Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation from Dickinson, Geosciences majors will be able to:
- apply the scientific method to investigate questions, analyze data, and draw evidence-based conclusions about the Earth system;
- assess and communicate the sources and magnitudes of uncertainties inherent in geoscientific data and interpretations;
- demonstrate the spatial reasoning skills necessary to visualize, analyze, and interpret Earth- related data and processes;
- apply deep time perspectives to address contemporary geological and environmental issues and describe how past geological events and processes can inform predictions about future Earth dynamics and the long-term sustainability of human societies.
Major
12 courses plus an integrative learning experience
GEOS 151 (Foundations of Earth Sciences)
Four of the following core courses:
- GEOS 302 (Structural Geology)
- GEOS 305 (Earth Materials)
- GEOS 309 (Sedimentology and Stratigraphy)
- GEOS 331 (Geochemistry)
- A 300-level geophysics course (GEOS 333: Environmental Geophysics or GEOS 335: Global Geophysics and Tectonics)
Seven electives:
- At least four electives must be GEOS courses, although all seven elective courses may be taken in the department if a student wishes. Any GEOS course above the 100- level can count as an elective. However, a class cannot double count as both a core class and elective. Students may count either GEOS 141 or GEOS 142 (but not both) as an elective if taken prior to or concurrently with GEOS 151.
- Up to three electives may come from a course in an allied field. Any electives taken outside the department should provide foundational knowledge in disciplines that will enhance a student’s geoscience education. Courses that may count as in elective include: The following 100-level courses:
o The following 100-level courses: CHEM 131, CHEM 132, CHEM 141,
PHYS 131, PHYS 141, MATH 121, MATH 170, MATH 171, BIOL
131, BIOL 132, COMP 130, COMP 132, COMP/DATA 180
o Any Math, Chemistry, Physics, or Biology course above the 100-level
o ENST 250, 335, 345, 350, 355
o ARCH 260
o Students may petition the department to include course(s) not
listed here if those course(s) advance skills or knowledge applicable
to the geosciences. Students are encouraged to petition before taking
a class to ensure it will count.
An Integrative Learning Experience:
All majors must participate in a sustained integrative learning experience as part of their undergraduate program. Through this requirement, students apply geoscience-based skills and knowledge to solve problems in novel, complex settings. The following options can fulfill this requirement:
- Senior thesis. A senior thesis consists of an approved independent research project (550) or a student/faculty collaborative research project (560) for geosciences credit (1 credit). Students undertaking a senior thesis will take 0.5 credits of GEOS 550 or 560 in the spring semester of their junior year as they conduct background research, formulate a research hypothesis or question, and their draft a project proposal. During the fall semester of their senior year, students will register for another 0.5 credits of GEOS 550 or 560 and complete their data collection, analysis, and the writing of thesis. If students wish to continue into the spring semester of the senior year, they will be permitted to register for an additional 0.5 or 1.0 credit of research. All thesis students are expected to present their results at a departmental seminar as well as at Dickinson’s annual science symposium in the Spring of their senior year.
- An approved on-campus or off-campus geosciences research experience during the summer lasting 6-8 weeks. All students exercising this option must complete the Research Experience Program (REXP) alongside the approved summer research experience. All students must present the results of their research at a departmental seminar and at Dickinson’s annual science symposium.
- An approved internship experience. Students completing internships must complete the Internship Notation Program (INP) alongside the approved internship experience. In general, students choosing this option are encouraged to complete their internships during the summer between their junior and senior years or during their senior year. If the student chooses to pursue an internship during the academic year, they should enroll in the fall or spring INP.
- An approved field camp. Students are encouraged to enroll in field camp during the summer between their junior or senior year. The credit will transfer to Dickinson as GEOS 491.
Students wishing to utilize options 2-4 to complete this requirement must receive the department’s approval by the end of the Spring semester, prior the summer in which the experience will occur.
Minor
Six courses including 151.
Independent study and independent research
Many of our students pursue independent or student-faculty research projects during the course of their GEOS major. Although the majority of research projects are completed as capstone experiences, there are often opportunities and funding for students to engage in research activities as early as their sophomore year. Interested students should contact departmental faculty to find out what kind of research opportunities are available. Students involved in research often present their work at local, national, and international conferences.
Honors
Students completing a senior thesis may considered for departmental honors if their thesis demonstrates superior quality of work. Your advisor can nominate your thesis for Honors consideration at the end of the fall semester of your senior year based on your thesis project. To be considered for Honors, you must have a cumulative GPA across the College of 3.5. Only students doing independent or student faculty research for the capstone can be considered for Honors (i.e., either GEOS 550 or 560). Honors will be awarded by vote of department faculty after a thesis defense.
