Department of Earth Sciences
The Graduate ProgramAdmissions
Cooperative Program with Boston College
MA in Earth Sciences
MA in Geoarchaeology
PhD in Earth Sciences
Student Organizations
Courses
Advanced Topics
Directed Study or Research
Related Courses
Cooperative Program with Boston College
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Chair Guido D. Salvucci
Faculty
Rachel E. Abercrombie Research Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences (Earthquake Source Process, Seismotectonics). BA, Cambridge University; PhD, University of Reading
Geoffrey A. Abers Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Earthquake Seismology, Tectonics). ScB, Brown University; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ethan F. Baxter Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Isotope Geochemistry, Petrology, Geochronology, Geochemical Kinetics). BS, Yale University; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Colleen Dalton Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Seismology, Geophysics). ScB, Brown University, PhD, Harvard University.
Sergio Fagherazzi Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Geomorphology, Hydrology, Coastal and Marine Geology). BS, PhD, University of Padua (Italy)
Ulrich Faul Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Rock Physics, Upper Mantle Processes). BSc, Universität, Ulm (Germany); PhD, University of Oregon
Duncan M. FitzGerald Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Sedimentology, Coastal Processes, Marine Geology). BA, University of New Hampshire; MS, Texas A&M University; PhD, University of South Carolina
Paul Hall Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Geodynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics). BA, The College of Wooster; PhD, University of Rhode Island.
Andrew C. Kurtz Director, Graduate Studies, Department of Earth Sciences; Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Low-temperature Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry). BA, Ohio University; MA, PhD, Cornell University
Amala Madahevan Research Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Physical Oceanography, Biogeochemical Cycles). BE, University of Bombay, India; MS, PhD, Stanford University
David R. Marchant Director, Undergraduate Studies, Department of Earth Sciences; Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Geomorphology, Paleoclimate, Antarctic Glacial Geology). BS, Tufts University; MS, University of Maine; PhD, The University of Edinburgh (Scotland)
Richard W. Murray Director, Boston University Marine Program; Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Paleoceanography, Marine Biogeochemistry). AB, Hamilton College; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Terry Plank Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Igneous Geochemistry, Petrology). BA, Dartmouth College; PhD, Columbia University, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
Maureen E. Raymo Research Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Paleoclimatology, Marine Geology). ScB, Brown University; PhD, Columbia University
Guido D. Salvucci Chair, Department of Earth Sciences; Professor of Earth Sciences and Geography, College of Arts & Sciences (Vadose Zone Hydrology, Hydroclimatology). BS, New York University; MS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Emeriti
Arthur H. Brownlow Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Geochemistry, Water Chemistry, Water Pollution). SB, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mohamed A. Gheith Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Mineralogy, Economic Geology, Geochemistry). BS, Cairo University (Egypt); MS, PhD, University of Minnesota
Affiliated Faculty
Farouk El-Baz Director, Center for Remote Sensing; Research Professor, College of Arts & Sciences (Aeolian Processes, Desert Environments, Lunar and Space Geology). BS, Ain Shams University (Egypt); MS, Missouri School of Mines; PhD, University of Missouri
Martin Feely Adjunct Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Crystallography, Mineralogy, Petrology). BSc, PhD, University College Galway (Ireland); MSc, University College Dublin (Ireland)
Kathryn Moore Adjunct Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Igneous Petrology, Environmental Geology). BSc, University of Edinburgh; PhD, University of Bristol
Michael D. Williams Adjunct Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Geochemistry). BSc, PhD, University of Wales (United Kingdom)
The Graduate Program
The Department of Earth Sciences offers programs leading to the MA and PhD degrees in earth sciences and prepares students for careers in academia, pure and applied research, employment with state and federal agencies, and positions of responsibility in private consulting organizations. Emphasis on the integration of field, laboratory, and theoretical analysis throughout the programs provides a well-balanced, in-depth training for all graduate students. The theme of interdisciplinary study of Earth as a system runs throughout the department’s research activities, which include: quantitative tectonic/climate geomorphology; ice-age dynamics, Antarctic paleoclimate, and arid landscape evolution; the tectonics, structure, and petrology of Earth’s major orogenic belts; earthquake seismology; geophysics; geochemistry of magmas; modern marine and shoreline processes; paleooceanography and paleoclimatology; marine biogeochemistry; surface and groundwater geochemistry; and hydrology and hydrogeology.
