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2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
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2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

Course Numbering System

The following lists include all courses normally offered at Albion College. However, not all courses are offered every year. When possible, courses offered in alternate years are designated. For details, students should consult the Class Schedule for each semester, available online at: www.albion.edu/registrar. The College reserves the right to add or withdraw courses without prior announcement, as conditions may require.

Unless otherwise stated, 100 level courses are intended for freshmen, 200 level for sophomores, 300 and 400 level for juniors and seniors.

A list of courses which meet the core and category requirements, organized by departments, is available online at www.albion.edu/registrar.

Further information may be obtained at the Registrar’s Office in the Ferguson Student, Technology, and Administrative Services Building.
 

Geology
  

  • GEOL 101: Introductory Geology

    (1 Unit)
    A survey course designed for liberal arts students covering many aspects of physical geology, the study of active earth processes. Labs illustrate lecture materials and the techniques used by geologists. One field trip. Complements the material covered in GEOL 103 ; either course can serve as an introductory course in geology. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 103: Introduction to Earth History

    (1 Unit)
    A survey course designed for liberal arts students and covering many aspects of historical geology, the study of evolving environments and life forms on earth. Labs utilize fossils, rock samples, maps and field trips to illustrate techniques used by historical geologists. Complements the material covered in GEOL 101 ; either course can serve as an introductory course in geology. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 104: Earth Resources and the Environment

    (1 Unit)
    Without earth resources, civilization would not exist. Gold, diamonds, water, oil, building materials—all of our material resources ultimately are derived from the earth. This course examines the origin and geologic occurrence of these materials and the environmental implications of their utilization. No laboratory. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 106: Natural Disasters

    (1 Unit)
    A review of the natural disasters that affect humans and the environment. Emphasizes the causes and prediction of natural hazards, assessment of hazard vulnerability, and disaster mitigation and recovery through case studies of historical and recent natural disasters. Topics include earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, extreme weather, climate change and floods. No laboratory. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 111: Geography and Geographic Information Systems

    (1 Unit)
    An introduction to the elementary principles, techniques and utility of geographic information systems (GIS) toward the study of world geography, as well as related concepts and techniques involved in creating and using digital maps. Shows how maps (particularly computer-generated maps) can help in displaying and analyzing geographic and other spatial data, and the use of these analyses in modeling cultural and natural systems. Some prior computer experience is helpful, but is not required. Lecture and laboratory. McRivette.
  

  • GEOL 115: Oceans, Atmosphere and Climate

    (1 Unit)
    Describes the world’s oceans and atmosphere and considers how they interact with one another, and with humans. Topics include the geological evolution of the ocean basins, ocean-atmosphere circulation patterns, ocean currents, climate and weather patterns, storms and weather fronts, paleo-oceanography and the history of climate, and the chemical composition of the oceans. Emphasizes the role of the oceans in mediating global climate, global change, global dispersal of pollution and other environmental concerns. No laboratory. Offered in alternate years. T. Lincoln, Wilch.
  

  • GEOL 187: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 188: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 189: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 201: Structural Geology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 .
    Study of stress-strain relationships and behavior of materials, with particular reference to recognition and interpretation of rock structures. Laboratory work includes methods of solving structural problems and the use of geologic maps and cross-sections to interpret sequences of events in complex structural regions. Offered in alternate years. B. Lincoln.
  

  • GEOL 202: Ground Water

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 .
    A description of the hydrologic cycle with emphasis on quantifying water budgets and water flow in the shallow earth. Field techniques include stream gauging and well installation, surveying and slug testing. Analytical and numerical models are used to interpret pump test data and to understand water flow to pumping wells and the dispersal and remediation of contamination. Offered in alternate years. T.Lincoln.
  

  • GEOL 203: Mineralogy

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 .
    Crystallography, crystal chemistry, optical and physical properties, and the occurrence of rock-forming minerals, with particular emphasis on the silicate minerals. Laboratory emphasizes hand-specimen and optical identification of minerals using petrologic microscopes. Offered in alternate years. Menold.
  

  • GEOL 204: Introductory Petrology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 203 .
    Hand-specimen and microscopic identification of minerals and rocks. Recognition and classification of all varieties of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, with emphasis on rock-forming processes. Laboratory emphasizes hand-specimen and optical identification of rocks using petrologic microscopes. Offered in alternate years. Menold.
  

  • GEOL 205: Sedimentation and Stratigraphy

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 .
    An examination of the processes and principles that control the accumulation and lithification of sediments, based on examples of recent environments and ancient rock sections in many parts of the world. Laboratory emphasizes map-reading skills and methods for studying recent and ancient sediments and rocks. Offered in alternate years. Bartels.
  

  • GEOL 208: Geomorphology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 .
    Geologic processes operating at the earth’s surface and the landforms they produce. Includes the study of soil formation, river processes, glaciers, wave action, wind, groundwater and their related landforms. Field trips. Laboratory includes analysis of aerial photographs, topographic maps and experiments with flume and wave tank. Offered in alternate years. Wilch.
  

