Earth Sciences

Chair

Martin J. Head

Professors

Uwe Brand, Richard J. Cheel, Frank Fueten, Martin J. Head, Francine McCarthy, John Menzies

Associate Professors

Gregory C. Finn, Daniel McCarthy

Assistant Professor

Mariek E. Schmidt

Adjunct Professors

Paul Budkewitsch, Andy Panko

Senior Lab Instructor

Howard Melville

Senior Lab Co-ordinator

Astride Silis

Director, Co-operative Programs

Cindy Dunne

Undergraduate Program Adviser

Francine McCarthy

General Information

Administrative Assistant

Diane Gadoury

905-688-5550, extension 3526

Mackenzie Chown D431

brocku.ca/earthsciences

The field of earth sciences is central in solving current problems such as waste disposal, pollution, groundwater management, volcano and earthquake hazards. It is also vital in the exploration and utilization of natural resources such as oil and gas, minerals and aggregates. A very important area of research in the earth sciences aims to determine how the planet has evolved from its origin 4.6 billion years ago to the present. Earth's rocks and sediment provide a long record of global change in response to a variety of stimuli. Many earth scientists are involved in the unravelling of this record of global change and in predicting future changes to the planet.

The Department of Earth Sciences offers programs dedicated to graduating high-quality geoscientists proceeding toward registration as a Professional Geoscientist (PGeo). The Department offers other options for those interested in Earth Sciences, but not intending to become Professional Geoscientists.

The Department of Earth Sciences offers four-year programs of study leading to a BSc Honours in Earth Sciences, BSc Honours in Environmental Geoscience, a BSc with Major in Earth Sciences, a BSc with Major in Environmental Geoscience and a BSc Pass degree program. In addition, five-year Co-op programs leading to a BSc Honours degree in Earth Sciences or Environmental Geoscience are available.

The four-year BSc Honours and BSc with Major programs consist of a set of core courses in year 1, year 2 and part of year 3. During year 3, students choose from elective courses to specialize in a curriculum reflecting their personal interests. Students normally enter directly into the BSc Honours program and are required to maintain at least second-class honours standing. Students not meeting this requirement may continue in one of the BSc with Major programs.

The requirement for graduation with an Earth Sciences (Honours) degree is a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average.

The requirements for a BSc with Major and a BSc (pass) are a minimum 60 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent overall average.

The Department has teaching and research laboratories which include such facilities radiocarbon dating, recirculating sediment flume, dendrochronology laboratory, glacial micromorphology laboratory, palynology laboratory, vitrinite reflectance workstation, cathodoluminescence microscopic analysis, atomic absorption spectrometry, petrographic image analysis equipment, digitizer, water quality analysis equipment, fluorometric analysis and stable isotope preparation. These are supported by rock specimen preparation and drafting facilities, a cold room, core storage facilities and Departmental collections. Departmental as well as University computing facilities are available. SEM and ICPMS facilities are also available within the Faculty of Mathematics and Science. The Department shares the facilities of electronic, woodworking and glass blowing shops with other departments.

Co-op Program

The Earth Sciences and Environmental Geoscience Co-op programs combine academic and work terms over a five year period. Students spend two years in an academic setting, where they acquire the necessary background prior to taking the first work placement. Successful completion of courses in the core areas of earth sciences provides the necessary academic background for the work experience. In addition to the current fees for courses in academic study terms, Earth Sciences and Environmental Geoscience Co-op students are assessed an annual administrative fee (see the Schedule of Fees).

Eligibility to continue in the Co-op program is based on the student's major average and non-major average. A student with a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average will be permitted to continue. A student with a major average lower than 70 percent will not be permitted to continue in the Earth Sciences or Environmental Geoscience Co-op program, but may continue in the Earth Sciences and Environmental Geoscience non Co-op program. For further information, see the Co-op programs section of the Calendar and contact the Department of Earth Sciences.

The Earth Sciences and Environmental Geoscience Co-op program designation will be awarded to those students who have successfully completed a minimum of twelve months of Co-op work experience.

Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario

Graduates of any of the 20 credit single major programs offered through the Department of Earth Sciences may qualify to meet the knowledge requirements for membership in the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO), allowing for the use of the designation P.Geo. (Professional Geoscientist). Students wishing to apply for membership with APGO should consult the APGO website to ensure that their choice of courses complies with APGO knowledge requirements (apgo.net).

