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Dean Ian D. Brindle Faculty of Mathematics & Sciences Participating Faculty Professors Uwe Brand, P.Geo. (Earth Sciences), Richard J. Cheel (Earth Sciences), Frank Fueten (Earth Sciences), Wayne T. Jolly (Earth Sciences), Francine M. McCarthy (Earth Sciences), John Menzies, P.Geo. (Earth Sciences), Keith J. Tinkler (Earth Sciences) Associate Professors Gregory C. Finn, P.Geo. (Earth Sciences), Daniel P. McCarthy (Earth Sciences) Adjunct Professors Kent Novakowski, P. Geo. (Queen's University), Andrew Panko, P.Geo. (Brownfield Revolutions Inc.) Graduate Officer Uwe Brand Administrative Assistant Diane Gadoury 905-688-5550, 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 and Crustal Studies. |
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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. |
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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. |
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The Department of Earth Sciences offers a thesis based MSc program that consists of one year of course work followed by preparation of a thesis. Students normally take 4 half credit courses in the first year in areas related to their proposed thesis. Graduate students are limited to taking only two courses from their specific graduate supervisor. Interested full-time graduate students are encouraged to contact graduate supervisors prior to making formal application to discuss potential research projects and funding. Undergraduate Courses 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. |
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The department is fully equipped with geochemistry, palynology, sedimentology, hydrology, dendrochronology, and micromorphology laboratories. In addition, the department has a sedimentary flume lab and Carbon-14 dating equipment. The department shares the facilities of electronic, machine, woodworking and glassblowing shops with the other science departments. |
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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. MSc Thesis Structural Geology Study of the relationship between strain and fabric elements in tectonites. Textures. Multiple strain histories and textures. Relationships between strain and geotectonics. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Advanced Paleoecology Correlation between modern ecosystems and those in the fossil record; reconstruction of past environments and the time-sequence of such environments. Applied paleoecology; delineation of past sedimentary basins using biofacies and lithofacies; evolutionary development of ecosystems; paleoecosystem analysis and models. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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). Quaternary Geology Modern concepts of glaciers and glaciation as landscape forming factors; techniques and methods for study and mapping of Quaternary deposits and physiographic features; the influence of glaciation as a factor in Canadian land use. Selected Topics in Quaternary Science An investigation of a specific area or group of related topics in Quaternary science. This course will be designed for individual students and approved by the graduate studies advisory committee. Selected Topics in Crustal Studies An investigation of a specific area or group of related topics in Crustal studies. This course will be designed for individual students and approved by the graduate studies advisory committee. Selected Topics in Contemporary Geology An investigation of a specific area or group of related topics in contemporary geology. This special research course will be designed for individual students by the graduate studies advisory committee and approved by the department. |
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2005-2006 Graduate Calendar
Last updated: July 28, 2005 @ 01:51PM