Department of Geosciences
Chair
Bess B. Ward
Associate Chair
Thomas S. Duffy
Departmental Representative
Satish C. B. Myneni
Professor
Michael L. Bender*
Thomas S. Duffy
Lincoln S. Hollister
Gerta Keller
François Morel
Tullis C. Onstott
Michael Oppenheimer, also Woodrow Wilson School*
S. George H. Philander*
Allan M. Rubin
Jorge L. Sarmiento*
Daniel M. Sigman
Jeroen Tromp, also Applied and Computational Mathematics
Bess B. Ward
Associate Professor
Satish C. B. Myneni
Assistant Professor
Adam C. Maloof
Nadine McQuarrie
Frederik J. Simons
Visiting Lecturer
Gregory E. van der Vink
Associated Faculty
Michael A. Celia, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Peter R. Jaffé, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Denise L. Mauzerall, Woodrow Wilson School
Catherine A. Peters, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe, Civil and Environmental Engineering
James A. Smith, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Eric F. Wood, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Director
Jorge L. Sarmiento
Lecturer with Rank of Professor
Stephen T. Garner
Isaac M. Held
Ngar-Cheung Lau
Venkatachalam Ramaswamy
Geoffrey K. Vallis
Lecturer
Leo Donner
Anand Gnanadesikan
Robert W. Hallberg
Larry W. Horowitz
Sonya A. Legg
Associated Faculty
Denise L. Mauzerall, Woodrow Wilson School
Stephen W. Pacala, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
*Member of Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Information and Departmental Plan of Study
The intellectual excitement of modern Earth science is fueled by our exploration of the dynamic forces and delicate balances that mold our planet and have rendered it conducive to life for much of its history. Our landscape is continually reshaped by the movement of cold continents atop the hot, viscous mantle, and our lives are shattered by the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that attend their collision. Rocks that cover the Earth’s surface sink to great depths and fundamentally transform under enormous temperatures and pressures, perhaps some day to be uplifted as mountains and exposed to future generations by the inexorable forces of erosion. The ocean and atmosphere engage in a continuous and complex dialogue that controls the Earth’s climate. Chemical reactions operating within microbes and on a variety of natural surfaces are integrated into large geochemical fluxes. These fluxes distribute the resources needed for life, and life in turn alters these fluxes. This process operates within the framework of biological evolution, in which diverse organisms appear, evolve, and vanish, sometimes leaving a transfigured world in their wake.
These forces influence our daily lives in surprising and compelling ways. Many of the great challenges to humanity, today and in the future, involve processes that are studied by Earth scientists, leading to a rapidly increasing role for the field in issues of environmental regulation and public policy. A background in the Earth sciences is an essential component of contemporary education. Practicing geoscientists study nature both in the field and in the lab, and to an ever-increasing degree, they must quantify observations with the aim not only of describing the past but of predicting the future of our planet, often with the aid of intensive computation and modeling. The diversity of processes that characterize the Earth renders the geosciences the most interdisciplinary of the natural sciences, with direct connections to mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.
Because of their inherent diversity, the Earth sciences draw students from many backgrounds; many of our most successful graduates begin their undergraduate careers in subjects ranging from physics to English. The department welcomes this intellectual variety, and our undergraduate program allows flexibility while stressing the importance of an understanding of the natural sciences. A set of informal programs of study provides basic course plans that allow students to develop a strong foundation in a given area of geosciences. These areas of focus include: geophysics, geology, geoengineering, ocean-atmosphere, environmental chemistry, and environmental policy. For full details, see the Department of Geosciences website at: http://geoweb.princeton.edu/students/programs.html.
In addition to the geosciences concentration, the department offers a certificate Program in Geological Engineering in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, which is described in the entry for the Program in Geological Engineering. There is also a geosciences concentration certificate program in the Woodrow Wilson School. The admission process for the certificate students is the same as for other potential Woodrow Wilson School concentrators. Finally, the department cooperates in the certificate programs in environmental studies, materials science and engineering, and teacher preparation, described elsewhere in this announcement.
All students considering a major in the department should see the departmental representative. They are encouraged to consult as soon as possible, even as first-year students, to aid in the design of a course of study. The department offers an open house in both the fall and spring terms to introduce prospective students to departmental courses, faculty, students, and research interests.
Prerequisites. Majors are normally required to have taken one 200-level geosciences course or geosciences freshman seminar by spring of their sophomore year. GEO 210 is intended primarily for nonscience majors and so is not the preferred path for those anticipating becoming majors, but it is an acceptable prerequisite. In addition, by graduation students are required to have taken two semesters of mathematics and three semesters of some combination of chemistry, physics, and/or biology. Students are encouraged to take as many of these courses as possible (or meet the requirement by AP equivalent) by the end of their sophomore year. Those intending to go on to graduate school in the sciences are advised to take more than this minimum basic math and science requirement.