Field Trips

Field trips form an integral component of training in the earth sciences and are offered in all years of study, linked to specific courses. Field trips may take place during the lab period or involve a time period beyond the lab, over a single day or weekend trips. To offset transportation costs the Department has instituted a Field Trip Levy for all courses with multiple field trips. In addition, on single day or weekend trips, students are expected to cover costs of accommodation and food. Field trip costs, where applicable, are in addition to the regular tuition fees associated with the course.

Program Notes

Honours Program

Earth Sciences

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	BIOL 1F90
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03, 2P05, 2P16, 2P17, 2P21 and 2P22
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 (see program note 10)
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91(recommended; see program note 1)
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one-half elective credit (see program note 6)

Year 3

	ERSC 3P01, 3P10, 3P21, 3P24, 3P25 and 3P31
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1
	one-half elective credit

Year 4

	ERSC 3P99
	one and one-half credits from ERSC 3P26, 3P33, 3P85, 4P26, 4P28, 4P31, 4P61 (see program note 10)
	two credits from ERSC 3P94, 3P96, 3P97, 4F91, 4P01, 4P10, 4P16, 4P22, 4P50 (see program notes 9 and 10)
	one elective credit (see program note 6)

Environmental Geoscience

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	BIOL 1F90
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03, 2P05, 2P09, 2P16, 2P17 and 2P21
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 (see program note 10)
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one-half elective credit (see program note 6)

Year 3

	ERSC 3P01, 3P10, 3P24, 3P25, 3P31, and 3P36
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program notes 7 and10)
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1
	one-half elective credit

Year 4

	ERSC 3Q99 or 3P99 (see program notes 4 and 8)
	two credits from ERSC 3P26, 3P33, 3P85, 3P96, 3P97, 4F91, 4P26, 4P28, 4P31, 4P61 (see program notes 7 and 10)
	one and one-half credits from ERSC 3P94, 4P01, 4P10, 4P16, 4P22, 4P50 (see program note 10)
	one elective credit (see program notes 7 and 10)

Earth Sciences Co-op (Honours only)

Students admitted to the Co-op program must follow an approved program pattern. The most common pattern is listed below. For other approved patterns, consult the Co-op Office.

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	BIOL 1F90
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03, 2P05, 2P16, 2P17, 2P21 and 2P22 (see program note 10)
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93 (recommended; see program note 1)
	SCIE 0N90
	one-half elective credit (see program note 6)

Spring/Summer Sessions:

ERSC 0N01 and 2C01

Year 3

Fall Term:

	ERSC 3P10, 3P21 and 3P24
	one elective credit (see program note 6)

Winter Term:

ERSC 0N02 and 2C02

Year 4

Fall Term:

ERSC 0N03 and 2C03

Winter Term:

	ERSC 3P01, 3P25 and 3P31
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program note 10)
	one-half elective credit

Spring/Summer Sessions:

ERSC 3P99

Year 5

	One and one-half credits from ERSC 3P26, 3P33, 3P85, 4P26, 4P28, 4P31 (see program note 10)
	two credits from ERSC 3P94, 3P96, 3P97, 4F91, 4P01, 4P10, 4P16, 4P22 4P50 (see program notes 9 and10)
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1

Environmental Geoscience Co-op (Honours only)

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	CHEM 1F92
	BIOL 1F90
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03, 2P05, 2P09, 2P16, 2P17 and 2P21
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 (see program note 10)
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93 (recommended; see program note 1)

SCIE 0N90

one-half elective credit (see program note 6)

Spring/Summer Sessions

ERSC 0N01 and 2C01

Year 3

Fall Term:

	ERSC 3P10, 3P24, 3P36
	one elective credit (see program note 6)

Winter Term:

ERSC 0N02 and 2C02

Year 4

Fall Term:

ERSC 0N03 and 2C03

Winter Term:

	ERSC 3P01, 3P25 and 3P31
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program notes 7 and 10)
	one-half elective credit (see program notes 6)

Year 5

	ERSC 3Q99 or 3P99 (see program notes 4 and 8)
	two credits from ERSC 3P26, 3P33, 3P85, 3P96, 3P97, 4F91, 4P26, 4P28, 4P31, 4P61 (see program notes 7 and 10)
	one and one-half credits from ERSC 3P94, 4P01, 4P10, 4P16, 4P22, 4P50 (see program note 10)
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1

BSc with Major Program

This program differs from the Honours program in that honours standing is not required for entry into year 4 (see program note 5).

