 (1F95) and MATH 1P97.

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.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04.

ERSC 3P94
Advanced 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, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.

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 Camp-Solid Earth
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 3Q99
Field School-Quaternary Geology
Field and laboratory methods for analysis of Quaternary landscapes based on field sites including fluvial, hillslope, coastal, glacial, and biosphere examples.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Restriction: consult the department regarding permission to register.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P12.

ERSC 3V80-3V99
Special Topics in Earth Sciences
Selected issues in Earth Sciences on the basis of faculty expertise and student interest.
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.

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 3P01 (2P01).

ERSC 4P10
Advanced Clastic Sedimentology
Team study of the subsurface geology of a selected area of a Lake Erie gas field. Drill cores and geophysical logs are used to correlate lithostratigraphic units and to construct structure contour maps and isopach maps of gas-bearing strata.
Lab, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P10.

ERSC 4P15
Photogeology and Remote Sensing
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, seminar, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 3P24, 3P25, 3P26, 3P36.
Completion of this course will replace previous grade in ERSC 3P43.

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; evolution of life, oceans and atmosphere.
Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.

ERSC 4P22
Advanced 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, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P21.

ERSC 4P26
Advanced Fluvial Geomorphology
(also offered as GEOG 4P26)
Steep, rough river sytems with emphasis on boulder bed and rock bed channels.
Seminar, lab, field work, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P36 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, 3P26 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 4P31
Applied Environmental Geochemistry
Principles of environmental geochemistry and toxicology; aqueous geochemistry and water quality; formation of soils/sediments and impact of anthropogenic activities; nature and sources of hazardous substances; treatment-disposal of hazardous materials; assessment of anthropogenic contamination/pollution including risk assessment; watershed study and report assessing quality and chemistry, sources and impacts.
Lectures, lab, local field work, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P31 or CHEM 2P42.
Note: students must supply their own safety equipment (safety glasses and lab coats).

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 2P05 or 2P10 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 4P80
Dendrochronology
(also offered as BIOL 4P80 and GEOG 4P80)
Principles and use of dendrochronology to study forest dynamics, geomorphic events and paleoenvironmental change; use of tree growth in the study of climate and environmental factors; measurement and statistical analysis of tree growth records.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04.