Research facilities include a wide range of geophysical, hydrologic, surface process, image-analysis, geologic, sedimentologic, and geochemical laboratories. The Analytical Geochemistry Laboratory houses state-of-the-art ICP-mass spectrometry and ICP-emission spectrometry instruments; XRF and AA instruments; an ultra-clean laboratory for isotopic research; and associated preparation facilities.
The Department of Earth Sciences welcomes cooperative research with other departments and other disciplines. The department participates in the Boston University Marine Program (BUMP). A group of courses is available with an earth science focus at BUMP. Access is also provided to present-day natural field laboratories in the local area and in the Bahamas. Other projects make use of the extensive facilities of the Center for Remote Sensing and the Geochemical Analytical Facilities. Graduate students may be supported through scholarships, teaching fellowships, and research assistantships.
Further information on graduate programs and financial aid may be obtained from the Department of Earth Sciences, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; website: Earth Sciences; e-mail: earth@bu.edu.
Admissions
The department welcomes applicants with undergraduate degrees in fields other than earth sciences, and applicants with backgrounds in other science disciplines are encouraged to apply. Students lacking one or more prerequisite courses can make up deficiencies after admission. Prerequisites normally include at least four semester courses in earth sciences and one year each of college-level courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus. All applicants for admission are required to submit their score on the Graduate Record Examination. Completed application for admission should reach the Graduate School Office no later than January 15 for admission in the fall semester. Under certain circumstances, applications will be accepted no later than October 15, for admission in the spring semester.
Cooperative Program with Boston College
This cooperative program permits degree candidates at Boston University to pursue courses in geophysics at Boston College.
MA in Earth Sciences
Prerequisites The student is expected to have completed a bachelor’s degree, preferably in earth sciences or a related field, prior to admission to the department. This should include a year each of basic chemistry, physics, and calculus. Deficiencies to be filled by coursework at Boston University should be specified in the outline of study. Normally, these courses do not carry degree credit.
Outline of Study Within the first four weeks of initial registration, the candidate, in consultation with the advisor and an Entrance Interview Committee, prepares an outline of study, which is submitted to the department for approval. The outline indicates the courses that the candidate expects to take, including undergraduate courses for those areas in which the candidate is deficient.
Course Requirements Eight graduate-level courses (32 credits) are required, of which at least four must be Earth Sciences courses, including at least two non-research Earth Sciences courses (other than ES 699). Three of the eight required courses can be research courses associated with thesis research.
Language Requirement The Department of Earth Sciences does not require a language for the MA degree.
Thesis and Thesis Defense A written thesis, approved by at least three members of the department (usually the student’s advisor and two mutually agreed upon second readers) must be submitted to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. All MA candidates must give an oral presentation and defend their research results in a public forum.
Financial Support Graduate students may receive up to two years of departmental support in the form of full or partial teaching fellowships that cover tuition costs and a stipend. Candidates may receive further support from research grants or other sources.
MA in Geoarchaeology
The Geoarchaeology Program is aimed at providing a broad background in both the geosciences and archaeology. Please see the Department of Archaeology section of this site for details.
PhD in Earth Sciences
Prerequisites Candidates must have achieved the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in earth sciences or a related discipline or an MA/MS degree in earth sciences. The PhD degree program is also open to anyone who has fulfilled the general requirements for an MS/MA degree in a natural science field.
Outline of Study Within four weeks of initial registration, the PhD candidate, in consultation with the faculty advisor and an Entrance Interview Committee, must submit, for approval by the department, an outline of study that specifies the sequence of courses the student expects to take. The purpose of the outline is to clearly specify those courses that should be taken to make up general deficiencies in qualifications. In addition, the outline is intended to give incoming students guidance in their general readings for the qualifying exam.
Course Requirements Normally a total of 16 graduate-level courses (64 credits) is required, including at least two non-research Earth Sciences courses (other than GRS ES 699). Up to eight courses (32 credits) taken as part of a master’s degree can be applied toward the required 16. All students must take at least one graduate-level course from two of the following Earth Sciences disciplines: (I) Geodynamics; (II) Geochemistry; (III) Earth History. Upon written, signed approval of the Advisor and Director of Graduate Studies students may substitute prior coursework, although such coursework will not count toward the graduate-level credit requirement unless transferred in accordance with the policies and practices of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Language Requirement The Department of Earth Sciences does not require a foreign language for the PhD.