Internships
Internships are a popular way for GEOS majors to fulfill their capstone requirement and are highly encouraged by the department. GEOS majors have interned at state and federal agencies, environmental consulting companies, and more. Students interested in pursuing internships at any stage of their degree can reach out to departmental faculty for assistance in finding appropriate internships. Students wishing to use an internship for fulfill their capstone requirement must have the internship approved by the department and follow the department guidelines for receiving credit.
Opportunities for off-campus study
To be an effective Geoscientist, it benefits you to have seen as much of the planet as possible. This helps you appreciate the atmospheric, hydrospheric, biospheric, and geospheric diversity of our planet. With proper advance planning and declaring your major early, you can take some interesting courses abroad and see more of the !
Courses
141 Earth's Hazards
This course examines natural processes such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mass wasting events, and floods that have the potential to produce disastrous consequences for humans. All of these processes result from interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere directly or indirectly, which is the realm of earth sciences. Increasing global populations and increasingly interdependent national economies mean that few disasters are now only 鈥榣ocal鈥�. This course will use examples such as case studies of recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to examine how natural processes can be hazardous, and whether or not humans can anticipate and mitigate these kinds of hazards to prevent future disasters. Laboratory work will include analog experiments, field trips, and video analysis of historic disasters.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, Appropriate for First-Year, Can't be taken pass/fail, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Lab Sciences, Sustainability Investigations
142 Earth's Changing Climate
An overview of our understanding of climate processes and their interaction with the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere based on studies of ancient climates, which inform our understanding of climate change now and into the future. Topics include drivers of climate change at different time scales, evidence for climate change, and major climate events such as ice ages. Emphasis will be placed on the last 1 million years of earth history as a prelude to discussing potential anthropogenic impacts on the climate. Case studies of major climate 鈥減layers鈥� such as the US and China will be contrasted with those most vulnerable, Africa and SE Asia to determine mitigation and adaptation strategies. The lab component will use historic climate data, field experiences, and climate modeling to interpret climate change processes.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, Appropriate for First-Year, Can't be taken pass/fail, ENST Foundations (ESFN), INST Sustain & Global Environ, Lab Sciences, Quantitative Reasoning, Sustainability Investigations
151 Foundations of Earth Sciences
How do mountains and oceans form? Why do the positions of continents shift? Can rocks bend or flow? What is the history of life on our planet? This course explores the materials that make up the Earth and the processes that shape it, both at and below the surface. Students will take field trips around the Carlisle area as well as complete analytical and computer laboratory activities in order to acquire basic field, laboratory, and computer modelling skills.
This course serves as a gateway to the Earth Sciences major, but is also appropriate for non-majors. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Lab Sciences, Sustainability Connections
201 Surface Processes
Description, origin, development, and classification of landforms. Relationships of soils, surficial materials, and landforms to rocks, structures, climate, processes, and time. Topics will include interpretation of maps and aerial photographs of landscapes produced in tectonic, volcanic, fluvial, glacial, periglacial, coastal, karst, and eolian environments. Exercises will include: photo-geologic interpretation, surficial mapping, and classification of soils. Lectures, discussions, laboratories, and field trip(s).
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisite: 141, 142, or 151 or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Writing in the Discipline
202 Energy Resources
The study of the origin, geologic occurrence, and distribution of petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium. Discussions include the evaluation and exploitation, economics, law, and the environmental impact of these resources and their alternatives, including geothermal, wind, solar, tidal, and ocean thermal power.
Prerequisites: One introductory lab science or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
Attributes: ENST Applications (ESAP), INST Sustain & Global Environ, Sustainability Connections
203 Treetop to Bedrock: An Introduction to the Critical Zone
The critical zone (CZ) is the thin life-sustaining veneer of planet Earth that extends from treetop to bedrock. The CZ is continually evolving as rock, water, atmosphere, soil, and biota interact to support terrestrial life. CZ processes and functions are crucial to a sustainable future as the CZ provides essential services such as food production and water storage. Thus, CZ science is becoming increasingly relevant as climate and land use stress terrestrial life at the surface.
In this course students will examine the CZ as a complex system and describe the system services it provides. The transdisciplinary and global nature of CZ science is emphasized alongside the varying temporal and spatial scales required for understanding the CZ. Material in this course will be organized topically and include the following: water transfer through the CZ; landscape evolution and CZ architecture; biogeochemical cycling; land-atmosphere exchange; and humans in the CZ. This course relies heavily on scientific literature to explore the state of the science and outstanding questions in the CZ. Hands-on activities include field trips and data activities from critical zone programs.
Attributes: Sustainability Connections
204 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems with Field Applications
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technology for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data and geographically-referenced information. Using exclusively open-source software, this course provides a foundation of theoretical and applied skills in GIS technology with an emphasis on applications commonly employed in the field-based sciences. Students will learn to develop and use protocols for collecting spatially representative data in outdoor settings and then learn techniques for the manipulation, analysis, output and presentation of those data. The course will culminate in a final, independent project in which the students design and prepare a GIS analysis application of their own choosing.
