Department of Geosciences
Faculty
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Chair Acting Chair Associate Chair Director of Graduate Studies Professor |
Associate Professor Assistant Professor Visiting Lecturer Associated Faculty |
Requirements
Department of Geosciences, together with its affiliated interdepartmental programs and institutes, serves as the central focus for the earth, atmospheric, oceanographic and environmental sciences at Princeton. As such, the department encompasses a rich diversity of scientific expertise and initiative that ranges, for example, from the measurement and modeling of global climatic change to high-pressure mineral physics, and from seismic tomographic imaging of the mantle under the continents to analysis of the tectonics of Venus.
Graduate education within the department in general is strongly focused on research, as well as on developing a strong sense for the interdisciplinary nature of the geosciences. As a consequence, Princeton has been extraordinarily successful in mentoring students to move on to tenure-track positions in academia as well as leading research positions in industry or government laboratories. The department offers only a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program, for which both beginning and advanced students may apply. The average time to graduation is five years.
Atmospheric and ocean sciences are an integral part of the department, with most of the research taking place in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). In addition, there are close ties with the programs in water resources in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as with the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI) and the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM).
Desirable Preparation
Advances in the earth sciences depend largely on a basic knowledge of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics, and the ability to apply this knowledge to geological problems. The best preparation for graduate work in this department combines a solid background in related sciences and mathematics with a basic introduction to the geological sciences. The department welcomes as candidates not only those students whose principal background is in geology, geochemistry or geophysics, but also those who have concentrated in other sciences, such as biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics or physics.
Areas of Study
A student normally concentrates in one of the following areas of study:
Solid Earth Geoscience
Seismology, structural geology, tectonics, mineral physics, petrology and computational geodynamics form the core of a graduate program that involves students from the start in frontline research on the evolution of Earth as a planet, using field observations as well as laboratory, numerical, and theoretical studies.
- Geophysics and Seismology
- Structural Geology
- Computational Geodynamics
- Computational Geosciences
Environmental Geoscience and Geochemistry
The interdisciplinary program in environmental sciences focuses on certain key concepts of physical, biological and chemical aspects of environmental problems at the local and global scales. This program is in coordination with faculty in other departments at Princeton University and the Princeton Environmental Institute. The primary research areas include biogeochemical cycles, environmental chemistry, mineral sciences, ground water geology and chemistry, microbial processes in oceans and soils, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy. In addition, we do paleontological and stable isotope studies of past climate, sea-level changes, mass extinctions and evolution through fieldwork at sea and on land.
- Mineral Physics
- Paleontology
- Geomicrobiology
- Geochemistry
- Oceanography
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
We use as tools a hierarchy of models to investigate ocean and atmosphere circulation, climate stability and predictability, and climate changes in the past and future. The atmospheric and oceanic sciences program is jointly organized and run by Princeton University and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Princeton University-Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences Graduate Program (PU-BIOS)
The departments of geosciences and ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton, in partnership with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, are seeking applicants for a new graduate program in Ocean Sciences and Marine Biology. This program allows students to undertake their Ph.D. research with the complementary opportunities presented by these partners. These include the broad academic environment of a major research university and the ready access to the open ocean and to a coral reef island provided by a U.S. funded oceanographic and marine biological research institution.
Course Work
Course work requirements are flexible and depend on the track chosen. All incoming students are required to follow a one-year introductory course on the fundamental questions in the geosciences, covering both solid earth and environmental problems. An important part of graduate education arises from independent research, which begins in the first year. Course work in other departments that strengthens students’ background in biology, chemistry, engineering sciences, mathematics and physics is required. Each graduate student normally will participate in instructing undergraduates for at least one term as a significant part of his or her education.
Pre-generals students are normally expected to enroll in and complete two to four courses or seminars, either within or outside the department, per term. The actual load may vary depending on a student's background, interests, the availability of courses, the number and nature of other academic activities, etc. Students serving as undergraduate teaching assistants may wish to carry a lighter load in order to ensure sufficient time to perform research.
You are expected to have completed eight courses or the equivalent by the end of the semester in which you take the General Exam. The eight courses will include GEO505/506, Fundamentals of the Geosciences, and at least two graduate-level or appropriate-level undergraduate courses outside the geosciences department, chosen with approval of the advisory committee. Courses must be taken for a grade when the graded option is offered, and the average of the graded courses is expected to be B or higher.
Teaching Requirements
Every graduate student is required to participate in the instruction of undergraduates for at least one term (one term as a full assistant-in-instruction, or two terms as half time assistant-in-instruction) as a significant part of his/her education.