Dissertation Committee The student, in consultation with the dissertation advisor, is responsible for arranging a dissertation committee, consisting of the dissertation advisor and at least three other faculty members. Two of these other faculty members must be full-time members of the Department of Earth Sciences, and one must be external to the department.
Qualifying Examinations Each PhD candidate must pass two qualifying examinations (one written and one oral),which are intended to test the candidate’s specific knowledge of the dissertation topic as well as the depth of knowledge of the scientific context of the topic. The student must pass these qualifying examinations in order to proceed with the dissertation research. Exams are normally scheduled in the fourth semester.
Dissertation Proposal Within a year after passing the comprehensive examination, the student, in consultation with the faculty advisor, must present for approval by the department a dissertation proposal outlining a program of dissertation research. (See “Dissertation Outline/Proposal/
Prospectus” under the General Requirements for the PhD on this site.)
Dissertation and Dissertation Defense A dissertation must be presented to the members of the dissertation committee in a timely fashion in accordance with the rules of the Graduate School and the timetable agreed to with the department. The results of the dissertation must be presented orally in a lecture or demonstration open to the University community at a forum agreed upon by the student and the dissertation committee members. The student, in conjunction with the dissertation committee, must also schedule a dissertation defense, during which at least five members of the department are given adequate opportunity to question the candidate on the results of the dissertation research.
Financial Support Graduate students may receive up to four years of departmental support in the form of full or partial teaching fellowships that cover tuition costs and a stipend. Candidates may receive further support from research grants or other sources.
Residency Requirement, Prospectus, Dissertation, Final Oral Examination See General Requirements for the PhD on this site.
Student Organizations
The Boston University Geological Society (BUGS) is an organization of earth sciences students with activities complementing the classroom study of earth sciences. In addition to regular meetings and frequent fundraising events, BUGS organizes field trips, sports teams, and external lectures.
Sigma Xi Eligible students may be elected to the Society of Sigma Xi.
Courses
CAS ES 500 Field Geology
Prereq: junior standing, CAS ES 101 or ES 105 or GG 104, and ES 302; or consent of instructor. ES 222, 301, and 424 recommended. Scientific observation, interpretation, and solution of geological problems in the field through application of field mapping techniques. Includes recognition of rock types and structures as well as metamorphic effects of tectonic events, map-making methods, and report preparation. Staff. 8 cr, Summer I.CAS ES 503 Structural Petrology
Prereq: CAS ES 301, and ES 424 or ES 222, or consent of instructor. Structural analysis of deformed rocks in thin section. Deformation mechanisms at the crystal lattice and grain scale. Interpretation of tectonic deformation processes and pressure-temperature conditions based on preserved microstructure and metamorphic mineral growth. (Offered alternate years.) Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 505 Plate Tectonics and Kinematics
Prereq: junior standing and CAS ES 101 or ES 105; ES 360; CAS MA 123, 124 or MA 127 or MA 129. Structure and geometry of lithospheric plates and plate boundaries; mechanisms of divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries; orthogonal and oblique subduction; triple junctions; mantle plumes, nature and origin of large igneous provinces and sedimentary basin, Phanerozoic orogenic belts. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 511 Groundwater Hydrogeology
Prereq: CAS ES 331 and ES 317 or graduate standing. The hydrologic cycle; porosity and permeability of aquifers, aquifer testing; groundwater flow and flownets and boundary conditions; water pollution. Two hours lab, occasional field trips. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 514 Dynamic Landsurface Hydrology
Prereq: CAS MA 121 or 123 or 127 and one course from CAS CH 101, 111, 131, 161, 171, or CAS PY 105, 211, 233, 251. Land surface hydrology with emphasis on the unsaturated zone. Development and applications of physics governing transport of water, vapor, and heat in soils and the near surface atmosphere. Effects of vegetation, topography, and water table on runoff, evapotranspiration, and recharge. (Offered alternate years.) Salvucci. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS ES 522 Metamorphic Petrology
Prereq: CAS ES 424. Study of metamorphic rocks as tracers of crustal structure and tectonic processes; inference of metamorphic pressures, temperatures, and fluid compositions from minerals in the rocks; syntheses of data for individual rocks to regional patterns of metamorphism and their historical interpretation. (Offered alternate years.) Baxter. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 533 Quantitative Geomorphology
