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Geology
| Department Information |
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
College of Science
Office: North Science 329
Phone: (510) 885-3486
| Professor Detlef A. Warnke, Ph.D. University of Southern California Associate Professor Jeffery C. Seitz, Ph.D. (Chair), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Assistant Professors Mitchell Craig, Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology Luther M. Strayer, Ph.D. University of Minnesota | |||||
Please consult the 2008-2009 online catalog for any changes that may occur.
| Program Description |
Geology is the study of the earth and of life and the natural processes occurring in or on the earth through time. Along with studying the impacts of human activities on the environment, students can learn about the causes of earth processes such as earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, the effect of erosion and deposition, and the formation of rocks and minerals and their uses. Coursework combined with observations on field trips provide Cal State East Bay students with an understanding of natural processes and the human impact on the environment.
The undergraduate degree programs consist of required courses plus electives designed to meet the needs of students with objectives ranging from employment at the Bachelor's degree level, through preparation for a secondary school teaching credential, to graduate study in Geology. A B.S. major in Geology is the primary, professional program in Geology, and serves as preparation for employment in the field, usually on a technical level; those wishing to do independent geological work should plan on graduate study. The B.A. degree major is designed for persons who do not necessarily plan to become professional geologists or to go on to graduate work. (Note: Transfer from the B.A. to the B.S. program or vice versa can be accomplished.)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a B.S. in Geology from Cal State East Bay will be able to: 1) do independent geologic mapping, including preparation of a geologic map, legend, and geologic history; 2) prepare, draft, and describe a stratigraphic section; 3) describe and explain the structural geology of a region; and 4) communicate geologic concepts.
Students graduating with a B.A. in Geology from Cal State East Bay will be able to: 1) under supervision, to do geologic mapping, or serve as field assistant to a senior geologist; 2) prepare, under supervision, stratigraphic sections and structural cross sections; 3) communicate geologic concepts.
| Career Opportunities |
Engineering Geologist • Environmental Geologist • Geochemist • Geologist • Geophysicist • Hydrologist • Mineralogist • Paleontologist • Park Ranger • Petrologist • Seismologist • Soils Engineer • Stratigrapher • Oceanographer
| Features |
The Earth and Environmental Sciences Department offers a five-week summer field course in the western United States. Many opportunities for field and laboratory research exist throughout northern California and elsewhere.
The Cummings Geology Club, a student organization, sponsors a variety of activities including speakers, field trips, employment workshops, and student-faculty gatherings. The club is an important part of department life, providing students with opportunities to make professional contacts, to explore graduate school and professional options, and to enjoy the company of others with similar interests. For more information, contact the faculty advisor or the current club president at (510) 885-3486.
Students completing the Geology major may apply four (4) units of mathematics and eight (8) units of chemistry (or physics) to the Natural Sciences and Mathematics requirement (Area B) in their General Education Requirements. (See the General Education Evaluator and Class Schedule for more information.)
| Major Requirements (B.S.) |
Please consult an advisor in your major department for clarification and interpretation of your major requirements. The major consists of 107 units; the B.S. degree requires a total of 180 units.
| I. | Core Courses (77-80 units) | ||||
| CHEM 1101, 1102, 1103 General Chemistry (5, 5, 5) GEOL 2101 Physical Geology (or 2100) (5) GEOL 2102 Earth and Life Through Time (4) GEOL 3601 Mineralogy and Optical Crystallography (5) GEOL 3701 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (5) GEOL 3801 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (5) GEOL 3810 Structural Geology (5) GEOL 3910 Geologic Field Methods (3) GEOL 4800 Seminar (2) GEOL 4820 Field Geology (8) MATH 1304, 1305 Calculus I and II (4, 4) PHYS 1001, 1002, 1003 General Physics or PHYS 2701, 2702, 2703  Introductory Physics (12-15) | |||||
| II. | Electives (28-31 units) | ||||
| Twenty-eight (28) to 31 units, depending on physics sequence completed, from among the courses listed below. At least 10 units must be in 4000-level geology courses. Up to 12 of the elective units may be satisfied with appropriate courses in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, and/or Statistics approved in advance by a faculty advisor. | |||||
| GEOL 3110, 3200 (not more than 4 units), 3400, 4010, 4320, 4800 (not more than 2 units), 4850, 4900, 4910 (not more than 4 units for 4900 and 4910 combined) | |||||
| Students interested in a specific subdiscipline (e.g., applied geology, oceanography, geochemistry) are urged to consult the appropriate departmental faculty advisor to ensure an appropriate choice of electives. Note: Course substitutions made after arrival at Cal State East Bay must have prior written approval of the faculty advisor. | |||||
| Major Requirements (B.A.) |
The major consists of 71-74 units; the B.A. requires a total of 180 units.