Three hours of classroom and three hours of laboratory per week. No prior GIS experience is needed.
Attributes: Quantitative Reasoning
205 Introduction to Soil Science
This course focuses on giving students a basic understanding of soil formation processes and field/laboratory characterization of soils. Emphasis in the first part of the course will be on soil formation processes, while the second part of the course will focus on students conducting experiments relevant to soil formation. Weather permitting most labs will have an out-of-doors component. This course is an elective for the Earth Sciences major, and will be useful to students interested in the food studies certificate program, agricultural science, archeology, environmental science, forensic science, planetary science, and solid state chemistry and physics.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisie: one introductory lab science or permission of instructor.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Food Studies Elective
218 Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technology for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data and geographically-referenced information. It is used in a wide variety of fields including archaeology, agriculture, business, defense and intelligence, education, government, health care, natural resource management, public safety, transportation, and utility management. This course provides a fundamental foundation of theoretical and applied skills in GIS technology that will enable students to investigate and make reasoned decisions regarding spatial issues. Utilizing GIS software applications from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), students work on a progression of tasks and assignments focused on GIS data collection, manipulation, analysis, output, and presentation. The course will culminate in a final, independent project in which the students design and prepare a GIS analysis application of their own choosing.
Three hours per week. This course is cross-listed as ARCH 218, ENST 218 and GISP 218.
Attributes: ARCH Area A Elective, ARCH Area B Elective, Biology Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Quantitative Reasoning, Sustainability Connections
221 Oceanography
An interdisciplinary introduction to the marine environment, including the chemistry of seawater, the physics of currents, water masses and waves, the geology of ocean basins, marine sediments and coastal features, and the biology of marine ecosystems. Topics include the theory of plate tectonics as an explanation for ocean basins, mid-ocean ridges, trenches, and island arcs. The interaction of man as exploiter and polluter in the marine environment is also considered.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: One introductory lab science or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN), Sustainability Connections
250 Introduction to Arctic Studies
This course is designed to give a broad introduction to the physical/social geography, geology and ecology of the Arctic region of earth particularly through the lens of global climate change. Students will use a variety of media (lectures, readings, videos, blogs) to build knowledge about this critical region of earth to serve as a basis for individual and group projects on a specific Arctic region (e.g., Siberia, Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, Nunavut, Alaska) and topic (e.g., climate change, Arctic tourism, Arctic flora/fauna species, Arctic archeology, Arctic exploration). Learning goals include: i) exposure to spatial analysis and Geographic Information Systems, ii) foundational knowledge of the Arctic cryosphere and its response to climate change, geological history, human geography and ecological systems, and iii) mastery of Arctic geography. Course meetings will include student presentations, fieldtrips and basic GIS instruction.
Attributes: ENST Applications (ESAP), INST Sustain & Global Environ, Sustainability Connections
302 Structural Geology
The description and analysis of intermediate-to large-scale rock structures. Topics include the analysis and graphical representation of stress and strain in rocks, deformation mechanisms and fabric development, the geometry and mechanics of folding and faulting, and structures related to intrusive bodies. Geologic map interpretation and cross-section construction are used to analyze the structural geology of selected regions.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week; field trip(s). Prerequisite: 151 or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
305 Earth Materials
This gives students a basic understanding of the tools and techniques used in modern science to identify and characterize solid earth materials at the macroscopic (hand samples), microscopic (polarized light), and sub-microscopic (X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy) levels. Emphasis in the first part of the course will be on minerals, while the second part of the course will introduce students to characterization techniques of other solid earth materials (soils and rocks) and their conditions of formation. This course is required for the Earth Sciences major, and will be useful to students interested in agricultural science, archeology, environmental science, forensic science, planetary science, and solid state chemistry and physics.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisites: 151 or permission of instructor. Completion of both 305 and 309 fulfills the WID graduation requirement. Offered every other year.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Sustainability Connections
307 Paleontology
A systematic study of the invertebrate and vertebrate fossil groups, plants, and their evolution and relationships to living forms.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisite: 141, 142, or 151 or any 100-level BIOL course. This course is cross-listed as BIOL 401.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, Biology Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Sustainability Connections
309 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
A study of the processes and patterns of sedimentation as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of rock strata. This includes the origin, transportation, deposition, lithification, and diagenesis of sediments. Lithology, geochemistry, paleontology, geochronology, and seismology will be used to understand the history of rock strata.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisite: 151 or permission of instructor. Completion of both 305 and 309 fulfills the WID graduation requirement. Offered every other year.
Attributes: ARCH Area A Elective, ARCH Area B Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Sustainability Connections
310 Special Topics in Earth Sciences
Lecture/Lab course on special topics which vary depending on faculty and student interest and need.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisite: dependent upon topic.
