Earth Sciences

Master of Science in Earth Sciences

Field of Specialization:

Geology

Faculty Dean

Ian D. Brindle

Faculty Associate Dean

Gregory C. Finn

Graduate Faculty

Professors

Uwe Brand, DFGAC, P.Geo. (Earth Sciences), Richard J. Cheel (Earth Sciences), Frank Fueten (Earth Sciences), Martin J. Head (Earth Sciences), Wayne T. Jolly (Earth Sciences), Francine M. McCarthy (Earth Sciences), John Menzies, P. Geo. (Earth Sciences & Geography), Keith Tinkler (Earth Sciences & Geography)

Associate Professors

Gregory C. Finn, P. Geo. (Earth Sciences), Daniel P. McCarthy (Earth Sciences)

Adjunct Professors

Steve Cook (Fonthill, Ontario), Andrew Panko, P.Geo. (Brownfield Revolutions Inc.)

Graduate Program Director

Frank Fueten

ffueten@brocku.ca

Administrative Assistant

Diane Gadoury

Mackenzie Chown D431

905-688-5550, extension 3526

dgadoury@brocku.ca

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

Program Description

The Department offers a program leading to the Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree. Graduate research topics may be conducted in the broad area of Geology with specialization in faculty-guided research into aspects of Quaternary geology, sedimentology, glacial geology, micromorphology, volcanology, carbonate geochemistry, structural geology, watershed geochemistry, fluvial geology, micropaleontology, marine and terrestrial palynology, lichenometry & air monitoring.

Admission Requirements

Successful completion of an Honours Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, in Earth Sciences, with an overall B average. Agreement from a faculty advisor to supervise the student is also required for admission to the program. Applicants may be required to write the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants holding a degree without sufficient concentration in the area of the intended Master's degree may be required to complete additional courses beyond those outlined as required for degree completion.

The Graduate Admissions Committee will review all applications and recommend admission for suitable candidates.

Those applicants holding a three or four year Bachelor's degree and who meet the academic requirements of an overall B average may be asked to complete a qualifying term/year to upgrade their application. Completion of a qualifying term/year does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Part-time study is available.

Degree Requirements

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 that must include ERSC 5F90 (thesis), 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.

Facilities

The Department is fully equipped with geochemistry, palynology, sedimentology, hydrology, dendrochronology, lichenometry 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.

Other Information

The Department of Earth Sciences offers a thesis-based M.Sc. program that consists of one year of course work followed by preparation of a thesis. Students normally take four 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 may contact graduate supervisors prior to making formal application to discuss potential research projects and funding.

Course Descriptions

Note: Not all courses are offered in every session. Students must consult with the Graduate Program Director regarding course offerings and course selection and must have their course selections approved by the Graduate Program Director each term. Refer to the Timetable for scheduling information:

http://www.brocku.ca/registrar/guides/grad/timetable/terms.php

ERSC 5F90

MSc Thesis

Students under the supervision of a faculty member will conduct original research, consisting of field/lab work, data/information analysis and writing of a thesis. The research topic will be decided by the supervisor in consultation with the graduate student. The graduate student will be expected to make a public presentation, and sit for a defence of the thesis research.

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 5P33

Stratigraphic Palynology

Geological record of palynomorphs from the Precambrian to present, with emphasis on the marine realm and evolution of the acritarchs and dinoflagellates; applications in petroleum exploration.

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-sequence of such environments. Applied paleoecology; delineation of past sedimentary basins using biofacies and lithofacies; evolutionary development of ecosystems; paleoecosystem analysis and models.

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 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.

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. Lectures/labs/seminars ­ 3h

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 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 features; the influence of glaciation as a factor in Canadian land use.

ERSC 5V70-5V79

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.

ERSC 5V80-5V89

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.

ERSC 5V90-5V99

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.