General Examination
The general examination for advancement to Ph.D. candidacy is normally taken before the end of the second year of graduate work. The examination is designed to establish the student’s depth and breadth of knowledge in the chosen fields of specialization, acquaintance with scholarly methods of research, and the ability to organize and present research material. The examination is based in part on a written report submitted by the student describing the research activities undertaken during the first two years. A research progress report is also required near the end of the student’s first year.
M.A. Requirements
Students qualify for the Master of Arts (M.A.) by successfully passing all course work, including GEO 505/506, and the satisfactory presentation of the first-year and second-year research reports.
Dissertation
The dissertation shows that the candidate has technical mastery in the chosen field and is capable of independent research. It is expected to be a positive contribution to knowledge, which may consist of a new scientific generalization, a new body of integrated facts that carries scientific implications that extend beyond itself or a substantial improvement in technique or procedure.
The final public oral examination is a final examination in the field of study. In addition to defending the dissertation, candidates are expected to respond to questions relating to the specific principles involved in their research and to questions ranging widely over related subjects.
The student’s advisory committee contains members of the faculty, including faculty from other departments or institutions, as appropriate.
Financial Support
First-year fellowships are currently awarded to all students to support their stipends during the first year. Other fellowships may be available on a competitive basis from the Graduate School and students are encouraged to apply for them. In addition, the Graduate School may have special funds for travel and meetings, and the student is encouraged to take advantage of those opportunities
After the first year, graduate students may be supported as assistants in research (AR) or assistants in instruction (AI). AR support generally derives from individual faculty member external grant funds.
Courses
Geosciences
GEO 500 Field Geology
Lincoln S. Hollister
Study of geological, geochemical, and geophysical data related to a specific geologic province; includes an extended field trip. Recent trips have been to Iceland, the Sierra Nevada, the Rio Grande Rift, Costa Rica, Taiwan, the Pacific Northwest, and Brittany.
GEO 501/MSE 541 Physics and Chemistry of Minerals and Materials
Thomas S. Duffy
Concepts of solid-state physics and inorganic chemistry relevant to the study of minerals and materials. The emphasis is on applications to the study of planetary interiors. Topics include crystal chemistry; crystal structure and phase transitions; equations of state, dynamic, and static compression; elasticity; transport properties; lattice dynamics; lattice defects; and solid-state diffusion and creep.
GEO 503/AOS 503 Responsible Conduct of Research in Geosciences
Staff
Course addresses the major issues in ethical conduct of research, using case studies related to the scientific issues of the areas of research represented by the students and our faculty members.
GEO 505 Fundamentals of the Geosciences I
Jeroen Tromp
A survey of fundamental papers in the Geosciences. Topics include the origin and interior of the earth, plate tectonics, geodynamics, the history of life on earth, the composition of the earth, its oceans and atmosphere, past climate. The first of two core graduate courses.
GEO 506 Fundamentals of the Geosciences II
Jeroen Tromp
A survey of fundamental papers in the Geosciences. Topics include present and future climate, biogeochemical processes in the ocean, geochemical cycles, orogenies, thermochronology, rock fracture and seismicity. This is the second of two core graduate courses.
GEO 507 Topics in Mineralogy and Mineral Physics
Thomas S. Duffy
Selected topics related to structure, properties, and stability of minerals and melts. Topics include mantle mineralogy, applications of synchrotron radiation to the study of earth materials, physics and chemistry of minerals at high pressure and temperature, and advanced concepts in mineral physics.
GEO 508 Topics in Mineralogy
Peter J. Heaney
Selected topics related to structure, properties, and stability of minerals and melts. Topics include mantle mineralogy, applications of synchrotron radiation to the study of earth materials, physics and chemistry of minerals at high pressure and temperature, and advanced concepts in mineral physics.
GEO 513 Igneous Petrology
Katharine V. Cashman
Isotopic, petrologic, geochemical, structural, and geophysical constraints on melting are examined. The role of igneous processes for the origin and evolution of planetary lithospheres and astheno-spheres is examined as well.
GEO 515 Metamorphic Petrology
Lincoln S. Hollister
Determination of the physical conditions of metamorphism and their relation to tectonic events and deformation based on thermodynamic calculations, experimental phase equilibria, and field relations.
GEO 518 Petrology Seminar
Lincoln S. Hollister
Special topics of current research interest in petrology, crystal chemistry, and geochemistry are explored.
GEO 522/AOS 522 Inverse methods: theory and applications
David M. Medvigy
Course treats inverse problems from both theoretical and applied perspectives. Students learn to develop the necessary theory to pose, interpret, and solve inverse problems, focusing on topics including error characterization, linear and non-linear methods, approximations, Kalman filters, use of prior constraints, and observing system design. Concepts are illustrated with examples from the current literature on the Earth's carbon cycle.