| I. | Core Courses (55-58 units) | ||||
| CHEM 1101, 1102, 1103 General Chemistry (5, 5, 5) and PHYS 1700 Elementary Physics (4), 1780 Elementary Physics Laboratory (1) | |||||
| or | |||||
| CHEM 1100 Introduction to College Chemistry (5) and PHYS 2701-2-3 Introductory Physics (4, 4, 4) GEOL 2101 Physical Geology (or 2100) (5) GEOL 2102 Earth and Life Through Time (4) GEOL 3601 Mineralogy and Optical Crystallography (5) GEOL 3701 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (5) GEOL 3801 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (5) GEOL 3810 Structural Geology (5) GEOL 3910 Geologic Field Methods (3) GEOL 4800 Seminar (2) MATH 1300 Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry (4) | |||||
| II. | Electives (17 units) | ||||
| Any additional geology courses at the 3000 and 4000 level, except GEOL 3040, 3050, 3051, 3100, and 3898. At least two courses must be at the 4000 level (no more than 4 units of GEOL 4900 may be applied). | |||||
| Other Degree Requirements |
In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills Requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.
| Minor Requirements |
The minor consists of 25-26 units.
| I. | Core Courses | ||||
| GEOL 2101 Physical Geology (or 2100) (5) | |||||
| GEOL 2102 Earth and Life Through Time (4) | |||||
| II. | Electives | ||||
| One lower division elective, GEOL 1002 or 1201 (2-4 units) Three upper division Geology electives, chosen with assistance of minor advisor (12-15 units) | |||||
| Undergraduate Courses |
| The course prefix for the following courses is GEOL. | |
| 1000 | Earth Systems Science (5) Introduction to the nature and evolution of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, atmosphere and solar system. Emphasizes interdisciplinary thought and research. Not for Geology B.S./B.A. degree credit. Four hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab; field trip(s). |
| 1001 | Introduction to the Earth Sciences (4) Composition, structure and evolution of the earth. Interactions of lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Relations of geologic systems, hazards, and resources to human environment and future. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 1003, 1004 or 1005. (A) |
| 1002 | Environmental Geology Laboratory (2) Investigations of environmental geologic problems in the greater San Francisco Bay area, including earthquake and volcanic hazards, flooding, landslides, and shoreline erosion. Not for Geology major credit. Prerequisite: GEOL 1001 (or 1003 or 1004), 2101 (or 2100), 2300 or 3300 or concurrent enrollment in any of these courses. One hr. lect., two hrs. lab activity. (A) |
| 1003 | How Earth Systems Work (4) How the earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere work and the earth's place in the universe. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 1001, 1004 or 1005. |
| 1004 | Evolution of Earth Systems (4) The evolving systems of the earth, including processes of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 1001, 1003 or 1005. |
| 1005 | Earth Science (4) The earth's place in the universe with emphasis on how the earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere work. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 1001, 1003 or 1004. |
| 1201 | Introduction to Oceanography (4) Origin of ocean basins, nature of the sea floor, physical/chemical characteristics of sea water, ocean currents, marine life, relationships between humans and the sea. Not for Geology major credit. (A) |
| 1202 | Oceanography Laboratory (2) Introductory laboratory exercises in principles of oceanography, including distribution of temperature and salinity, currents, sea-floor topography, bottom sediments, waves and tides, and beach dynamics. Not applicable to the Geology majors. Prerequisite: prior or concurrent enrollment in GEOL 1201. One hr. lect., two hrs. lab activity. (A) |
| 2000 | Introduction to the Geology of California (4) The geologic history and development of California. Rocks, minerals and natural resources. Processes that shape California landforms. Plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism. Not for Geology major credit. (W) |
| 2100 | Fundamentals of Physical Geology (5) Nature and distribution of earth materials and energy. The processes by which materials and resources are formed and the nature and development of the landscape. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 2101. Four hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab. |
| 2101 | Physical Geology (5) Nature and distribution of earth materials, the processes by which the materials are formed and altered, and the nature and development of the landscape. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 2100. Four hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.; one Saturday or Sunday field trip. (F, Sp) |