Departmental Requirements. Majors are required to have taken eight upper-level departmental courses by graduation. A minimum of five of these must be 300-level (or higher) courses in geosciences. If the student takes more than one course among the 200-level GEO courses and freshman seminars and would like to count one of these courses toward their 300-level requirements, the student should consult with the departmental representative. To fulfill the breadth requirement, among the student’s core courses or prerequisite course, the student must take at least one freshman seminar or 200- or 300-level course in each of the two defined course categories, Environmental Geosciences (EG) and Solid Earth (SE). If a freshman seminar or 200-level course is taken to fulfill the requirement, the student must receive special permission from the departmental representative. Courses are listed under their appropriate category (EG or SE) on the geosciences website. Up to three 300-level (or higher) courses in chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, or engineering, and up to two 300-level (or higher) courses in the Woodrow Wilson School or the Program in Environmental Studies, can count toward a maximum of three nongeoscience departmentals. Students are urged to consult with the departmental representative or their junior or senior adviser before choosing departmental courses outside geosciences. In general the department is very flexible, but we like to ensure a degree of coherence in each student’s curriculum.
Junior Colloquium. This
is a weekly luncheon meeting, convened during the fall term, to acquaint
juniors with research and career opportunities.
Junior Independent Work. In both the fall and spring semesters, students write and orally present an independent report based on a research topic chosen by the student in consultation with the department and faculty adviser. In the fall semester this project often takes the form of a synthesis of library research, whereas in the spring it is expected that it will include data analysis. Many opportunities for collecting data are available, either through the student’s own efforts (including geological field work, experiments conducted in any of the several laboratories in the department, and computer simulations), or by accessing databases made available by and for the scientific community at large.
Senior Thesis. All students write a thesis and give an oral presentation on a subject chosen by the student with the advice of the department and faculty adviser.
Prizes. In recognition of the importance of independent work, the department has established awards for excellence: the Howell Junior Prize, the Buddington Senior Award, the Sampson Prize in Applied Geology, and the Sheldon Judson ’40/William E. Bonini ’48 Teaching Award. The Thom Senior Prize is awarded in geological engineering by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Field Experience. Since experience in field geology is an important aspect of professional training, students are strongly encouraged to take a summer course in field methods. Most of our students take the University of Pennsylvania’s YBRA (Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association) field course in Red Lodge, Montana, after their sophomore or junior year. Princeton has had a long and close association with this course and facilitates student enrollment (including providing financial aid). Completion of the YBRA course or a similar course offered by another college (for which departmental credit is awarded), or work with a faculty member or graduate student in the field, is nearly universally judged to be a highly rewarding experience by those who participate.
Students interested in paleobiology will find work or a field course at a marine biological station of great value. Those interested in oceanography will find shipboard experience valuable and revealing. The department tries to make available opportunities to interested undergraduates, particularly those electing oceanography, to participate in an oceanographic cruise at some time during their undergraduate years.
Information on opportunities for field experience is made available annually. The student should consult the departmental representative.
Financial Assistance.
Grants for field work in geology are available through the Tony Conway ’36
Memorial Scholarship Fund. Grants for field and museum studies and research in
natural history during the summer are available to students of high scholastic
standing from the John Boyd ’43 Memorial Fund and the Glenn L. Jepsen ’27 Fund.
Grants are available from the Erling Dorf h’33 Fund for field work and the
field course. In 1977 the Howard T. Vaum, Jr. ’78 Fund was established as a
memorial to this student in geological engineering; proceeds are used to
support students of high academic standing in a field study program. Students
wishing assistance from any of these funds should present a proposal by
February 15 to the departmental representative.
Funds are available from time to time for qualified undergraduates to serve as research assistants to faculty members during the regular academic session as well as during the summer months.
In some instances summer employment for qualified students can be arranged with governmental, commercial, or academic field parties.
Preparation for Graduate Study. Specialization in any one of the Earth sciences today requires graduate study. For students planning careers in geology, a program of basic courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics or biology should be added to the topical courses in the Earth sciences. Students interested in geochemistry, petrology, or materials science should plan to complete the prerequisites so that physical chemistry can be taken in the sophomore or junior year. Those with interests in geophysics, oceanography, or meteorology should take courses covering ordinary and partial differential equations, classical and quantum mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. More specific information on graduate education can be obtained from the departmental representative or other faculty members.