Prereq: CAS ES 317 or CAS ES 331 or CAS ES 333 and CAS MA 124; or consent of instructor. Quantitative analyses of surface processes that lead to landform evolution and landscape change. Emphasizes study of analytical techniques in understanding specific depositional and erosional processes; models of global landscape change; tectonic and climatic geomorphology. (Offered alternate years.) Fagherazzi, Marchant. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS ES 534 Ice-Age Systems
Prereq: CAS ES 333 or 351 or consent of instructor. Cenozoic climate change and development of Earth’s ice sheets; distribution and stratigraphy of glacial deposits; ice-ocean atmosphere interactions and feedback mechanisms; geomorphic and glaciologic models for ice-sheet reconstructions; numerical models of ice-sheet growth and decay. (Offered alternate years.) Marchant. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS ES 541 Coastal Processes
Prereq: CAS ES 331 or consent of instructor. Shorelines as functions of tidal and wave energy; onshore, offshore, and alongshore sediment transport from theoretical and empirical viewpoints; barrier island, backbarrier and tidal inlet morphology and processes; wave dynamics; tides. Two hours lecture, three hours lab/fieldwork. FitzGerald. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 561 Mechanics of Earthquakes
Prereq: CAS ES 360 and CAS PY 211, 212 or equivalent. Explores current understanding of many aspects of earthquake phenomena, including where and when earthquakes occur, how an earthquake begins, and the likelihood of reliable earthquake prediction. Multidisciplinary techniques used to study earthquakes are introduced, including geologic, geodetic, and seismological methods. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS ES 571 Geochemical Modeling
Prereq: CAS ES 222, CAS ES 371, CAS CH 102, and CAS MA 124, or consent of instructor. Quantitative techniques used to interpret chemical variations in earth materials. Principles of chemical equilibrium, mass transport, and kinetics applied to aqueous, igneous, and metamorphic systems. Focus on geological processes of melting, crystallization, mixing, reaction, weathering, and diagenesis. (Offered alternate years.) Baxter, Kurtz, Plank. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 573 Analytical Methods in Geochemistry
Prereq: CAS ES 371 and ES 222, or ES 331, or CAS CH 102. Introduces students to quantitative analytical techniques used in geology, including x-ray, optical emission, mass spectrometric, and neutron activation methods. Examples are drawn from igneous and sedimentary systems. Emphasizes criteria for selecting and using techniques appropriate to specific geologic problems. Three hours lecture, two hours lab. (Offered alternate years.) Kurtz, Murray, Plank. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS ES 576 Aquatic Geochemistry
Prereq: CH 101 or CH 171; ES 371 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. Fundamentals of water chemistry as applied to the evolution of surface, soil, and ground waters. Emphasis is on chemical equilibrium and kinetics, pH as a master variable, carbonate chemistry, mineral solubility, aqueous complexes, ion exchange, redox, and weathering reactions. Kurtz. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 581 Solid Earth Geophysics
Prereq: CAS ES 360; PY 211, 212, or 241, 242 or 251, 252; MA 123, 124 or 127 or 129. Explores the methods and results of geophysical exploration into the solid earth. Topics include crustal and whole-earth seismology, the Earth’s gravitational and magnetic fields, earthquake source phenomena, and structure of the planet. (Offered alternate years.) Abers. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS ES 587, 588 Seminar in Earth Sciences
Prereq: junior standing, CAS ES 101 or 105, and consent of instructor. Discussion of current topics in earth sciences with assigned readings and lecture seminars. Staff. 2 cr, either sem.GRS ES 611 Glacial and Pleistocene Geology
Prereq: CAS ES 331. Interpretation of erosional and depositional features of glaciers; survey of Pleistocene deposits of North America and Europe. Surficial map and sedimentary texture projects; literature and map review and a major paper are required for graduate credit. Three hours lecture, occasional field trips. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 623 Marine Biogeochemistry
Prereq: CAS ES 306 and one year college chemistry or BUMP semester. Nutrient and biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems; global biogeochemistry. Topics include anthropogenic effects on ecosystem cycles and productivity, wetland ecology and biogeochemistry, ecosystem restoration, ocean productivity, climate change and temperate, tropical, and aquatic ecosystems, oceans and the global CO2 budget, marine sediment chemistry. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 640 Marine Geology
