Current Courses
Spring 2025
GEOL 100: Earth in Action
If you ever found a rock and wondered, what it was, or how it was formed or where it came from, this class is perfect for you. This is a 3-credit hour introductory geology lecture that covers a variety of topics about the Earth’s physical and chemical processes, including how rocks and minerals form and are used to interpret the Earth’s history (topics may differ depending on instructor). In this class you will learn about: the scientific method, the Earth’s pre-human history, different spheres of the Earth and their interactions, theory of plate tectonics, basics of earthquake and volcanoes, and the science of climate change. Various techniques of active learning and student engagement such as virtual reality field trips (and real field trips for First Year Seminar section) are used to help reinforce lecture discussions and help students learn to think like a scientist.
GEOL 103 (Geology Laboratory) may be taken with this course to make it an elective with a lab section. It is also offered online through Global Campus. K-State 8 tags Historical Perspectives, Natural & Physical Sciences
GEOL 103: Geology Laboratory
This class is a 1 credit hour introductory geology laboratory that meets once a week for 2 hours. In this lab you will learn about basic geology topics in a hands-on active session. The topics include identification of rocks and minerals, geologic maps, topographic maps, streams and groundwater and landforms. During the lab session you will use an augmented-reality sandbox to learn about topographic maps, virtual reality field trips to learn about different landforms, a stream table to learn about evolution of riverbeds over time and many other hands-on activities involving mineral and rock specimens, and different maps.
Prerequisite or co-requisite: GEOL 100, GEOL 102, or GEOL 125. K-State 8 tag Natural & Physical Sciences
GEOL 115: Environmental Geology
This course is intended to provide you with a scientific overview of geology as it relates to human activities and the interaction between human activity and geological processes. In particular, we will investigate (a) the physical constraints imposed on human activities by the near-surface and surface geological processes that are continually shaping the environment that we live in, (b) the resources that we utilize to sustain our lives on Earth, & (c) global environmental issues such as climate change, geologic hazards, natural resources, and water use.
This course is offered online through Global Campus. K-State 8 tag Global Issues & Perspectives, Natural & Physical Sciences
GEOL 125: Natural Disasters
This introductory lecture course introduces you to geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods, with particular emphasis on their causes, effects, and significance as hazards. By enrolling in this course, you will learn about Earth's processes, gain an appreciation for natural forces that impact our lives in very significant ways, and become a better-informed citizen. This course meets natural and physical science and social science requirements of K-State 8.
Geology 103 (Geology Laboratory) may be taken with this course to make it an elective with a lab section. It is also offered online through Global Campus. K-State 8 tag Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences.
GEOL 200: Earth Through Time
Earth Through Time provides a comprehensive survey of Earth’s 4.5 billion year history. It explores the major events that have shaped the physical and biological development of Earth and how processes like plate tectonics and climate change interact with life, forming an integrated system.
K-State 8 tags: Natural & Physical Sciences, and Empirical & Quantitative Reasoning
GEOL 360: Quantitative Methods in Geoscience
Learn quantitative and applied methods for collecting and analyzing data in geoscience, as well as making decisions from a variety of datasets. Study geological issues and work on techniques to solve problems in science and industry-related topics from various areas, such as environmental engineering, geochemistry, petrology, and geology. Understand the nature of data and compile large databases to gain better insights. Develop computational skills through the use of Excel and MATLAB.
K-State 8 tags: Natural & Physical Sciences, and Empirical & Quantitative Reasoning
GEOL 503: Petrology
In Petrology, you will learn to recognize common igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks in both hand specimen and by using microscope techniques. In addition, you will learn to interpret parts of the geologic history of the rocks. A rock’s mineralogy, mineral textures, mineral chemistry, and bulk chemistry provide a language that we can read and ultimately interpret as a way of understanding the geologic history of a particular location or time period on the Earth.
K-State 8 tags: Natural & Physical Sciences, and Empirical & Quantitative Reasoning
GEOL 560: Field Methods
Geology is a field-based discipline that necessitates numerous field investigations either to produce geological maps, estimate natural hazards or to look for natural resources. Geologists make observations of the earth at different scales, from satellite imagery to an outcrop or rock. These observations are then plotted on maps using either paper or more sophisticated GIS software. In this class students will have the opportunity to learn different basic field methods and use their knowledge on specific problems. The primary goal of the course is to provide students the basic tools and skills for further field investigations. Course includes two 2-day mapping projects.