Courses
GEO 201 Earth and the Terrestrial Planets — Not offered this year ST
Geology of the solid Earth, illuminated by comparisons with Venus and Mars. Meteorites and the origin of the Earth, the role of water in Earth processes, ice ages, the origin of continents and mountain belts, geologic time, planetary interiors. A historical approach illuminates the radical changes in perspective over the last two centuries. Two 90-minute lectures, one three-hour laboratory; one-day field trip. Staff
GEO 202A, 202B Oceanography: An Introduction to the World’s Oceans — Spring ST (202B)
An interdisciplinary introduction to oceanography, including biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes. Covers topics such as origins and structure of planet Earth and its oceans; evolution of Earth and life; plate tectonics; liquid water and the hydrologic and hydrothermal cycles; salinity and elemental cycles; ocean circulation; primary production and nutrient cycles; marine ecosystems; life on the sea floor, near shore and estuarine communities; potential environmental issues for the world’s oceans. 202a: three lectures; 202b: three lectures, one three-hour laboratory. J. Sarmiento
GEO 206A, 206B History of the Earth — Fall ST (206B)
This course examines about 15 seminal events in natural history and how those events shaped the modern environment, beginning with the origin of the Universe, chemical elements, and the solar system. After studying the structure and dynamics of the Earth, we examine the origin of life, evolution of eukaryotic cells and multicellularity, the evolution of vertebrates (amphibians, dinosaurs, and mammals), and mass extinctions. The final section covers the origin of man, the ice ages, and global change. 206a: three lectures; 206b: three lectures, one three-hour laboratory. M. Bender
GEO 207 A Guided Tour of the Solar System (also AST 207) — Fall QR
Examines the major bodies of our solar system, emphasizing their surface features, internal structures, and atmospheres. Topics include the origin of the solar system, habitability of planets, and the role of impacts in planetary evolution. Terrestrial and giant planets will be studied as well as satellites, comets, and asteroids. Recent discoveries from planetary missions are emphasized. This course is aimed primarily at nonscience majors. Three lectures, one preceptorial. T. Duffy
GEO 208 Human Evolution (see ANT 206)
GEO 210A, 210B Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Other Hazards —
Spring ST (210B)
Natural hazards and the importance of public understanding of the issues related to them. Emphasis on the processes that underlie these hazards with some discussion of the policy issues involved. Principal topics: earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, landslides, impacts, limits to growth of population and its use of natural resources. 210a: three lectures; 210b: three lectures, one three-hour laboratory. A. Rubin
GEO 220A, 220B Weather and Climate — Fall ST (220B)
The motions of the ocean and atmosphere, which determine our weather and great diversity of climatic zones, are associated with numerous fascinating phenomena that include cyclones, fronts, hurricanes, the Jet Streams, the Gulf Stream, El Nino, and La Nina. The course explores the physical processes that govern these various phenomena and investigates how the global network of measurements (to which all the nations of the world contribute) is used to make daily forecasts of the weather and the state of the ocean. The global warming controversy will also be discussed. 220a: three lectures; 220b: three lectures, one three-hour laboratory. S. Philander
GEO 235 The Physical Earth (also CEE 235) — Fall ST
An introduction to geology and geological processes. Topics include the physical processes occurring within the Earth, including plate tectonics, formation of minerals and rocks, Earth structure, earthquakes, faults, and mountain building, as well as the physical processes that transform the Earth’s surface, including weathering and erosion, flooding, landslides, and the development of landscape. Recommended for students considering geosciences as a concentration. Two 90-minute lectures, one three-hour laboratory. L. Goodell
GEO 255 Life in the Universe (also AST 255, EEB 255, CHM 255) — Fall QR
Introduces students to a new field, astrobiology, where scientists trained in biology, chemistry, astronomy, and geology combine their skills to discover life’s origins and seek extraterrestrial life. Topics include: discoveries of microbes in extreme environments on Earth that raise the prospect of life on Mars and Europa, a moon of Jupiter; and extra-solar planets that offer targets for NASA telescopes searching for life. Prerequisites: at least one course in astrophysics, biology, chemistry, physics, or geology. For freshmen, an AP score of 4 or 5 in chemistry, biology, or physics is required. Two 90-minute lectures. T. Onstott, E. Turner, L. Landweber
GEO 300 Summer Course in Geologic Field Methods
Introduction to modern geologic field methods. Local and regional problems studied from base camp at Red Lodge, Montana. Five weeks during summer usually following sophomore year. Prerequisite: one year of college geology and 312, 314, or 316. Staff
GEO 305 Evolution and Catastrophes — Spring
Evolution of life and its fossil record with special emphasis on catastrophes resulting in mass extinctions. Evaluation of current theories on mass extinctions. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisite: 201, 202; or EEB 211; or instructor’s permission. Offered alternately with 308. G. Keller