Earth Sciences

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	BIOL 1F90
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03, 2P05, 2P16, 2P17, 2P21 and 2P22
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 (see program note 10)
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one-half elective credit (see program note 6)

Year 3

	ERSC 3P01, 3P10, 3P21, 3P24, 3P25 and 3P31
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1
	one-half elective credit

Year 4

	ERSC 3P99
	one and one-half credits from ERSC 3P26, 3P33, 3P85, 4P26, 4P28, 4P31, 4P61 (see program note 10)
	two credits from ERSC 3P94, 3P96, 3P97, 4P01, 4P10, 4P16, 4P22, 4P50 (see program notes 9 and 10)
	one elective credit (see program note 11)

Environmental Geoscience

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	BIOL 1F90
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03, 2P05, 2P09, 2P16, 2P17 and 2P21
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 (see program note 10)
	PHYS 1P21or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93 (recommended; see program note 1)
	one-half elective credit (see program note 6)

Year 3

	ERSC 3P01, 3P10, 3P24, 3P25 3P31, and 3P36
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program note 10)
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1
	one-half elective credit

Year 4

	ERSC 3Q99 or 3P99 (see program notes 4 and 8)
	two credits from ERSC 3P26, 3P33, 3P85, 3P96, 3P97, 4P26, 4P28, 4P31, 4P61 (see program notes 7 and 10)
	one and one-half credits from ERSC 3P94, 4P01, 4P10, 4P16, 4P22, 4P26, 4P50 (see program note 10)
	one elective credit (see program note 11)

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of a twenty credit program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Combined Major Program

The Department of Earth Sciences, in co-operation with other departments, offers combined major programs in Earth Sciences with Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Geography. For combinations other than those listed students should contact the Chairs/Directors of the respective departments/centres. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option. Prospective students should have their programs approved by the two departments/centres concerned and are advised to follow one of the following patterns:

Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences

Honours

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	BIOL 1F90
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P97 and 1P98
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P03 and 2P16
	one ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99
	two credits from BIOL 2F01, 2P05, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2P98, 2Q04
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1

Year 3

	Two ERSC credits numbered 2(alpha)00 to 3(alpha)99
	one ERSC or BIOL credit (see program note 3)
	two BIOL credits numbered 2(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99

Year 4

	One and one-half ERSC credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one of ERSC 4F91 and one ERSC credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above, BIOL 4F90 and 4F91, BIOL 4F92 and one elective credit
	one and one-half BIOL credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Earth Sciences and Chemistry

Honours

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	CHEM 1F92
	MATH 1P01 and 1P02, or MATH 1P05 and 1P06 (recommended)
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended)
	PHYS 1P22 or 1P92 (recommended)
	one Humanities context credit or one Social Sciences context credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P21 and 2P22
	one ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99
	CHEM 2P12, 2P20, 2P32 and 2P42
	the Humanities context credit or Social Sciences context credit not taken in year 1

Year 3

	ERSC 3P31
	one ERSC or CHEM credit (see program note 4)
	one and one-half ERSC credits numbered 2(alpha)00 to 3(alpha)99
	CHEM 2P21 and 3P40
	one credit from CHEM 3P20, 3P21, 3P30, 3P31, 3P41, 3P51, 3P53, 3P60

Year 4

	One ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one CHEM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one of ERSC 4F91 and one ERSC credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above, CHEM 4F90 and 4F91
	one elective credit

Pass

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Earth Sciences and Geography

Honours

Year 1

	ERSC 1F01
	GEOG 1F91
	BIOL 1F90
	MATH 1P97
	one Social Sciences context credit (GEOG 1F90 strongly recommended)
	one-half elective credit

Year 2

	ERSC 2P05, 2P11, 2P17 and 2P21
	ERSC 2P04 or 2P09
	one-half ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99
	GEOG 2P07 and 2P12
	one Humanities context credit