| 2102 | Earth and Life Through Time (4) Principles of interpretation of earth history. Study of plate tectonics and sea-floor spreading as related to the development of continents, ocean basins, and mountain belts. Origin, evolution and diversification of life through time. Laboratory sessions include hands-on exercises with fossils. Prerequisite: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Not open to students with credit for GEOL 3030. Three hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.; field trip(s). (F) |
| 2300 | Natural Disasters (4) Geologic processes and their effects on human populations. Topics include earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, coastal erosion, floods, atmospheric and water pollution. Not for geology major credit. Designed for Physical Science G.E. students. (Tent. Sp) |
| 2600 | Introduction to GIS (4) Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for interpretation of spatial data and preparation of maps. Display and manipulation of vector and raster data, including point locations, street maps, boundaries, and satellite images. Map scale, projections, and coordinate transformations. Basic database queries. Principles of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The course will include examples from several disciplines. (Cross-listed with GEOG 2600.) Three hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab. |
| 3040 | Fundamentals of Meteorology (4) Utilization of physical science principles in the study of the structure and circulation of the atmosphere; weather and weather forecasting. Emphasis on aspects of interest to the prospective or in-service teacher. Not for Geology Major credit. Prerequisites: High school physics and chemistry or equivalents. (Y) |
| 3050 | Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics (4) Relationship of volcanism to plate tectonics. Catastrophes and volcanic hazards. Processes and products at historically active volcanoes worldwide: lava flows and domes, avalanches and mudflows, air-fall tephra, and pyroclastic flows and surges. Not for Geology Major credit. Concurrent enrollment in GEOL 3051 recommended. |
| 3100 | Geology of the Western National Parks (4) The geologic history of western North America (from the Pacific Coast through the Great Plains) as interpreted from the outstanding features preserved in the national parks and selected other park service areas. Not for Geology major credit. |
| 3110 | Principles of Geomorphology (4) Landforms as products of diastrophism, volcanism, and surficial processes; morphogenetic regions of the earth and the effect of climate on the processes that shape them; rates and stages of landscape evolution and their dependence on time, process and structure. Prerequisite: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Three hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.; field trip(s). (Y) |
| 3200 | Regional Field Geology (1-2) Reconnaissance field study of geology of selected areas in California and adjoining regions. May be repeated, but no more than 4 units may be applied to Geology major. Prerequisites: one introductory geology course and permission of instructor. CR/NC grading only. Thirty hrs. field/lab. per unit. (Y) |
| 3400 | General Oceanography (4) Biological, chemical, geological, and physical characteristics of the sea, including geology of the ocean basins, marine ecosystems, and waves and currents. Prerequisite: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Three hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.; field trip(s). |
| 3601 | Mineralogy and Optical Crystallography (5) Principles of mineralogy, crystal symmetry, structure, and chemistry. Elements of optical crystallography utilizing indicatrix theory. Laboratory emphasizes physical properties and identification of minerals in hand sample and thin section. Prerequisites: introductory chemistry and GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Three hrs. lect., 6 hrs. lab/field. |
| 3700 | Rocks (5) Characteristics, occurrence, and origin of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Petrogenesis under various pressure/temperature conditions. Geometry and architecture of sedimentary deposits. Classification and identification of rocks in laboratory and field. Not for geology major credit. Prerequisite: GEOL 3601. Recommended: some college chemistry. Three hrs. lect., 6 hrs. lab/field. |
| 3701 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (5) Characteristics, phase relations, and origin of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Plate-tectonic setting of magmatism and metamorphism. Laboratory emphasizes rock classification based upon hand-lens and microscopic examination of mineralogy and texture. Prerequisite: GEOL 3601 or equivalent. Three hrs. lect., 6 hrs. lab.; field trip(s). (W) |
| 3800 | Achievements of Women in Science (4) (See BIOL 3800 for course description.) |