  • GEOL 209: Chronostratigraphy and Invertebrate Paleontology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 , or BIOL 195 .
    This course surveys the long history of life, as recorded by the fossil record. A comprehensive examination of invertebrate fossils throughout geologic time emphasizes study of fossils and their identification, biology, evolutionary history, and use in geology. One field trip. Laboratory emphasizes invertebrate fossil identification, functional morphology, preservation, and geochronologic utility. Offered in alternate years. Laboratory emphasizes fossil identification, morphology, and functional morphology, and geochronologic exercises using fossils and other geologic data. Offered in alternate years. Marshall.
  

  • GEOL 210: Regional Field Geology

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 , and a major or minor in the department, or permission of instructor.
    An in-depth investigation of selected geologic provinces consisting of a seminar course and an 8-14 day field trip. The field trip itself typically begins in early May following commencement. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 211: Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 111  recommended.
    An introduction to the elementary principles, techniques and utility of remotely sensed imagery and image interpretation, especially when used in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Shows how digital maps created from, or utilizing, digital imagery from airplanes, space shuttles and satellites can help in displaying and analyzing spatial data, modeling processes and making decisions. Laboratory emphasizes the use of remote sensing and GIS in a variety of environmental applications. Lecture and laboratory. Offered in alternate years. McRivette.
  

  • GEOL 212: Volcanology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 , or permission of instructor.
    Study of volcanic processes, eruptive products and their mechanism of formation, monitoring of active volcanoes, volcanic hazards, and the environmental impact of volcanism. Focuses on historical and modern case studies. Lecture and laboratory. Offered in alternate years. Wilch.
  

  • GEOL 287: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 288: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses.
    Staff.
  

  • GEOL 289: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 306: Glaciers and Climate Change

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or GEOL 103 .
    Covers the dynamics of glacier flow, origin of glacial features, events of the Pleistocene Epoch with emphasis on the Great Lakes area, Earth’s climate history, causes of ice ages, recent and future climate change. Lecture, laboratory and field trips. Offered in alternate years. Wilch.
  

  • GEOL 307: Environmental Geochemistry

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 203  or CHEM 121 .
    The application of chemical principles to the study of the earth with emphasis on environmental geochemistry. Topics include the distribution of chemical elements within the earth, rock weathering, the chemistry of natural solutions, surface chemistry and the behavior of contaminants in the environment. Laboratories involve both field and laboratory techniques and rely heavily on state-of-the-art instrumentation, including optical emission and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and ion chromatography. Offered as needed. T. Lincoln.
  

  • GEOL 308: Isotope Geochemistry

    (1 unit)
    GEOL 101   or GEOL 103  
    Origin and abundance of elements and their isotopes; distribution and chemistry of elements in Earth and its environment.  Theorectical aspects of isotope behavior;  stable and radiogenic isotopes.  Principles of geochoronolgy.  Use of isotopes as tracers iin crust and mantle processes.  Stable isotopes as indicators of environment and paleoclimate. Menold
  

  • GEOL 309: Vertebrate Paleontology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 103  or BIOL 195 .
    The fossil record, evolution, morphology, adaptation and paleobiogeography of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The interactions of vertebrates with ancient floras, climates and plate configurations will be emphasized. Lecture and laboratory. Offered in alternate years. Same as BIOL 309 . Bartels.
  

  • GEOL 311: Advanced Geographic Information Systems

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 111  or permission of instructor.
    The study of the more advanced capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Emphasizes spatial modeling and analysis using GIS software such as ArcView GIS. Topics include map algebra, point pattern analysis, network analysis, grid analysis and 3-D surface analysis. Students learn how to use these and other GIS tools for decision-making, model building and the effective use of maps. Lecture and laboratory. Offered in alternate years. McRivette.
  

  • GEOL 314: Field Methods

    (1.5 Units)
    Prerequisites: GEOL 201 , GEOL 204 , GEOL 205  (or their equivalents) or permission of instructors.
    Summer field camp course focused on geologic mapping in the northern Rocky Mountains. Field work is done in sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. Offered in summer session, in alternate years. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 387: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 388: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 389: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 391: Internship

    (1/2 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 392: Internship

    (1 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 401: Seminar

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or permission of instructor.
    Critical evaluation of current topics in geology as determined by student and staff interest. Recent topics have been regional geology, engineering geology, paleoecology and volcanology. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 402: Seminar

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: GEOL 101  or permission of instructor.
    Critical evaluation of current topics in geology as determined by student and staff interest. Recent topics have been regional geology, engineering geology, paleoecology and volcanology. Staff.
  

  • GEOL 411: Directed Study

    (1/2 Unit)
    Staff.
  

  • GEOL 412: Directed Study

    (1 Unit)
    Staff.