Fall 2009/Spring 2010 Course information as printed in the college catalog is available in this section of the College's Course Catalog [.pdf], or you can review the entire College Catalog on the Registrar's Web Site. Updated information about courses may be found using the courses link to your left.
Fall 2008/Spring 2009 Course information is available in this section of the College's Course Catalog [.pdf], or you can review the entire College Catalog on the Registrar's Web Site.
09. Environmental Science: Case Studies. Industrialized society has been a major agent of environmental change. In this course, we will examine environmental issues by first examining processes that operate in natural systems and then assessing how we have modified such systems. Analysis of several environmental case studies will be used as a vehicle to understand the scientific issues associated with environmental change. Topics will include pollution, natural resources, global warming, landscape denudation, and habitat change. Data from the scientific literature will be emphasized. Three hours of lecture each week.
First semester. Professor Hagadorn.
11. Principles of Geology. As the science that considers the origin and evolution of the earth, Geology provides students with an understanding of what is known about the earth and how we know it, how the earth “works” and why we think it behaves as it does. In particular this course focuses upon the earth as an evolving and dynamic system where change is driven by energy generated within the earth. Concepts to be covered are: the structure of the earth’s interior, isostasy, deep time, the origin and nature of the magnetic field, plate tectonics, the origin and evolution of mountain belts, and ocean basins and the growth of the continents over time. In this context, Geology 11 considers a diverse range of topics such as the Appalachian mountain belt, the Hawaiian Islands, Yellowstone Park, the consequences of seismicity, faulting, meteorite impact, and volcanism on the earth’s inhabitants, and the sources and limitations of mineral and energy resources. This is a science course designed for all students of the College. Three hours of class and two hours of lab in which the student gains direct experience in the science through field trips, demonstrations, and projects.
First and second semesters. Professors Cheney and Harms.
21. Surface Earth Dynamics: Evolution of the Planet’s Environments. For at least 3.5 billion years, the Earth’s surface environment has supported some form of life. What geologic processes first created and now maintain this environment? To what extent has life modified this environment over geologic time? What conditions are necessary for a planet to be conducive to life? What are the natural processes that operate at the Earth’s surface? This course looks at the environment from a geologist’s perspective. The course will start with dynamic systems that can be observed in operation today, as in river and coastal settings, where erosion and deposition occur, and by the interaction of the oceans, atmosphere, and climate. Techniques for interpreting the rock record will be developed so that past environments can be examined and potential future conditions on Earth better appreciated. Differences between earliest Earth environments and those of the more recent few billion years will be studied and integrated with the history of the origin and evolution of life. Three hours of lecture and two hours of lab, including field trips, each week.
Requisite: Geology 11 or consent of the instructor. Second semester. Professors Hagadorn and Martini.
24. Vertebrate Paleontology. The evolution of vertebrates as shown by study of fossils and the relationship of environment to evolution. Lectures and projects utilize vertebrate fossils in the Amherst College Museum of Natural History. Three hours of class and one discussion/laboratory session per week. Offered in alternate years.
Requisite: One course in biology or geology or consent of the instructor. Omitted 2007-08. Professor Coombs.
27. Paleontology. What do fossils tell us about life on Earth over the last four billion years and the potential for life on other planets? In this course, students will gain an appreciation of the richness of ancient life on Earth and will learn to recognize, identify, and interpret fossils in the field and in the laboratory. Building on these skills, students will learn to use fossils to solve problems, test hypotheses, and investigate Earth history. Laboratories will focus on learning the commonly fossilized groups that are involved in key aspects of Earth history, including invertebrate, micro-, plant, and vertebrate fossils. Three hours of lectures and three hours of laboratory.
Requisite: Geology 11 or Biology 18 or 19. First semester. Professor Hagadorn.
28. Hydrogeology. As the global human population expands, the search for and preservation of our most important resource, water, will demand societal vigilance and greater scientific understanding. This course is an introduction to surface and groundwater hydrology and geochemistry in natural systems, providing fundamental concepts aimed at the understanding and management of the hydrosphere. The course is divided into two roughly equal parts: surface and groundwater hydrology, and aqueous geochemistry. In the first section, we will cover the principal concepts of physical hydrogeology including watershed analysis and groundwater modeling. In the second half, we will integrate the geochemistry of these systems addressing both natural variations and the human impact on our environment. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab or field trip each week.
Requisite: Geology 11 or consent of the instructor. Second semester. Professor Martini.
29. Structural Geology. A study of the geometry and origin of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rock structures that are the products of earth deformation. Emphasis will be placed on recognition and interpretation of structures through development of field and laboratory methodology. Three hours of lecture and five hours of laboratory each week.