Prereq: CAS ES 302 and consent of instructor. Examines the evolution of ocean basins and marginal seas, changes in structure and composition of ocean basins throughout the last one billion years, and the contribution of oceanic geological processes to the chemistry and biochemistry of the earth. (Offered alternate years.) Murray. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 643 Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
Prereq: (CAS BI 107 or CAS ES 101 or CAS ES 105) and CH 101/102, or consent of instuctor. The patterns and processes controlling carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include net primary production, nutrient use efficiency, and biogeochemical transformation. Finzi. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 652 Experimental Analysis of Marine Symbiosis: Organism-Sediment Relationships
Prereq: consent of instructor. Biogenic processes that influence physical-chemical properties of sediment, and sedimentary and seafloor processes that influence the distribution, functional morphology, and population dynamics of benthic organisms are studied in the field and laboratory. Field trip to Paleozoic analogues. Taught at Woods Hole. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 660 Geodynamics I
Prereq: an introductory course in Earth Sciences, CAS PY 211, 251 or equivalent. Introduces basic physical principles of Earth’s structure and dynamics. Driving mechanisms and plate motion; reflection, refraction seismology, magnetism, gravity and the Geoid, heat flow, tomography, mantle convection. Oceanic and continental lithosphere in active tectonic regions. Dalton. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 671 Introduction to Geochemistry
Prereq: an introductory course in Earth Sciences and CAS CH 101 or equivalent. Chemical features of Earth and the solar system; geochemical cycles, reactions among solids, liquids, and gases; radioactivity and isotope fractionation; applications of geochemistry to regional and global problems. Plank. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 681 Geological Record of Global Change
Prereq: WHMS core and CAS ES 202; ES 452 recommended. Examination of the geologic record to deduce the history that provides a baseline against which present changes in biodiversity, extinction, and changing global climate can be evaluated. Field trips to sites throughout New England and examination of the changing marine communities and climate. Taught at Woods Hole. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 683 Geodynamics II Fluids and Fluid Transport
Prereq: CAS MA 124 or 127 or 129 and CAS PY 211 and CAS ES 360 or consent of instructor. Large- and small-scale phenomena in oceanic, atmospheric, and land-surface fluids. Properties of gases and liquids; surface body forces; statics; flow analysis; continuity and momentum conservation. Darcy’s Law; potential, open channel and geostrophic flow; dimensional analysis; diffusion, turbulence. (Offered alternate years.) Salvucci. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 699 Teaching College Earth Sciences I
The goals, contents, and methods of instruction in earth sciences. General teaching-learning issues. Required of all teaching fellows. Staff. 2 cr, 1st & 2nd sem.GRS ES 711 Fluvial Geomorphology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS ES 712 Laboratory and Field Hydrogeology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS ES 714 Advanced Groundwater Hydrogeology
Prereq: CAS ES 511, consent of instructor, and field experience in groundwater hydrogeology. Quantitative aspects of groundwater hydrogeology with emphasis on problem solving; development of the equations governing the flow of water in aquifers; identification of appropriate initial and boundary conditions and methods of solution; and groundwater monitoring and field techniques. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 732 Geology of Continental Margins
Prereq: graduate standing and CAS ES 303 and ES 333 or 331, or consent of instructor. Tectonic and sedimentologic processes at continental margins as revealed by stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and geophysical data. Sequence stratigraphy; magnetic, gravity, and thermal anomalies; facies analysis; distribution of hydrocarbons and economic mineral deposits. (Offered alternate years.) FitzGerald, Marchant. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 733 Advanced Desert Geomorphology
Prereq: graduate standing and CAS ES 333 and 533, or consent of instructor. Landscape evolution in arid, semi-arid, and hyper-arid regions; chemistry of desert soils, calcretes, and silcretes; morphometry of fluvial and aeolian systems; physics of particle transport in transverse, linear, and complex dunes; climatic indices and desert sensitivity. (Offered alternate years.) Marchant. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 742 Coastal Dynamics
Prereq: CAS ES 541 or ES 640. Barrier formation, environments, and stratigraphy; dynamics of shoreface retreat and Holocene transgression; tidal inlet morphology; mechanics of inlet migration and spit breaching; inlet hydraulics, tidal component analysis, backbarrier hypsometry, and filling characteristics; tidal bedforms, inlet fill, and tidal delta stratigraphy. (Offered alternate years.) FitzGerald. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 751 Advanced Paleoceanography
