Spacecraft observations have revealed a breathtaking diversity of geologic features in the solar system, such as the giant impact basins on Mars, towering thrust fault scarps on Mercury, coronae structures on Venus, and active volcanoes on Io and Enceladus. From a comparative perspective, this course examines the physical processes that drive the evolution of the planets and small bodies in the solar system. Topics include: planetary shape and internal structure, mechanisms of topographic support, tectonics, impacts, volcanism, and tides. Some class sessions are reserved for seminar-style discussions of journal articles. Students will produce a final project that involves researching a topic of their choosing.

Geologic processes both rapid (earthquakes and landslides) and slow (mountain building and sea level rise) are intimately linked with sustaining the diversity of life on the planet. This course examines processes linked with the flow of energy and mass between the atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Laboratory exercises, and field work provide authentic experiences to develop the skills needed to observe and model processes shaping our environment. Problem solving during class time fosters critical thinking and classroom debates between larger teams focus on research and communications skills by examining current issues in geosciences such as building and removing dams, and the science surrounding global climate change.

Problems in environmental, health, and sustainability sciences are inherently transdisciplinary and require a diverse skill set to frame, analyze, and solve. This course will focus on developing a toolbox of skills including systems level thinking, field and analytical methods, biogeochemical analysis (natural waters, soils, and other environmental materials), and modeling with a goal of building a science-based foundation for the analysis of complex issues at the interface between humans and the environment. Students will conduct semester-long research projects and will present their results in a final poster session.

Predictions for Earth's future climate require both an understanding of the fundamental processes that control climate today and knowledge of how Earth's climate behaved over the past 4.5 billion years. In this course we will discuss the processes that control the Earth's climate, such as the Earth's energy balance, and will explore the tools and archives available to scientists for studying past climate conditions, e.g., atmospheric CO2 levels, ocean productivity, temperature, and ice-sheet volume. We will then march through time, starting with Earth's early climate and ending with projections for future climate scenarios. This course will consist of class activities, discussions, problem sets, and a possible optional field trip.

The Earth is a dynamic planet where change is driven by processes that operate within its interior and on its surface. In this course we study these processes as well as interactions between the solid earth, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere that together produce the environment we live in and influence our daily lives. Topics covered include the origin and history of the Earth, plate tectonics, deep time, the materials that make up the solid earth, the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes, hydrology, landscape evolution, and global climate. Hands-on work in class and laboratory sessions, along with project work, and local field trips, provide opportunities to develop deeper learning of key concepts and to hone observational and analytical skills.

The geologic record, covering 4.6 billion years, provides us with a long-term perspective of the Earth system and how it operates over time scales much longer than human history. Using Wellesley’s extensive rock and fossil collection, geologic data sets and journal articles, we will reconstruct and interpret Earth's eventful past, including periods of mountain building, dramatic climate changes, and the evolution and extinction of life on our planet. This class should give students an understanding about deep time and that we live on an ever changing planet. The lab component of this class will be entirely in the field where we will visit key geologic outcrops that represent a large part of Earth history. During three weekends throughout the semester (one half day, one full day and one 1.5-day trip) we will explore the regional geology in New England and Upstate New York. The majority of the field work will take place during a 5-day field trip in mid-May. This class is required for the Geoscience major.

The geologic record, covering 4.6 billion years, provides us with a long-term perspective of the Earth system and how it operates over time scales much longer than human history. Using Wellesley’s extensive rock and fossil collection, geologic data sets and journal articles, we will reconstruct and interpret Earth's eventful past, including periods of mountain building, dramatic climate changes, and the evolution and extinction of life on our planet. This class should give students an understanding about deep time and that we live on an ever changing planet. This version of GEOS 200 does not include a field trip to the southwestern United States in mid-May. GEOS 200 (or GEOS 200X) is a major requirement.

This course provides those interested in any aspect of the Earth Sciences with the base necessary to understand the physical and chemical properties of Earth Materials (e.g. minerals and rocks). The primary focus of this course is to understand the concept of optical and chemical mineralogy in the broad context of the geosciences, and explore how the tools of chemical thermodynamics can be used to explore the Earth System." 

Our primary tools will be field and hand sample observations, petrographic analysis of rocks and minerals in thin section, and x-ray and electron beam based analytical techniques.