GEO 523/CEE 572 Geomicrobiology
Tullis C. Onstott
Relationships between low temperature geochemistry and microbiology. Applications of newly developed molecular biological techniques and isotope geochemical methods and how these approaches can be used to determine the physiological state of microorganisms. Each student is expected to make a research presentation to the seminar. Visiting scholars and faculty members from other departments may occasionally contribute guest lectures to the seminar.
GEO 524/ENV 524 Environmental Issues Seminar
François Morel
Current problems in environmental sciences. Element cycles; geochemistry-biotic interactions, human impacts on the environment. A new topic is chosen every semester. Recent topics have included: the global carbon cycle, alternative energies, biodiversity, and genetically modified organisms.
GEO 525/CEE 573 Environmental Issues Seminar
François Morel
Current problems in environmental sciences. Element cycles; geochemistry-biotic interactions, human impacts on the environment. A new topic is chosen every semester. Recent topics have included: the global carbon cycle, alternative energies, biodiversity, and genetically modified organisms.
GEO 526 Geochemical Reactions at the Natural Interfaces
Satish C. Myneni
Covers the chemistry of interfacial reactions at the solid-water, air-water, liquid-water, and organism-water that are pertinent to the nature. The molecular structure and properties of the natural interfaces, water chemistry at the interfacas, and applications of thermodynamics, and recently developed in situ spectroscopic and microscopic methods to study these systems is discussed. Special emphasis is on the applications of interfacial chemistry in environmental chemistry.
GEO 527/AOS 527 Atmospheric Radiative Transfer
Venkatachalam Ramaswamy
The structure and composition of terrestrial atmospheres. The fundamental aspects of electromagnetic radiation, absorption and emission by atmospheric gases, optical extinction by particles, the roles of atmospheric species in the Earth's radiative energy balance, the perturbation of climate due to natural and anthropogenic causes, and satellite observations of climate systems are also studied.
GEO 531/ENV 531 Topics in Energy and the Environment
Staff
Lectures, readings and discussion of current topics on the interaction of energy and environmental issues. Topics vary from year to year to fit interests of students and faculty and to reflect changing technology and policy. Offered as part of the PEI-BP executive exchange program.
GEO 535 Biogeochemical Cycles in Earth History
Daniel M. Sigman
Examines the evidence for changes in the cycles of biologically important elements (carbon, nitrogren, phosphorus, etc.) over Earth hisotry. Topics will include the development and evolution of biogeochemical cycles, their significance for the geologic and fossil records, and biogeochemical change during the last Ice Age. Overview lectures by the instructor and student presentations based on readings from the scientific literature and/or ongoing research.
GEO 536 Paleoceanographic and Sediment History of Ocean Basins
Gerta Keller
Paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic implications of phyletic and community evolution in space and time as recorded by marine microfossils are examined as well. Patterns of marine sedimentation and distribution of deep-sea hiatuses through time. Special emphasis is on critical events in ocean history such as Late Cretaceous, the terminal Eocene, the oligotaxic Oligocene, and the Neogene glacial history.
GEO 537/AOS 537 Atmospheric Chemistry
Hiram Levy
Natural gas phase and heterogeneous chemistry in the troposphere and stratosphere, with a focus on elementary chemical kinetics; photolysis processes; oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen chemistry; transport of atmospheric trace species; tropospheric hydrocarbon chemistry and stratospheric halogen chemistry; stratospheric ozone destruction; local and regional air pollution, and chemistry-climate interactions are studied.
GEO 538 Paleoclimatology
Michael L. Bender
This course will provide a graduate level introduction to Earth's climate history. Topics include controls on Earth's climate, a survey of sedimentary properties used in climate reconstructions, and a discussion of the major changes in climate reconstructions, and a discussion of the major changes in climate from the Precambian to the present. Intended for students in Geosciences and the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences program interested in Earth's present environment and its changes through time.
GEO 539 Topics in Paleoecology, Paleoclimatology, and Paleoceanography
Gerta Keller
Application of the fossil record to specific geological problems in depositional environments and paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic history of the oceans are studied.
GEO 540 Topics in Deformation of the Upper Crust
John Suppe
The major deformation processes of the upper crust, above and near the brittle-plastic transition: fault-related folding, critical-taper wedge mechanics, detachment faulting, state of stress in crust, faulting.
GEO 541 Regional Structural Geology
John Suppe
Study of the application of stratigraphy, petrology, geophysics, and other geologic disciplines to the structural history of major world regions.
GEO 542 Principles of Structural Geology
John Suppe
Brittle and plastic behavior of rocks; mechanics of jointing, intrusion, faulting, folding, and fabric generation; measurement of finite strain in rocks; and principles of subsurface structural interpretation are studied.