Prereq: CAS ES 351 and ES 423, or consent of instructor. Theory and application of Milankovitch and sub-Milankovitch variability in ocean and climate systems at different times in Earth’s history; mineralogical, chemical, isotopic, and physical records of climate change in marine sediment. (Offered alternate years.) Murray. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 762 Nonmarine Terrigenous Clastic Deposits and Processes
Prereq: CAS ES 331 or ES 500. Discussion of deposits in nonmarine environments. Eolian deposits and sand dune dynamics, braided and meandering fluvial systems, humid alluvial fans, lacustrine sedimentation, deserts and sabkhas, glacial depositional systems, permafrost, volcaniclastics, and catastrophic processes and deposits. FitzGerald. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS ES 771 Isotope Earth Science
Prereq: graduate standing and CAS CH 111/112 or equivalent and CAS ES 571 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. Stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry; isotope geology of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulphur; applications of isotope systematics to geochemical problems in hydrology, ocean biogeochemistry, and crustal genesis. (Offered alternate years.) Baxter. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 781 Methods of Seismology
Prereq: CAS ES 360/660, MA 225, PY 211, 212, 408 or equivalent. Methods and theoretical underpinnings of seismology, including elastic wave propagation, ray theory, reflection refraction and transmission, surface waves, earth structure, seismic sources, and review of modern analysis techniques. (Offered alternate years.) Abers. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS ES 783 Climate-Tectonic Linkages
Prereq: CAS ES 405 and ES 533, or consent of instructor. Linkages between tectonic and climatic evolution of Earth. Evolution of atmosphere and ocean; Paleozoic carbon dioxide; Antarctic glaciations; ice-sheet topographic influences on oceanic and atmospheric circulation; Cenozoic volcanism and glaciation; climate change along active and passive margins; Himalayan arogeny. (Offered alternate years.) Murray, Marchant. 4 cr, 1st sem.Advanced Topics
Hours arranged, 4 cr.
GRS ES 830 Advanced Topics in Surface Processes
MarchantGRS ES 831 Advanced Topics in Tectonics
FaulGRS ES 832 Advanced Topics in Paleoclimatology
StaffGRS ES 833 Advanced Topics in Seismology and Geophysics
StaffGRS ES 834 Advanced Topics in Geochemical Cycles
StaffGRS ES 835 Advanced Topics in Marine Geosciences
StaffGRS ES 836 Advanced Topics in Igneous and Metamorphic Geology
PlankDirected Study or Research
Hours arranged. Variable cr.
GRS ES 911, 912 Geomorphology and Hydrogeology
Marchant, Salvucci, Fagherazzi
GRS ES 913, 914 Environmental and Urban Geology
StaffGRS ES 921, 922 Crystallography and Mineralogy
BaxterGRS ES 925, 926 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Baxter, PlankGRS ES 927, 928 Structural Geology and Tectonics
Abers, FaulGRS ES 931, 932 Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
FitzGerald, Marchant, FagherazziGRS ES 941, 942 Coastal and Marine Geology
FitzGerald, Murray, FagherazziGRS ES 951, 952 Paleontology
StaffGRS ES 961, 962 Geophysics
Abercrombie, AbersGRS ES 963, 964 Seismology
Abercrombie, AbersGRS ES 971, 972 Geochemistry
Kurtz, Murray, Plank, BaxterRelated Courses
A number of related courses in mathematics and natural science taught by other departments may be selected for graduate credit as part of the MA and PhD programs in earth sciences with prior approval of the chairman. The following courses are recommended; those marked with an asterisk (*) require a petition for graduate credit.
Astronomy
CAS AS 591, 592 Introduction to Space Physics I, IIBiology
CAS BI 303 Environmental Ecology*CAS BI 504 Evolution
CAS BI 617 Lakes and Rivers
CAS BI 666 Marine Ecology
Chemistry
CAS CH 351, 352 Physical Chemistry*CAS CH 354 Physical Chemistry Laboratory*CAS GG 502 Advanced Topics in Remote Sensing
CAS GG 517 Models for Hydrologic Analysis
GRS GG 845 Topics in GIS
Mathematics
CAS MA 411 Advanced Calculus*CAS MA 561 Methods of Applied Mathematics I
CAS MA 562 Methods of Applied Mathematics II
CAS MA 575 Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance I
CAS MA 576 Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance II
Physics
CAS PY 371 Electronics for Scientists*CAS PY 405 Electromagnetic Fields and Waves I*
CAS PY 406 Electromagnetic Fields and Waves II*
CAS PY 408 Intermediate Mechanics*
Cooperative Program with Boston College
A listing and descriptions of available courses offered at Boston College as part of the cooperative program may be obtained in the earth sciences office. Cross registration is designated by the symbols XRG.
Published by Trustees of Boston University
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9 January 2009
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