Earth Sciences

A laboratory course designed to accompany ESCI 1001. An introductory study covering topographic and geological maps (bedrock and surficial) and their interpretation; construction of cross sections; identification of common minerals, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks; geological structures (map analysis as a predictive tool); radiometric and relative age dating and the geological time scale; coastal processes; glaciations and glacial deposits; aspects of plate tectonics.

An introductory laboratory course that provides practical laboratory experiences related to practicing Environmental Geology.  The lab uses a mixture of written exercises, hands-on activities, satellite and Google Earth explorations.  Specific topics may include: tectonic processes and earthquakes, earth materials and geological time, paleontology, volcanoes and volcanic hazards, river floods and groundwater, mass wasting and landslides.  

An introductory study covering topographic and geological maps (bedrock and surficial) and their interpretation; construction of cross sections; identification of common minerals, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks; geological structures (map analysis as a predictive tool); dating and the geological time scale; coastal processes; mass wasting (especially the recognition and amelioration of hazards related to debris flows, avalanche and landslides); and glaciations and glacial deposits (especially glacial deposits in eastern Canada and their significance to engineers).

Appraisal of rock-forming materials for Earth and similar solid planetary bodies. Fundamentals of mineralogy, with emphasis on crustal and mantle silicates. Controls on mineral structure and composition related to temperature, pressure and chemistry. Laboratories focus on describing the physical properties of the more common minerals, their identification in hand specimen, determining their structural formulae and appraising their economic value.

Lectures and labs first cover the description and classification of the physical and chemical properties of sediment and sedimentary rock. This is followed by investigation into the processes (including environmental and engineering impacts) involved in the origin of sediment, such as weathering, physico-chemical, biochemical, and biogenic sediment precipitation, and processes influencing mass movements, sediment erosion, transportation, deposition, reworking, sedimentary structures, soil formation and lithification. The course concludes with an introduction to basic sedimentary facies, stratigraphic principles, and the relative and absolute dating of strata.

The course provides an overview of the evolution of life on Earth, its origin, diversification and its gradual expansion from sea to land. Focus is on the processes leading to fossilization and on the major events of the evolution of life. Students are introduced to the taxonomy and ecology of the invertebrate groups most commonly represented in the fossil record, with special attention for the fossilizable parts and their significance towards understanding the evolution of the total biosphere. Further emphasis is on how fossilized remains and traces of organisms can be used in the fields of stratigraphy, paleoecology and paleoclimatology.

Lectures and labs investigate the deformation and fracture behaviour of rocks when subjected to natural and engineering-imposed stress fields. The concepts of stress, strain, stress-strain relations, and strength are applied to geological materials in laboratory and field settings. The mechanisms involved in the failure of continuous, discontinuous, ductile, and brittle rocks are discussed. Consideration of these subjects is given in the context of various rock engineering applications, including slopes and underground excavations such as mines, tunnels, and caverns.  

An introduction to the global water cycle and water balance, catchment water balance, measurement and estimation of water balance parameters, aspects of sediment transport and erosion, monitoring the distribution of contamination by sediment sampling.  Assignments focus on aspects of catchment water balance.  Seminars and term papers are based on topics of regional and global importance with respect to water availability and quality.

A multi-disciplinary study of petroleum and its role in global carbon cycles: its chemical composition, distribution (rock types, sedimentology and heterogeneity of reservoir rocks, subsurface conditions, overpressures), theories of petroleum generation, migration, trapping and accumulation.  Aspects of the petroleum industry are reviewed, including exploration and development of conventional and unconventional resources (including oil sands and shale gas); development economics; Canadian and global petroleum resources and declining reserves.  The environmental impact of the petroleum industry (groundwater, surface, and atmospheric pollution, and global warming), mitigation (carbon capture and storage/conversion), and alternative energy options are discussed. 

A written report on the scientific activities of the work term. Credit for the course is dependent in part on the employer's evaluation of the student's work activities. Students must be accepted into the Geology Co-op program to register for this course. 

General features of mineral deposits, their origin, localization and classification, with emphasis on exploration, evaluation and development. 

Advanced features of mineral deposits, their origin, localization and classification, with emphasis on exploration, evaluation and development. 

Introduction to the principles, survey procedures and interpretation techniques of the gravity, magnetic, and gamma radiation methods of geophysical exploration. Applications of these methods to geological mapping, mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, engineering and environmental applications. 

Introduction to principles, survey procedures and interpretation techniques of electrical, electromagnetic, and seismic methods of geophysical exploration. Applications of these methods to mineral and hydrocarbon exploration as well as engineering and hydrogeological-environmental investigations. 

A written report on the scientific activities of the work term. Credit for the course is dependent in part on the employer's evaluation of the student's work activities. Students must be accepted into the Geology Co-op program to register for this course. 

Students who intend to undertake a thesis project, either as an elective course or as a requirement for an Honours BSc degree, are advised to consult with their intended faculty supervisor near the end of their third year. Students must have CGPA of 3.0 or better. Additional requirements and guidelines for the project can be obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. A written request for admission to the Honours programme and/or for permission to take this course must be submitted by the student to the Departmental Chair no later than the last day to add classes of the fall term of the student's final year; the letter must state the provisional title of the project and the name of the faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project.