| 3801 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (5) Depositional systems and sedimentary processes. Facies models, succession, age relationships, and correlation of strata. Petrology and provenance of sedimentary rocks. Prerequisites: GEOL 3030 and 3701. Three hrs. lect., 6 hrs. lab. |
| 3810 | Structural Geology (5) Geometric, kinematic and dynamic analysis of structures of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Laboratory emphasis on descriptive geometry and stereographic solutions to structural problems; geologic maps and structure sections. Prerequisite: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Three hrs. lect., 6 hrs. lab.; field trip. (Sp) |
| 3898 | Cooperative Education (1-4) Supervised work experience in which student completes academic assignments integrated with off-campus paid or volunteer activities. May be repeated for up to 8 units. CR/NC grading only. May not be applied to Geology degree programs. Prerequisites: at least 2.0 GPA and departmental approval of activity. (A) |
| 3910 | Geologic Field Methods (3) Introduction to geologic field methods and instruments, use of aerial photographs and topographic maps in geologic mapping, preparation of geologic maps of local areas. Prerequisites: GEOL 3701, 3801, and 3810 (any of these courses may be taken concurrently). One hr. lect., 6 hrs. field. (Sp) |
| 3999 | Issues in Geological Sciences (4) Readings, discussion, and research on contemporary and/or significant issues in geological sciences. May be repeated for credit when content varies. |
| 4010 | Applied Geophysics (5) Geophysical methods for determination of subsurface geology, including seismic refraction and reflection, ground-penetrating radar, gravity, magnetism, and resistivity. Basic geophysical theory. Collection of geophysical data in the field and analysis on the computer. Prerequisites: GEOL 2101 (or 2100), MATH 1304, and PHYS 2702 or consent of instructor. Three hrs. lect., 6 hrs. lab.; field trip required. (Alt. F) |
| 4320 | Hydrogeology (4) The hydrologic cycle, from precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration and runoff, to surface and groundwater. Hydrograph analysis, stream gaging and discharge determination. Groundwater occurrence, movement and evaluation. Hydrologic regions of U.S., emphasizing the western states. Prerequisite: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Field trip(s). Three hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab. (W) |
| 4410 | Micropaleontology (3) An in-depth study of the biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and taxonomy of various microfossil groups (Foraminifera, dinoflagellates, pollen, etc.). May be repeated for a maximum of six units. Prerequisite: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent. Two hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab. |
| 4800 | Seminar (2) Critical, in-depth study of selected topics of current and classical research in geology; topics not repeated in two-year interval. May be repeated, but no more than 6 units may be applied to Geology major. Prerequisite: senior standing or permission of instructor. (Y) |
| 4820 | Field Geology (8) Field laboratory application of techniques of geological mapping; compilation of detailed geological maps and reports. Recommended to be taken at end of junior year. Prerequisites: GEOL 3701, 3801 3810, and 3910 or equivalents and permission of instructor. Forty-eight hours a week for 5 weeks. A miscellaneous course fee will be charged. Consult the quarterly Class Schedule for the current fee. (Su) |
| 4850 | Geological Field Studies in Hawaii (2) Field study of geological features and processes of the Hawaiian Islands. Volcanism, coastal processes, geomorphology. May be repeated once for credit. Students will be responsible for all travel and lodging expenses. Prerequisites: GEOL 2101 (or 2100) or equivalent and permission of instructor. One hr. lect., 30 hrs. field/lab. |
| 4900 | Independent Study (1-4) Must be taken CR/NC. (A) |
| 4910 | Senior Thesis (2) Independent research project with a written thesis, digital map, or similar final product to be completed by students desiring to graduate with a B.S. in geology with research experience (see department for guidelines). CR/NC grading only. Prerequisites: senior level in Geology and thesis advisor's approval. |
| Marine Science Courses | |
| M SC 4141 Geological Oceanography (6) M SC 4142 Physical Oceanography (6) M SC 4143 Chemical Oceanography (6) | |||||
| Footnote |
| | Students needing a relatively rigorous preparation in mathematics and physics (e.g., for graduate study) are strongly urged to complete the calculus-based physics sequence (PHYS 1001, 1002, 1003); this requires completion of the additional calculus course MATH 2304. The additional 4 units earned in calculus may be applied to elective requirement II. | |
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© 2007 The California State University
Last Updated: August 28, 2007