GEO 308 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy — Fall ST
Examination of the nature and origin of sedimentary rocks and fossils that provide the basis for the interpretation of sedimentary environments. Focus on processes and environments involved in the origin, dispersal, deposition, and burial of sediments, and the use of fossils to determine age and stratigraphic correlation of sediments. A field work short course in Mexico during spring break introduces the students to practical applications of geological principles and provides hands-on experience. Pre- or co-requisite: one 300-level geosciences course, or instructor’s permission. Offered alternately with 305. G. Keller
GEO 312 Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology — Spring ST
An examination of the materials that compose the Earth and the processes that govern their growth and transformation. Emphasis on the crystal chemistry of the rock-forming minerals. Laboratory devoted to hand samples and modern methods of mineral analysis. Three classes, one three-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: CHM 201 or 203, or instructor’s permission. T. Onstott
GEO 314 Igneous and Metamorphic Geology — Fall ST
Interpretation of Earth history based on the rock record. Two 90-minute lectures, one three-hour laboratory. Several one-day field trips and an eight-day trip during fall break. Prerequisite: one course in geosciences (or geosciences freshman seminar). L. Hollister
GEO 316 Structural Geology and Tectonics — Spring ST
The nature and origin of the deformed rocks composing the crust of Earth considered at scales ranging from atomic to continental. Tectonics and regional geology of North America. Three lectures, one three-hour laboratory, and two one-day and one three-day field trips in the Appalachians. Prerequisite: 235 or instructor’s permission. N. McQuarrie
GEO 320 Introductory Geophysics — Fall
Introduction to geophysical methods and interpretation of geophysical anomalies in exploration of continents and oceans. Topics include gravity, magnetism, heat flow, and some seismology; with a computer-lab problem on each of these topics. Two 90-minute lectures, one class. Offered alternately with 422. F. Simons
GEO 322 Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change (also ENV 322) — Spring
An examination of the natural cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and other biologically active elements. Major themes include the physical processes and biological requirements that underlie biogeochemical cycles on Earth; the biogeochemistry of land-based, freshwater, and marine environments, and their integration into global cycles; changes in these cycles over Earth history and their recent alteration by human activities. Prerequisite: CHM 201 and 202 and MAT 101 and 102, or instructor’s permission. Three one-hour classes. D. Sigman
GEO 331 Introduction to Environmental Geochemistry: Chemistry of the Natural Systems (also CHM 331, ENV 331) — Fall
Covers topics including origin of elements; formation of the Earth; evolution of the atmosphere and oceans; atomic theory and chemical bonding; crystal chemistry and ionic substitution in crystals; reaction equilibria and kinetics in aqueous and biological systems; chemistry of high-temperature melts and crystallization process; and chemistry of the atmosphere, soil, marine, and riverine environments. The biogeochemistry of contaminants and their influence on the environment will also be discussed. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisite: one term of college chemistry or instructor’s permission. S. Myneni
GEO 336 Environmental Isotope Geochemistry (also CEE 336) — Spring
Fundamentals of isotope geochemistry and environmental aspects related to groundwater, surface water, soils, and precipitation. Emphasis on naturally and artificially produced radioactive tracers to monitor groundwater flow, sediment and groundwater age determinations, application of stable isotopes to characterization of biogenic and industrial processes, and origin and tracing of pollutants. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisites: one year of college chemistry, or instructor’s permission. Offered alternate years. T. Onstott
GEO 339 Climate Change: Scientific Basis, Policy Implications (also ENV 339, WWS 335) — Spring
An exploration of the causes and potential consequences of human-induced climate change, and their implications for policy responses. By studying the climate system and how it is influenced by human perturbation, we will develop themes that should constrain public policy, including time-scales of change, irreversibility, lags, limits, uncertainty, and surprise. Prerequisites: MAT 101–102 and either CHM 201–202 or PHY 101–102; or permission of instructor. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial. Offered alternate years. M. Oppenheimer
GEO 371 Groundwater Hydrology (see CEE 305)
GEO 399 Environmental Decision Making (also ENV 399) — Fall
Use of scientific arguments in concert with engineering, economic, political, and social considerations to develop environmental policies. Class format consists of exercises based on actual case studies related to natural hazards, environmental regulations, arms control negotiations, national security assessments, international agreements, waste disposal, and conservation practices. One three-hour seminar. G. van der Vink
GEO 416 Evolution of the Continents — Spring
