Teaching

Earth Sciences 1121: Dynamic Earth (4 credit hours)

Plate tectonics; rock forming processes; climate change; energy resources. Prereq: Math 1075 or above, or ACT Mathematics Subscore of 22 or higher, or Math Placement Level R or better. Not open to students with credit for 1100. This course is available for EM credit. GE nat sci phys course.

Earth Sciences 4530: Structural Geology (4 credit hours)

An introduction to the principles of rock deformation, the classification and physical origin of rock structures, and crustal tectonic processes. Prereq: 1100 or 1121 or 1200, and Physics 1250.

Earth Sciences 5189.01: Field Geology 1 (3 credit hours)

Concentrated training in the basic essentials of field observation and mapping; the work is done in central Utah, with headquarters in Ephraim. Requires full time of student. Prereq: 1100, 1121, or 1200; and 4530 or 6530; and permission of instructor.

Earth Sciences 5189.02: Field Geology 1 (3 credit hours)

Concentrated training in the basic essentials of field observation and mapping; the work is done in central Utah, with headquarters in Ephraim. Continuation of 5189.01. Requires full time of student. Prereq or concur: 4421, 4423, and 5189.01.

Earth Sciences 5194: Advanced Structural Geology and Geomechanics (3 credit hours)

This course focuses on quantitative approaches to structural geology, introducing students to the basics of classical and continuum mechanics and their applications to solving problems of deformation in the earth. Class examples, examples from recent scientific literature, and laboratory exercises/problem sets illustrate mechanical analysis of natural geologic structures such as faults, folds, lava flows, and dikes, as well as practical problems including basic analysis of the stability of well-bores and underground excavations. Students will review examples from the literature that apply mechanical methods to geologic problems and complete their own analysis as a term project. Laboratory exercises will utilize MATLAB as a tool to quantitatively analyze spatial data and solve elastic and viscous boundary-value problems.

Earth Sciences 5646: Geodynamics (3 credit hours)

Application of mathematical and physical methods to the solution of geologic problems in heat flow, plate tectonics, interior dynamics, mountain building, ground-water flow, river mechanics. Prereq: EarthSc 4530 or 6530 (EarthSci 530), or GeolSci 530 or equivalent; Math 1152 (153) or above; and Physics 1250 (131) or above; or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for EarthSci 646 or GeolSci 646.

Earth Sciences 8878: Seminar in Geophysics: Fractures in Earth Sciences (1-2 credit hours)

Principles and tools of fracture mechanics are applied to the origins and physical behaviors of joints, faults, dikes, veins, and other natural structures in rocks and other Earth materials. Special emphasis will be given to combining field observations of fractures in rock with the elastic theory of cracks in order to explore the role of natural fractures in brittle rock deformation in Earth’s crust with applications to crustal deformation, structural geology, engineering geology, and petroleum geology, hydrogeology, and induced hydraulic fracture.