K-State 8 tags: Natural & Physical Sciences, and Empirical & Quantitative Reasoning
GEOL 601 Economic Geology
This course focuses on geology and origin of mineral deposits, with an emphasis on critical minerals, sustainability, economic significance, and resources necessary for society.
GEOL 605: Introduction to Geochemistry
Knowledge you can gain from this course has a lot of practical value for all areas of Earth and environmental science and engineering. In this course, we will build on the concepts you learned in undergraduate chemistry courses and learn how to apply them to geological environments. From this course you will gain an understanding of controls on the distribution of elements and chemical reactions of significance in geological environments. Furthermore, you will be able to apply geochemistry concepts to evaluate compositions of Earth materials and analyze geochemical processes.
GEOL 611: Hydrogeology
You will understand the physical processes underlying the movement of fluids through the subsurface. You will also understand the transport of particulates and solutes, including contaminants, within flow regimes. You will learn more than concepts and terminology; you will develop the ability to quantitatively solve problems encountered in professional practice. You will learn how these problems arise in addressing contaminated sites, remediating subsurface pollution, and managing and protecting groundwater resources. You will also understand how to extend the concepts toward understanding the flow of fluids (oil, water, gas) in aquifers and reservoirs.
GEOL630: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Identification of sedimentary rocks and interpretation of sedimentary properties and depositional environments; analysis of spatial and temporal relationships to interpret depositional history and basin evolution.
GEOL 650: Geomicrobiology
Microorganisms are very small but they have a big impact the world around us. They affect the quality of our water resources, the composition of the atmosphere, the fertility of soils, the abundance and properties of energy resources, and more. This course includes lab and lecture components and will help you learn basic information about microbes and the major biogeochemical cycles, how natural environments influence the activities of microbes, and how microbes, in turn, impact natural environments. Because this course covers basic information about microorganism, you will not need to have much prior experience with microbiology prior to the course. Note that this course satisfies the College of Arts and Sciences Life Science requirement.
K-State 8 tags: Natural & Physical Sciences, and Empirical & Quantitative Reasoning
GEOL 740: Regional Geology
Interpretations of structural, stratigraphic, igneous, and tectonic history of selected sites in North America. The course focus is on the geology of the southwestern United States and adjacent parts of Mexico, including Paleozoic tectonics, the Laramide Orogeny, Trans-Pecos magmatism, ongoing Basin and Range extension, and modern processes (e.g., fluvial and desert geomorphology).
GEOL 747: Introduction to MatLab
This course will provide you with a general introduction to MATLAB, including data processing (curve fitting, interpolation, statistics, signal processing), data visualization (2D, 3D graphs), programming, and data export/import. It is an introductory course designed for students who are new to MATLAB, including those who have little experience with other programming languages, although students with experience of programming in other languages will benefit from this course.
GEOL 770: Subsurface Methods
If you have ever been curious how petroleum prospects were generated, or how drill sites are selected, this class is perfect for you. This class is a 3-credit hour geology combination lecture and hands-on lab that covers how subsurface maps are constructed from well data. In this class, you will learn about the reliability of well data, how to construct and evaluate subsurface maps, including structural, stratigraphic, and fault maps. You will learn to estimate potential reserves, create cross-sections, and decide when seismic surveys are appropriate. Real data from the oil and gas industry are used.
GEOL 805: Advanced Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
The course covers advanced topics in igneous and metamorphic petrology. Over the first half of the course, students explore the geochemical and petrographic characteristics of the common igneous rocks. Main topics to be covered include equilibria relations of the main silicate systems, petrogenesis of the principal igneous rock types and their relation to plate tectonic regimes, and generation and source of magmas. Advanced concepts in metamorphic petrology are covered over the second half of the semester. Topics include review of the principal metamorphic assemblages, phase system projection, phase equilibria, geothermobarometry, and estimation of metamorphic gradient.