The Earth is an ocean planet. Covering 71 percent of the Earth's surface and holding 97 percent of the Earth's water, the oceans are perhaps our planet's most distinctive feature. This course will address fundamental questions about the oceans such as, why do we have oceans and ocean basins? Why do we have ocean currents? How have the interactions among physical, chemical, and biological processes produced the ocean we have today? Why should we strive to learn more about the oceans, and what are the links between the oceans and Earth's climate? In-class exercises, case studies, and data analysis will emphasize fundamental oceanographic processes and problem solving skills. A mandatory field trip to the coast will allow students to explore coastal processes in action.

The Earth's surface is constantly changing and is controlled by the interaction of topography and climate. In this class we will investigate the major landforms that can be found on Earth's surface, the processes that have shaped them, the delicate balance between landform and process, and the rates of geomorphic change. Among other processes, we will explore glacial activity, coastal processes, landslides, and stream flow. Topographic maps, surveying equipment, and geographic information systems (GIS) will be used to analyze and interpret geomorphic features. A variety of landforms will be studied during outdoor lab exercises and two one-day weekend field trips.

Sediments and sedimentary rocks cover most of the Earth's present surface. Sedimentology encompasses the study of the origin, transport, deposition, and lithification of sedimentary rocks and is critical to accurate interpretation of the geologic rock record. Observations of modern sedimentary processes illuminate past environments; sedimentary strata record evidence of mountain building and seismic activity, glacial advances and paleoclimate cycles, and preserve the fossil record. Natural resources including groundwater, coal, and petroleum are found in sedimentary rocks. Society is impacted by sedimentary processes in popular human habitats including coastlines and flood plains. Readings and discussions build students' familiarity with topics such as sediment transport, stratigraphy, and modern and ancient depositional environments. A semester-long project, laboratory exercises, and mandatory field trips emphasize field methods, rock identification, and data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

This course introduces geochemical approaches, including mass balance, residence time, isotope fractionation, and thermodynamic and kinetic modeling necessary to track the flow of materials in key earth surface reservoirs including water, soil, and plants. This geochemical toolbox will then be used to analyze complex earth systems including the linkages between tectonics and climate change and the fingerprinting of anthropogenic pollutants in the built environment.

Recent earthquakes and tsunamis dramatically highlight the vulnerability of human populations and infrastructure to seismic hazards. Only a thorough understanding of the frequency and size of such events will enable local communities to prepare for future disasters. The rapidly evolving field of paleoseismology tries to answer such questions as: Where do earthquakes occur? How large might they be? How frequent are they? In this seminar-style class we will discuss primary literature to examine earthquake-induced deformation in various geologic archives and under different stress regimes. Through exercises and a research project students will learn techniques to assess the seismic hazard and to prepare threatened communities. This class includes a visit to the Weston Observatory and one weekend fieldtrip to examine evidence of the 1727 Newbury, MA earthquake.

The metamorphic and igneous rocks that underlie much of New England record a complicated history of mountain building, subduction, and failed rifting dating back to at least 1.2 Ga. This course will explore this history from the earliest orogeny to the assembly and destruction of Pangea. To guide our exploration, we’ll focus on three key questions:

1. How and why do igneous and metamorphic rocks form, and how are these processes related to plate tectonics?
2. How can we use the geochemistry and structural geology of igneous and metamorphic rocks to reconstruct past tectonic events?
3. How are stable cratons formed and why do they remain stable?

There will be one weekend day trip and one overnight weekend trip.

This course is an overview of the relationship between plate tectonics and rock deformation. Students will explore and discover the descriptive, kinematic and dynamic analysis of deformed rocks along with the theoretical treatment of stress and strain, rock rheology and other factors that control deformation. Classroom learning will be supplemented by mandatory field trips that emphasize fundamental field methods, such as measuring and mapping rock units and geologic structures.

This seminar-style course will use the primary literature to study state-of-the-art techniques in isotope geochemistry. Radiogenic, cosmogenic, and stable isotope systematics will be explored with applications ranging from geochronology, tectonics, fate and transport of pollutants, and the use of isotopes to trace biogeochemical processes. Each student will have the opportunity to lead a seminar on a topic related to their NSF styled research proposal which is the main course deliverable.