GEO 543 Rock Fracture
Allan M. Rubin
Application of fracture mechanics to a wide range of geologic processes, including jointing, dike propagation, fault growth, and earthquake rupture are studied. Topics include the role of fractures in crustal deformation, solutions for cracks in elastic media, engineering fracture mechanics, numerical methods, and application to field and geodetic studies of natural examples.
GEO 544 Structural Geology Seminar
Nadine McQuarrie
Special topics of current research interest in structural geology and related disciplines.
GEO 546 Inverse Problems
Jeroen Tromp, Frederik J. Simons
The probabilistic formulation and solutions to inverse problems; dealing with prior probability and observational uncertainty; Monte Carlo methods for solving inverse problems; Metropolis algorithm; deterministic solutions (using optimization methods; least squares, least absolute values); inverse problems involving waveforms and time series. First part of the course treats descrete inverse problems with a finite set of parameters; second part deals with general inverse problems, wich may contain functions as data or unknowns.
GEO 547/AOS 547 Atmospheric Thermodynamics and Convection
Leo Donner
The thermodynamics of water-air systems, an overview of atmospheric energy sources and sinks, planetary boundary layers, closure theories for atmospheric turbulence, cumulus convection, inter-actions between cumulus convection and large-scale atmospheric flows, cloud-convection-radiation interactions and their role in the climate system, and parameterization of boundary layers and convection in atmospheric general circulation models are studied.
GEO 552 Global Seismology
Francis A. Dahlen
The use of seismic data to determine large-scale, three-dimensional earth structure and earthquake source parameters. Moment-tensor representation of sources, free oscillations, surface-wave dispersion, and seismic tomography.
GEO 553 Lithospheric Seismology
Robert A. Phinney
Seismic techniques for studying lithospheric and crustal structure; elastic wave excitation and propagation in stratified mediums, with an emphasis on propagator matrices; and modern data acquisition and processing methods for imaging subsurface structure are studied.
GEO 556 Geodynamics Seminar
Hans-Peter Bunge, William J. Morgan
Special topics of current research interest in geodynamics and related disciplines
GEO 557 Theoretical Geophysics
Francis A. Dahlen
Geophysical applications of the principles of continuum mechanics; conservation laws and consti-tutive relations and tensor analysis; acoustic, elastic, and gravity wave propagation are studied.
GEO 558 Seismology Seminar
Jeroen Tromp
A discussion and study of problems of current research interest in seismology.
GEO 559 Topics In Earth History
Adam C. Maloof
Seminar examines the history of global change on Earth. Topics include the relationship between paleogeography, sea level and climate, the character and geometry of Earth's ancient magnetic field, the evolution of Earth's spin vector, the interpretation of global sea level variability, the deconvolution of periodic and stochastic forcing in sedimentary records, and the large-scale events and processes that affected global change and the evolution of life.
GEO 568/CHM 528 Advanced Aqueous Chemistry
Satish Myneni
Course attempts to provide in-depth information on the concepts related to ion-water interactions in aqueous solutions and formation of aqueous complexes, and how these interactions influence dissolution and precipitation of minerals, their reaction kinetics, and the nature of ion interactions at particle surfaces.
GEO 570 Sedimentology
Adam C. Maloof
Treatment of the physical and chemical processes that shape Earth's surface, such as solar radiation, deformation of the solid Earth, and the flow of water (vapor, liquid, and solid) under the influence of gravity. In particular, the generation, transport, and preservation of sediment in response to these processes are studied in order to better read stories of Earth history in the geologic record and to better understand processes involved in modern and ancient environmental change. Taught in parallel with GEO 370.
GEO 577/AOS 577 Weather and Climate Dynamics
Ngar-Cheung Lau
An examination of various components of the Earth's climate system. Emphasis is placed on the role of radiative processes, climate feedbacks and sensitivity, and the nature of energy and water balances. The dynamics and physical interpretation of principal tropospheric circulation systems, including stationary and transient phenomena observed in middle and low latitudes, are studied. Phenomena of topical interest, such as El Niño, seasonal climate anomalies, and natural and anthropogenic climate changes, are also reviewed.
GEO 578/AOS 578 Chemical Oceanography
Jorge L. Sarmiento
The chemical composition of the oceans and the nature of the physical and chemical processes governing this composition in the past and the present. The cycles of major and minor oceanic constituents, including interactions with the biosphere, and at the ocean-atmosphere and ocean-sediment interfaces.
GEO 598 Extramural Summer Research Project
Bess B. Ward
Summer research project designed in conjunction with the student's advisor and an industrial, private or government sponsor that will provide practical experience relevant to the student's research area. Start no earlier than June 1. A final written report is required.