EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: COURSES
All courses listed will not necessarily be offered in any one year.
61-530. Crustal Fluids
Physical and chemical architecture of crustal fluid flow systems. Sources of fluids, fluid geochemistry, fluid-mineral equilibria and interactions, fluid inclusions, controls and mechanisms of fluid flow. The role of fluids in selected geological processes will be investigated. (3 lecture/seminar hours a week.)
61-531. Fluid Flow in Porous Media
Evolution and dynamics of fluids in porous media: theory for groundwater flow; multiphase flow; fluid-mineral equilibria and interactions; chemical transport and reactive flows. The role of fluids in selected low temperature environments will be investigated. (3 lecture/seminar hours a week.)
61-532. Numerical Simulation of Subsurface Fluid Migration
Numerical modelling theory, methods and implementation into computer software for subsurface fluid flow and mass transport; finite difference method; finite element method; integral equation method; conceptual model design and sensitivity analysis; applications to exploration, environmental and engineering issues. (3 lecture/seminar hours a week.)
61-544. Sedimentology of Detrital Deposits
Hydrodynamic significance of primary sedimentary structures, post-depositional modification of sediments; biostratification and trace fossils; sedimentary environments; sedimentological methods in economic geology. (3 lecture hours a week.)
61-545. Advanced Topics in Igneous Petrology and Global Techtonics
Petrochemistry of igneous rocks in important geotectonic settings and implications for mantle and crustal processes. Precambrian greenstone belt magmatism and crustal evolution. Major and trace element geochemistry and stable and radiogenic isotopic systematics of igneous rocks. (Prerequisite: 61-565 or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture and/or seminar hours a week.)
61-548. Advanced Topics in Enviromental Geochemistry
An investigation into the effects of near-surface geochemical processes and activities on the migration of chemicals in the environment. Topics to be covered include current research in: geomicrobiology, analytical techniques, colloid chemistry, contaminant transport, and bioavailability. (3 lecture and/or seminar hours a week.) (Prerequisite: 61-565 or consent of instructor.)
61-549. Advanced Topics in Sedimentology and Sedimentary Geochemistry
Principles of facies models as derived from modern environments and ancient successions; geochemistry and mineralogy of sedimentary rocks and natural waters; chemistry and mineralogy of weathering; geochemical facies analysis; fractionation of elements and isotopes during sedimentation; chemical diagenesis; organic matter and mineral diagenesis; geochemical evolution of sedimentary rocks through geologic history. (Prerequisite: 61-565 or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture hours a week.)
61-555. Advanced Topics in Geophysics
Recent advances in selected geophysical topics. Subjects may include paleomagnetism and environmental magnetism, tectonophysics, modern analytical methods or exploration geophysics. Lectures and seminars on fundamentals and selected case histories. (Prerequisite: consent of the instructor.) (3 lecture and/or seminar hours per week.)
61-556. Applied Geophysical Techniques
The theory, methodology and application of selected geophysical techniques are studied through the design and implementation of a class project. Surveyed techniques may include: magnetic, gravitational, ground penetrating radar, induced polarization and others. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (3 lecture and/or project hours a week.)
61-559. Underground Storage
Exploitation of subsurface space for storage of industrial products and wastes. Possible environmental impact of poorly planned underground storage. Economics of subsurface vs. surface storage. Emphasis on Canadian case histories. (3 lecture hours a week.)
61-560. Advanced Topics in Mineral Deposit Geology and Geochemistry
Discussion of current genetic models for selected types of mineral deposits. Ore-forming processes. Selected topics in hydrothermal geochemistry. (Prerequisite: 61-565 or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture and/or seminar hours a week.)
61-564. Research Methods in Geochemistry
Sampling of geological materials. Sampling statistics. Modern analytical methods in geochemistry theory and selected applications. Data analysis. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (3 lecture and/or project hours a week.)
61-565. Advanced Topics in Geochemistry
A discussion of key concepts in geochemistry. Topics may include aqueous complexation and solubility, mineral stability, radiogenic and stable isotopes, fluid phase equilibria, trace elements, thermodynamics, and kinetics. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (3 lecture and/or seminar hours a week.)
61-574. Advanced Topics in Geoinformatics
Selected analytical and processing techniques in geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), environmental modelling, and spatial decision support systems (SDSS). Spatial data acquisition methods and database integration. Application examples and technical issues. (Prerequisite: consent of the instructor.) (3 seminar hours per week.)
61-575. Advanced Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques
Lectures, readings and practical projects will focus on image rectification, restoration, registration, and integration of digital photographic, multispectral scanner data, radar image data and ancillary data in a GIS environment. Multitemporal data merging, change detection procedures, and multi-source image classification decision rules will also be emphasized. (Prerequisite: 61-574 or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture, seminar, and/or project hours a week.)
61-576. Environmental Modelling and Spatial Simulation
The modelling process; integrating environmental models and GIS; spatial heterogeneity and representative areal units; measurement scales vs. process scales; sensitivity and uncertainty analysis; model complexity; effects of input data quality; simulation model experiments; technical and conceptual limits of environmental modelling. Students will complete a small research project. (Prerequisite: 61-574, or consent of instructor.) (3 seminar hours a week, plus project.)
61-580. Graduate Seminar
Discussion of current topics in the earth sciences in seminars given by students, faculty members, and visiting speakers. Students are expected to participate in discussions and present a seminar. (Students must register in this course in the Fall and Winter terms of full-time registration in the M.Sc. program and in the first two years of the Ph.D. program.) (1 hour a week.)
61-582. Master’s Thesis Proposal
Preparation of a written report containing: a thorough review of the literature relevant to the proposed research topic; an outline of the proposed research including a discussion of the expected contributions to the subject area and how these relate to previous work; a description of the relevant methods; and the expected timetable to completion. The student shall be examined by his or her advisory committee on the content of the proposal and related background knowledge, and shall present the proposal in a public lecture.
61-590. Special Topics
(May be taken for credit more than once provided that the topics are different.)
61-700. Doctoral Research Proposal
Preparation of a written research proposal containing: a thorough review of the literature relevant to the proposed research topic(s); an outline of the proposed research including a discussion of the expected contributions to the subject area and how these relate to previous work; a description of the relevant methods; and the expected timetable for completion. The proposal shall be presented in a public lecture. The student shall be examined by his or her advisory committee on the content of the proposal. The student must demonstrate an understanding of the context of the research project in the light of published research on the topic(s) presented, an understanding of the objectives and the methods to be used, and be able to articulate the contribution that the research will make to the advancement of knowledge. (Prerequisite: registration in the Ph.D. program.)
61-797. Master’s Thesis
61-798. Doctoral Dissertation