The relationship between people and their physical geological environment. Topics include geologic hazards, hydrology and human health, mineral and energy resources, and land use planning. Primarily for non-science majors; not for geology or earth science majors. Lectures and field trips. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Physical Sciences. Offered every semester.
Winter 2026 - Online Spring/Summer 2026 - Online
Scientific investigation of the oceans and interactions among ocean, atmosphere, and lithosphere. Introduction to the chemistry of seawater, physics of water movement, coastal processes, geological oceanography, changes in the oceanic system through geologic time, and the role of oceans in earth's geologic evolution. Lectures and field trips. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Physical Sciences. Offered every semester.
Winter 2026 - Online
Introduction to earth science using the Great Lakes as a theme and Lake Michigan as a natural laboratory. Review of the lakes' geologic setting, origin, and history; climatology and lake levels; physical processes including erosion; water chemistry as a function of geology; human interactions with the lakes. Lectures and field trips. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Physical Sciences. Offered every semester.
Introduction to climate system science. Topics include energy, atmospheric dynamics/chemistry, albedo, glaciations, carbon cycling, ocean/atmosphere interaction, radiative forcings, solar cycles, orbital parameters, sea-level rise, paleoclimates, geochemical climate proxies, and anthropogenic climate change. Primarily for non-science majors. Does not count toward Geology, Geology-Chemistry, nor Earth Science majors and minors. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Physical Sciences. Offered every semester.
This geoscience course explores the scientific principles and human impact of natural hazards and disasters. The course emphasizes the earth processes associated with hazards, natural hazard forecasting and mitigation, and sustainable living within the Earth system. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Physical Sciences. Offered every semester.
Introduction to the study of earth materials and processes, including minerals, rocks, mineral deposits, weathering, erosion, volcanism, and mountain building. Lectures, laboratories, and field trips. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Physical Sciences with a lab. Offered every semester.
Introduction to major principles of geologic time, inferring the evolution of the solid and liquid Earth through the rock record using conceptual frameworks of sedimentation, stratigraphy, paleontology, and tectonics and developing spatial comprehension through 2-D and 3-D visualization of rock geometries. Lectures, laboratory, and required field trip. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: GEO 111 (preferred), or GEO 100, or GEO 103, or GEO 105, or GEO 107, or GEO 109.
The topics covered will reflect special interests of students and the instructor. Offered on sufficient demand. Prerequisites: Variable depending on topic.
Topics covered will reflect special interests of students and the instructor. Offered on sufficient demand. Prerequisites: Variable depending on topic.
Course content varies. Refer to schedule of classes to determine course description and prerequisites. Students may repeat this course under different topics.