Year 3

	ERSC 2P16
	one of ERSC 3P35, 3Q99, GEOG 3P56
	one and one-half ERSC credits numbered 2(alpha)00 to 3(alpha)99
	one and one-half GEOG credits numbered 2(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99 from groups B and C (see Geography Department)
	one Science credit from APCO, BIOL, CHEM, MATH or PHYS (see program note 2)

Year 4

	Two ERSC credits numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	two GEOG credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above from group B
	one elective credit (see program notes 6 and 7)

Pass

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Minor in Earth Sciences

Students in other disciplines may obtain a Minor in Earth Sciences by successfully completing the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:

	ERSC 1F01 or 1F90
	two ERSC credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above
	one ERSC credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above

Master of Science (MSc) Program

The department offers an MSc Program in Earth Sciences. See the Graduate Calendar or consult the Chair of the department for details.

Course Descriptions

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course

* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.

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; paleoclimates and future climate change; environmental geoscience, hydrologic cycle, soil-groundwater contamination, hazardous waste disposal and alternatives.

Lectures, lab or local field trip, 5 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): any two of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, mathematics or physics beyond grade 11 or equivalent.

Note: students may not register concurrently in ERSC 1F90 or 1P92.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 1F90, 1F95, 1P92 and 1P93.

ERSC 1F02

Earth: The Dynamic Planet

Introduction to major Earth Science theories and basic geologic principles. Geography and land-based culture of aboriginal peoples in Northern Ontario. Role of both short- and long-term climate changes in the evolution of ecosystems.

Restriction: permission of the instructor.

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, glaciations, global climate change and historical geology.

Lectures, 2 hours per week; lab, 2 hours per month.

Note: students may not register concurrently in ERSC 1F01 or 1P92. 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 and credit obtained in ERSC 1F01, 1F95, 1P92 and 1P93.

ERSC 1P92

Extreme Earth

Extreme low frequency events and the geological record of their causes and effects, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, climatic change and impacts with extraterrestrial bodies.

Lectures, 3 hours per week.

Note: students may not register concurrently in ERSC 1F01 or 1F90. Secondary school sciences are not a prerequisite.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 1F01, 1F90 and 1F95.

ERSC 2P03

The History of the Earth

Principles of paleontology, classical stratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy. The origin and evolution of life and the history of the Earth.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, 1F90, 1P92, 1P93.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 2P32.

#ERSC 2P04

Introduction to Meteorology

(also offered as GEOG 2P04)

Principles, structure, composition and processes of the atmosphere; its energy budget, moisture balance and motion. Weather forecasting in middle and low latitudes, forecasting techniques and special problems in applied meteorology.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 1F01, GEOG 1F91 or permission of instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in TREN 2P04.

*ERSC 2P05

Earth Surface Processes

(also offered as 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.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 1F01, GEOG 1F91 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in TREN 2P05.

#ERSC 2P07

Foundations of Geomatics

(also offered as GEOG 2P07 and IASC 2P07)

Introduction to spatial, metric, graphic and other concepts common to cartography, photogrammetry, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Properties of maps and air photos and satellite imagery. Principles of map compilation and design. Practical experience in computer mapmaking, image interpretation and GIS analysis.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined), (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and IASC majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, GEOG 1F90, 1F91 or permission of the instructor.

*ERSC 2P09

Principles of Biogeography

(also offered as 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.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), BIOL (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/Bed (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, CHEM 1F92 GEOG 1F91or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in TREN 2P09.

#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.

Restriction: open to GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 1F01, GEOG 1F91 or permission of the instructor.

*ERSC 2P15

Introduction to Oceanography

(also offered as GEOG 2P15)

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.

Restriction: open to GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, 1F90, BIOL 1F90, GEOG 1F91.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 2P02.

*ERSC 2P16

Sedimentology

(also offered as GEOG 2P16)

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(s): ERSC 1F01 or GEOG 1F91.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 2P10 and 2P31.

*ERSC 2P17

Earth Science Methods

(also offered as GEOG 2P17)

Introduction to the study and description, in the field and the lab, of surficial deposits, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks; structural analysis of geological maps and imagery.

Lectures, lab, field trips, 6 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 1F01 or GEOG 1F91.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 2P12.

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(s): ERSC 1F01.

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(s): ERSC 2P21.

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.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P17.

Completion of this course will replace previous grade in ERSC 2P01.