Geology and geophysics as they relate to the origin and evolution of the continental crust. Prerequisite: one year of geology. One three-hour seminar; one seven-day field trip during spring break. Offered alternately with 308. L. Hollister
GEO 417 Environmental Microbiology (also CEE 417, EEB 419) — Spring
The study of microbial biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. Beginning with the physical/chemical characteristics and constraints of microbial metabolism, we will investigate the role of bacteria in elemental cycles, in soil, sediment, and marine and freshwater communities, in bioremediation and chemical transformations. Prerequisites: One 300-level course in chemistry or biology, or instructor’s permission. Two 90-minute classes. B. Ward
GEO 418 Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry (also CHM 418) — Fall
Application of quantitative chemical principles to the study of natural waters. Includes equilibrium computations, weathering and diagenetic processes, precipitation of chemical sediments, and pollution of natural waters. Two lectures. Prerequisite: one year of college chemistry. Previous or concurrent enrollment in CHM 306 recommended. Offered alternate years. F. Morel
GEO 419 The Earth as a Physical System (also PHY 419) — Spring
The Earth is a physical system whose past and present state can be studied within the framework of physics and chemistry. Topics include current concepts of geophysics and the physics and chemistry of Earth materials; origin and evolution of the Earth; and nature of dynamic processes in its interior. One emphasis is to relate geologic processes on a macroscopic scale to the fundamental materials properties of minerals and rocks. Three lectures. Prerequisites: one year of college-level chemistry or physics (preferably both) and calculus. Offered alternately with 424. T. Duffy
GEO 420, 421 Topics in Earth Science
These courses cover one or more advanced topics in modern Earth science. They are offered only when there is an opportunity to present material not included in the established curriculum; the subjects vary from year to year. Three classes or a three-hour seminar. S. Philander (420); L. Hollister (421)
GEO 424 Introductory Seismology and Oil Exploration (also CEE 424) — Fall
Fundamentals of seismology and seismic wave propagation. Introduction to acoustic and elastic wave propagation concepts, observational methods, and inferences that can be drawn from seismic data about the deep planetary structure of the Earth, as well as about the occurrence of oil and gas deposits in the crust. Offered every other year. Prerequisites: PHY 104 and MAE 305 (can be taken concurrently), or permission of the instructor. Two 90-minute classes. Staff
GEO 425 Introduction to Physical Oceanography (also MAE 425) — Fall
The study of the oceans as a major influence on the atmosphere and the world environment. Ocean circulation and the oceans’ properties. The Coriolis-dominated equations of motion, the thermocline, wind-driven and thermohaline-driven circulation, and oceanic tracers. Three lectures. Prerequisite: MAT 201 or equivalent. A. Gnanadesikan
GEO 427 Introduction to Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres — Fall
Atmospheric composition and thermodynamics including effects of water. Simple radiative transfer. Elementary circulation models. Phenomenological description of atmospheric motions. Structure of the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Chemistry of ozone. Comparison with atmospheres on other planets. Three lectures. Prerequisite: PHY 104, MAT 201, or equivalent. S. Philander
GEO 428 Biological Oceanography — Spring
Fundamentals of biological oceanography, with an emphasis on the ecosystem level. The course will examine organisms in the context of their chemical and physical environment; properties of seawater and atmosphere that affect life in the ocean; primary production and marine food webs; and global cycles of carbon and other elements. Students will read the current and classic literature of oceanography. Prerequisites: college-level chemistry, biology, and physics. Two 90-minute classes. B. Ward
GEO 470 Environmental Chemistry of Soils (also CHM 470) — Spring
Focuses on the inorganic and organic constituents of aqueous, solid, and gaseous phases of soils, and fundamental chemical principles and processes governing the reactions between different constituents. The role of soil chemical processes in the major and trace element cycles, and the biogeochemical transformation of different soil contaminants will be discussed in the later parts of the course. Prerequisites: 331, or any other basic chemistry course. Two 90-minute lectures. S. Myneni
GEO 471 Introduction to Water Pollution Technology (see CEE 471)
GEO 499 Investigating Natural Hazards — Fall
Evaluates our vulnerability to natural hazards and the
future humanitarian, economic, and political impact of such events given
changes in sea level, climate variations, and demographic trends. Students work
in teams to assess risk and to develop economically realistic and
scientifically sound policy recommendations. The results will be published
and/or presented to policymakers. One three-hour seminar. G. van der Vink
Many departmental graduate courses such as those listed below are available to the undergraduate major.
500 Field Geology
501 Physics and Chemistry of Minerals and Materials
515 Metamorphic Petrology
518 Petrology Seminar
541 Regional Structural Geology
543 Rock Fracture