Geology Minor

Systematic exploration of planet Earth, including processes that have shaped it over geologic time and continue today. Topics include plate tectonics, mountain building, and rock cycles; origins and distribution of energy, mineral and soil resources; geologic hazards including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and coastal storms.

Rocks, minerals, fossils and geologic history of Texas; the state’s stratigraphic sequence, structural geology and mineral resources; field trips.

Environmental geology is applied geology and focuses on applying geologic information to solve conflicts in land use, to minimize environmental degradation, and to maximize the beneficial results of using natural and modified environments. The application of geology to these problems includes the study of the following five subjects: 1) earth materials; 2) natural hazards; 3) land for site selection, land-use planning; 4) hydrologic processes; and 5) geologic processes.

Use scientific methods and models to understand the causes of earthquakes and volcanoes, their effects on communities, and our best practices for mitigating these hazards. Evaluate the scientific, economic, and ethical viewpoints that inform personal and societal preparedness, response, and mitigation using examples from recent and historic earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Examines interactions between organisms and the physical environment as an integrated system and the factors that regulate the quantity and flow of materials and energy through ecosystems. Covers the history and use of the ecosystem concept, factors governing the distribution and structure of ecosystems, relationships between ecosystem structure and function, and the influence of natural and human processes on ecosystem dynamics.

Topics include stratigraphy, sedimentology, plant and animal fossils, geologic time, continental drift, tectonics, former seas and past environments. Emphasis on geologic history of North America. Field trips.