ERSC 3P03

Paleontology and Paleobiology

Biodiversity and ecosystems through geologic time; micro and macro evolution in paleobiology and evolutionary biology; large scale environmental change and the fossil record; functional morphology; phylogenetic and cladistic analysis of the fossil record.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 2P03, 2P15, BIOL 2P92.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 2P32.

#ERSC 3P05

Geographic Information Systems

(also offered as GEOG 3P05 and IASC 3P05)

Principles and use of computer-based systems for capturing, managing, manipulating, analysing and displaying data relating to the Earth's surface emphasizing raster applications. Practical work using Idrisi.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined), GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and IASC majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P07 or permission of the instructor.

#ERSC 3P07

Remote Sensing

(also offered as GEOG 3P07)

Theory and practice of remote sensing. Photographic, thermal, multispectral, radar and laser imaging of the Earth's surface from airborne and spaceborne platforms. Image interpretation, and image-analysis techniques.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P07 or permission of the instructor.

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(s): ERSC 2P16.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 3P71.

#ERSC 3P13

Applied Climatology

(also offered as GEOG 3P13)

Studies in selected topics from the field of energy and moisture exchanges, air pollution, climatic change, climatic impact assessment and bioclimatology. Human impact on the climate along with applied microclimatological investigations and climatic data analysis.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P04 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GEOG 3P10.

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.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P22 and CHEM 1F92.

*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(s): 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, eustatic and isostatic 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(s): ERSC 2P03, 2P16, 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(s): ERSC 3P24, 3P25 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P31

Geochemistry

Formation of the elements; nucleo-synthesis 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(s): CHEM 1F92.

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(s): one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04 or permission of the instructor.

*ERSC 3P35

Biomonitoring and Environmental Stress Assessment

(also offered as GEOG 3P35)

Use of biodiversity indicators, field methods and passive and active sensors to assess environmental quality. Collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to investigate urban air and water pollution and forest health.

Lab, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: students must have a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the Department.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, 2P09, BIOL 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

Note: three weekend field trips in September. Students are expected to pay their expenses.

*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(s): ERSC 2P05 or permission of the instructor.

#ERSC 3P83

Geography of Water Resources

(also offered as GEOG 3P83)

Physical and human factors affecting patterns of use and development of water resources. Emphasis on patterns of supply and demand, approaches to development and management of the resource, problems and alternative strategies.

Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, GEOG 1F90, 1F91 or permission of the instructor.

*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(s): one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04.

*ERSC 3P90

Volcanology

(also offered as GEOG 3P90)

Survey of volcanoes, their distribution, forms, composition, eruptive products and styles, and potential hazards.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 1F01, 1F90, GEOG 1F91; ERSC 2P05; one of CHEM 1F92, MATH 1P97, 1P98, one-half PHYS credit numbered 1P21 to 1P93.

*ERSC 3P92

Advanced Field Methods in Quaternary Science

(also offered as GEOG 3P92)

Introduction to Quaternary landscape evolution in Alaska. Mapping of active glacial margins, analysis of stagnant ice terrain, paleosol mapping, relative dating techniques, glacial hydrology, subglacial sediment sampling, surface exposure dating and lake/bog coring. Collecting, recording and interpreting field data and preparing a comprehensive field report.

Lectures, 1 hour per week; fieldwork, 2 weeks.

Restriction: permission of the Department.

Note: lectures will be held at Brock University during winter term and fieldwork will be held in Alaska during spring/summer session. Students must be a minimum of 18 years of age, have a valid passport and are expected to pay their own expenses.

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(s): ERSC 3P21.

#ERSC 3P95

Advanced Geographic Information Systems

(also offered as GEOG 3P95)

Further study of geographic information systems emphasizing vector and database applications and advanced analytical operations. Practical work using Idrisi and MapInfo Professional. Discussion of legal, ethical, management and other issues relating to GIS.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 3P05.

ERSC 3P96

Special Topics in Earth Sciences I

Selected issues and various methods of inquiry related to faculty expertise.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined) majors with a minimum 70 percent major average, a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the chair and supervising instructor.

ERSC 3P97

Special Topics in Earth Sciences II

Selected issues and various methods of inquiry related to faculty expertise.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined) majors with a minimum 70 percent major average, a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the chair and supervising instructor.