311 Special Topics in Earth Sciences
Seminar in special topics which vary depending on faculty and student interest and need. Three hours of classroom a week.
Prerequisite: Dependent upon topic or permission of instructor.
318 Advanced Applications in GIS
The course is intended as a continuation of the introductory course on Geographic Information Systems, 218, and will concentrate on more advanced discussions and techniques related to spatial analysis and GIS project design. The main focus of the course will be on using higher-level GIS methods to investigate and analyze spatial problems of varying complexity; however, the specific project and topical applications will vary depending on student interests. Students will be required to develop and complete an individual spatial analysis project that incorporates advanced GIS techniques.
Prerequisite: 218 or ENST 218 or ARCH 218 or GISP 218 or equivalent GIS experience. Three hours classroom per week. This course is cross-listed as ARCH 318, ENST 318 and GISP 318. Offered every two years.
Attributes: Biology Elective, ENST Applications (ESAP), Quantitative Econ Elective, Sustainability Connections
321 Isotope Geochemistry
Major analytical advancements in the past two decades have revolutionized the field of isotope geochemistry and made isotopic measurements more widely available than ever before. This course will introduce students to both stable and radiogenic isotope systems and help them develop a quantitative understanding of both radioactive decay and isotopic fractionation. With the knowledge of how isotopic variations arise in nature, we will survey the use of isotopic tracers and chronometers in a variety of disciplines including: the earth and environmental sciences, archaeology, and biology. We will also examine some emerging applications of isotopic tools such as their role in tracing the trade of illegal drugs, identifying the origins of deceased migrants in border regions, revealing food sources and adulteration, and biomedicine.
Prerequisite: One CHEM course or permission of instructor.
322 Archaeological Geology
This course will explore archaeological questions and problems from the perspective of the Earth Sciences. In particular, the course will focus on the use of geological and geochemical methods for establishing the age of archaeological sites, reconstructing past environments, tracing human migration and movements, and evaluating the geological provenance of artifacts. Students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various methods and discuss them in the context of past and current debates within the field of archaeology. Previous coursework in earth sciences, chemistry, or archaeology is beneficial.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective
331 Geochemistry
An introduction to the origin, distribution, and behavior of elements in the geochemical cycles and processes of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Topics include the chemistry of magma, hydrothermal fluids, weathering, fresh and ocean waters, sediment digenesis, hydrocarbons, and metamorphism. Includes radiometric dating and stable isotope applications. Lab will focus on sampling, instrumental analysis, and data interpretation of earth materials.
Prerequisites: 151 and CHEM 131 or 141, or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
Attributes: ENST Foundations (ESFN)
333 Environmental Geophysics
Geophysics combines geological knowledge with fundamental principles from physics, mathematics, and computer science to indirectly image and elucidate Earth鈥檚 subsurface structure. This course focuses on understanding geophysical methods commonly applied to Earth鈥檚 shallow subsurface (less than 200 m) to solve environmental, geological, archaeological, and civil engineering problems. This course will include physical theory, field methodology (e.g., survey design and data collection), data analysis and interpretation. Course topics include refraction and reflection seismology, ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity and conductivity, magnetism and magnetic surveying, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gravity. This course will involve collecting and integrating datasets from multiple geophysical surveys and culminate in a final project. Lectures, discussions, laboratories, and field trips.
Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisite: 151.
Attributes: ARCH Area B Elective, ENST Foundations (ESFN), Sustainability Connections
335 Global Geophysics and Tectonics
How and why do earthquakes happen? Why does Earth鈥檚 magnetic field flip? How do we know there are magma reservoirs under mid ocean ridges? How have Earth鈥檚 tectonic plates moved in the past? Do mantle plumes really exist? Some of the answers to these questions can be found in the diverse field of geophysics. This course will address these and many other questions about our dynamic Earth. This course aims to teach fundamental physics underpinning the behavior of planet Earth. The application of physics to study plate tectonics is especially emphasized and includes observations from seismology, gravity, magnetism, isostasy, and heat flow. The course will also include units on Earth鈥檚 deep interior covering mantle convection, mantle plumes, and the geodynamo. Topics will be investigated from a mathematical perspective as well as more descriptive methods. Students will gain and/or enhance skills in manipulating and solving equations, interpreting geophysical data, presenting data, and scientific reasoning. The course will culminate in a semester project integrating and applying new geophysical knowledge to a case study plate boundary.
Prerequisite: 151.
491 Senior Field Camp
An advanced course in geological field methods. In a typical field camp experience students make maps in stratified and crystalline terranes, with rocks in varying degrees of deformation. Note: GEOS 491 is not regularly offered by 红杏直播app. Students wishing to complete the capstone experience requirement with a field camp experience should plan to complete an approved summer field course offered by another collegiate institution.
For Senior GEOS majors.