Earth Sciences 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 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.
Prerequisites: any two of biology, chemistry, environmental science, earth sciences, mathematics or physics beyond grade 11 or equivalent.
Note: students may not register concurrently in ERSC 1F90, 1P92 or 1P93.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 1F90, 1F95, 1P92 and 1P93.

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, glaciation, 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, 1P92 or 1P93. 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 1P93
North America's Parklands: Stories in Stone
Some of the Earth's most spectacular scenery, instructive geologic features and culturally significant places with North America's National, Provincial and State parks. Exploration of our continent's natural history, its dynamic processes and its influence on First Nations societies.
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: one of ERSC 1F01 (1F95), 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 and TREN 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, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), ENVI, GEOG (single or combined), GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and TREN majors until date specified in Registration guide.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F01 (1F95), GEOG 1F91 or permission of instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ENVI 2P04.

ERSC 2P05
Earth Surface Processes
(also offered as GEOG 2P05 and TREN 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.
Prerequisite: ERSC 1F01 (1F95), GEOG 1F91 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ENVI 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, field work, 4 hours per week.
Restriction: open to ERSC (single or combined), ENVI, GEOG (single or combined), GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and TREN majors until date specified in Registration guide.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F01 (1F95), GEOG 1F90, 1F91 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 2P09
Principles of Biogeography
(also offered as GEOG 2P09 and TREN 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.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F01 (1F95) CHEM 1F92 GEOG 1F91or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ENVI 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.
Prerequisites: ERSC 1F01 (1F95) or GEOG 1F91; MATH 1P98 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.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F01 (1F95), 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: ERSC 1F01 (1F95) 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: ERSC 1F01 (1F95) or GEOG 1F91.
Note: field trips taken during lab periods and weekends to areas of geological interest. Weekend field trips taken early in the semester.
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: ERSC 1F01 (1F95).

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: 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: ERSC 2P17 (2P12).
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: 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 Idrisi32.
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: 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 using Idrisi32.
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: 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: ERSC 2P16 (2P10 and 2P31).
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: 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.
Prerequisites: 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: 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: ERSC 2P16 (2P10 or 2P31), 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: 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: 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: 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.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the department.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 1F01(1F95), 2P09, BIOL 1F90 or permission of the instructor.
Note: one-week field study in the last week of the summer session with labs for 3 hours per week during the Fall term. 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: ERSC 2P05 or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 3P61
Groundwater Geology
Principles and fundamentals of Groundwater geology; Hydrologic cycle and groundwater basins; groundwater movement; hydraulic methods, testing and applications; groundwater resource management. Local field work-installation/testing of monitoring wells/piezometers.
Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ERSC 1F01 (1F95) and MATH 1P97.

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: one of ERSC 1F01 (1F95), 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: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04.

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: 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 Idrisi32 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: ERSC 3P05.

ERSC 3P96
Special Topics in Earth Sciences I
Selected issues and various methods of inquiry related to faculty expertise.
Restriction: consult the Chair and supervising instructor regarding permission to register. Open to ERSC (single or combined) majors with a major average of 70 percent and a minimum of 10.0 overall credits.

ERSC 3P97
Special Topics in Earth Sciences II
Selected issues and various methods of inquiry related to faculty expertise.
Restriction: consult the Chair and supervising instructor regarding permission to register. Open to ERSC (single or combined) majors with a major average of 70 percent and a minimum of 10.0 overall credits.

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: 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: consult the Department regarding permission to register. Students must have a minimum of 13.0 overall credits.
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.
Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.
Restriction: consult the Department regarding permission to register.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P17 (2P12).

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: ERSC 3P01 (2P01).

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 data preprocessing, image analysis, accuracy assessment and the production of information products. Image processing and analyses using commercially available image-analysis software.
Lectures, lab, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: 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: ERSC 2P16 (2P10 or 2P31).

ERSC 4P15
Photogeology and Remote Sensing
Analysis and geologic interpretation of aerial photography, including remote sensing data from airborne and satellite imagery. Temporal evolution and denudation of land masses in relation to tectonic, sedimentologic and climatic changes.
Lectures, seminar, lab, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 3P24, 3P25, 3P26, 3P36.
Completion of this course will replace previous grade in ERSC 3P43.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: ERSC 3P10.

ERSC 4P52
Industrial Mineral Deposits and Coal
Industrial rocks, minerals and aggregates; geologic origin, occurrence and mutual relationships; classification, extraction, preparation and uses; properties, classification and origin of coal; structural control, exploitation of ore deposits, grade and tonnage calculation.
Lectures, lab, seminar, field trip, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 3P98.

ERSC 4P61
Surface Hydrology
Distribution and variation of run-off, recurrence of floods and droughts; fluvial processes and sediment transport; hydrologic and water management techniques; computer models for hydrologic and sediment analysis.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 5 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ERSC 2P05, 2P16 (2P10 or 2P31) or permission of the instructor.

ERSC 4P80
Dendrochronology
(also offered as BIOL 4P80 and GEOG 4P80)
Principles and use of dendrochronology to study forest dynamics, geomorphic events and paleoenvironmental change; use of tree growth in the study of climate and environmental factors; measurement and statistical analysis of tree growth records.
Lectures, lab, local field trip, 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of ERSC 2P09, BIOL 2P05, 2Q04.