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(s): 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: open to students with a minimum of 13.0 overall credits and permission of the Department.

Note: registrants are expected to defray the cost of travel, accommodation and other expenses.

*ERSC 3Q99

Field School-Quaternary Geology

(also offered as GEOG 3Q99)

Field and laboratory methods for analysis of Quaternary landscapes based on field sites including fluvial, hillslope, coastal, glacial, and biosphere examples.

Restriction: permission of the Department.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P17.

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(s): ERSC 3P01.

#ERSC 4P07

Advanced Remote Sensing

(also offered as GEOG 4P07)

Theory and practice of in situ, airborne and spaceborne remote sensing. Emphasis on techniques used to study natural and human-made environments. Topics include data acquisition and preprocessing, image analysis and accuracy assessment. Image processing and analyses using commercially available image-analysis software.

Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined),GEOG (single or combined) and GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior( majors until date specified in Registration guide. Students must have approval to year 4 (honours).

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 3P07 or permission of the instructor.

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. Introduction to sedimentary facies models.

Lab, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 3P10.

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(s): 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(s): ERSC 3P21.

*ERSC 4P26

Advanced Fluvial Geomorphology

(also offered as GEOG 4P26)

Steep, rough river systems emphasizing boulder bed and rock bed channels.

Seminar, lab, field work, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): 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(s): ERSC 3P24, 3P26 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 4P31

Watershed Analysis

Hydrologic/watershed cycle; fundamentals and principles of watersheds-interaction of hydrosphere-lithosphere-biosphere; physical characteristics, effects and controls of stream sediments/contaminants/pollutants; aqueous geochemistry; introduction to watershed toxicology. Investigation of concerns with several watersheds. Major study and report of a local subwatershed.

Lectures, lab, local field work, 6 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): one of ERSC 3P31, BIOL 3P71, 3P72, CHEM 2P42.

Note: students must supply their own safety equipment (safety glasses and lab coats).

ERSC 4P50

Petroleum Geology

Hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, including physical and chemical properties of petroleum, methods of exploration, the subsurface environment, generation and migration of petroleum, reservoirs, traps and seals, sedimentary basins and petroleum systems with emphasis on Canada, nonconventional petroleum resources, and the economics and geopolitics of petroleum.

Lectures, lab, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 3P10.

ERSC 4P61

Hydrology

Distribution and variation of run-off, recurrence of floods and droughts; fluvial processes and sediment transport; limnology; hydrologic and water management techniques; fundamentals of groundwater geology; surface and groundwater interaction.

Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 2P16 or permission of the instructor.

*ERSC 4P85

Ecosystems and Changing Disturbance Regimes

(also offered as BIOL 4P85 and GEOG 4P85)

Terrestrial ecosystem response to large-scale environmental change. Topics may include disturbance regimes, adaptation, alteration of biogeochemical cycles, invasive species and range shifts, carbon cycle feedbacks, predicting future climate and vegetation impacts, change detection, scaling-up and nonlinearity.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite(s): ERSC 3P85 or permission of the instructor.

CO-OP COURSES

ERSC 0N01

Work Placement I

First Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to ERSC Co-op students.

ERSC 0N02

Work Placement II

Second Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to ERSC Co-op students.

ERSC 0N03

Work Placement III

Third Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to ERSC Co-op students.

ERSC 0N04

Work Placement IV

Optional Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to ERSC Co-op students.

ERSC 0N05

Work Placement V

Optional Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to ERSC Co-op students.

ERSC 2C01

Co-op Reflective Learning and IntegrationI

Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic students through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.

Restriction: open to EVGS and ERSC Co-op students.

Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.

Corequisite(s): ERSC 0N01.

Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.

ERSC 2C02

Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration II

Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.

Restriction: open to EVGS and ERSC Co-op students.

Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.

Corequisite(s): ERSC 0N02.

Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.

ERSC 2C03

Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration III

Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.

Restriction: open to EVGS and ERSC Co-op students.

Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.

Corequisite(s): ERSC 0N03.

Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.

ERSC 2C04

Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration IV

Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.

Restriction: open to EVGS and ERSC Co-op students.

Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.

Corequisite(s): ERSC 0N04.

Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.

ERSC 2C05

Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration V

Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.

Restriction: open to EVGS and ERSC Co-op students.

Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.

Corequisite(s): ERSC 0N05.

Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.