Requisite: Geology 11. First semester. Professor Harms.
30. Mineralogy. The crystallography and crystal chemistry of naturally occurring inorganic compounds (minerals). The identification, origin, distribution and use of minerals. Laboratory work includes the principles and methods of optical mineralogy, X-ray diffraction, back-scattered electron microscopy, and electron beam microanalysis. Four hours of lecture and two hours of directed laboratory.
Requisite: Geology 11, Chemistry 11 or Chemistry 15 or their equivalent recommended. First semester. Professor Cheney.
32. Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. A study of igneous and metamorphic processes and environments. Application of chemical principles and experimental data to igneous and metamorphic rocks is stressed. Identification, analysis, and mapping of rocks in laboratory and field. Four hours of class and three hours of laboratory per week.
Requisite: Geology 30. Second semester. Professor Cheney.
34. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. An overview of the dominant sedimentologic processes operating in both modern and ancient depositional environments. Students will learn how to examine and interpret features of sedimentary rocks and how to assess temporal or spatial patterns in sequences of sedimentary rocks. Students will then use these observations to expand their understanding of Earth history. The laboratory section of the course will include six in-lab field trips, as well as one weekend field trip. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory each week.
Requisite: Geology 11. Second semester. Professor Hagadorn.
40. Plate Tectonics and Continental Dynamics. An analysis of the dynamic processes that drive the physical evolution of the earth’s crust and mantle. Plate tectonics, the changing configuration of the continents and oceans, and the origin and evolution of mountain belts will be studied using evidence from diverse branches of geology. Present dynamics are examined as a means to interpret the record of the past, and the rock record is examined as a key to understanding the potential range of present and future earth dynamics. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory each week.
Requisite: Geology 11 and two additional upper-level Geology courses. Omitted 2007-08. Professor Harms.
41. Environmental and Solid Earth Geophysics. Only the surface of the earth is accessible for direct study but, as a two-dimensional surface, it represents a very incomplete picture of the geologic character of the earth. The most fundamental realms of the earth—the core and mantle—cannot themselves be observed. Even the uppermost part of the crust, where the lithosphere and hydrosphere interact to determine the quality of the environment in which we live, is hidden. Indirect signals, observed at the surface, can give us a more comprehensive understanding of earth structure—from environmental problems that lie just below the surface to the dynamics of the core/mantle boundary. We can “see” these subsurface realms using seismology, gravity, magnetism and heat flow observations. This course will bring findings from geophysics to bear on developing a picture of the earth in three dimensions. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory each week.
Requisite: Geology 11 or 12. Omitted 2007-08. Professor Crowley.
43. Geochemistry. This course examines the principles of thermodynamics, via the methodology of J. Willard Gibbs, with an emphasis upon multicomponent heterogeneous systems. These principles are used to study equilibria germane to the genesis and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Specific applications include: the properties of ideal and real crystalline solutions, geothermometry, geobarometry, and the Gibbs method—the analytic formulation of phase equilibria. This course also introduces the student to the algebraic and geometric representations of chemical compositions of both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Four class hours each week.
Requisite: Geology 30 or Chemistry 12 or Physics 16 or 32. First semester. Professor Cheney.
45. Seminar in Biogeochemistry. Through biogeochemical cycles microbes influence the chemical composition of all of our habitable environments. They are found in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the upper atmosphere to the depths of our oceans as well as in the deep subsurface of Earth’s crust. In this seminar, we will examine tracers and proxies for microbial activity present in rock, sediment, soil and porewater. Environments to be studied include hydrothermal vents, deep sedimentary basins, early Earth and possible extraterrestrial habitats. We will survey the major biologically relevant elements of the periodic table (C, O, S, N, Fe, P) and examine how these elements cycle through the environment, focusing on stable isotopic tracers of biological processes. Students will gain experience with field and laboratory techniques and we will emphasize the current scientific literature in discussions. Once a week this advanced seminar will meet jointly with biogeochemistry experts across the five colleges. Three hours of class per week.
Requisite: Chemistry 11 or Geology 28 or consent of the instructor. Omitted 2007-08. Professor Martini.
77, 77D, 78, 78D. Senior Departmental Honors. Independent research on a geologic problem within any area of staff competence. A dissertation of high quality will be required.
Open to seniors who meet the requirements of the Departmental Honors program. First and second semesters. The Staff.
97, 97H, 98, 98H. Special Topics. Independent reading or research. A written report will be required. Full or half courses.
Approval of the Departmental Chair is required. First and second semesters. The Staff.
The Resilient (?) Earth: An Interdisciplinary Reflection on Contemporary Environmental Issues. See Pick Colloquium 22.
Second semester. Professors Dizard and Clotfelter.