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Program Requirements
Required Courses (9 credits)
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EPSC 201 Understanding Planet Earth (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Learn about Earth's origin, its place in the solar system, its internal structure, rocks and minerals, the formation of metal and fossil fuel deposits, and the extinction of dinosaurs. Discover the impact of the volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and mountain chains on Earth's past, present and future. Explore 125 million-year-old Mount Royal.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Williams-Jones, Anthony E (Fall) Mucci, Alfonso (Winter)
- Fall or Winter
- 3 hours lectures; afternoon field trips
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking EPSC 233.
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EPSC 210 Introductory Mineralogy (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Crystal chemistry and identification of the principal rock-forming and ore minerals. Elementary crystallography. Optional 2-day field trip.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Paquette, Jeanne (Fall)
- Fall
- 2 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory
- Corequisite: EPSC 201 or EPSC 233
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EPSC 212 Introductory Petrology (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : A survey of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and the processes responsible for their formation. The laboratory will emphasize the recognition of rocks in both hand-specimen and thin section using optical microscopes.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Trzcienski, Walter Edward (Winter)
- Winter
- 2 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite: EPSC 210
Complementary Courses (9 credits)
9 credits selected from:
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EPSC 220 Principles of Geochemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Basic concepts in geochemistry and the application of geochemical principles of chemistry to geological subdisciplines. Particular emphasis on origin of elements, controls on their distribution in Earth and cosmos, isotopes, organic geochemistry and water chemistry. Application of phase diagrams to geology.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Baker, Don (Fall)
- Fall
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory
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EPSC 501 Crystal Chemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Discussion of crystal structures and compositions of important mineral groups, especially oxides, sulphides and silicates. Solid solution. Relation of structure to morphology and to chemical and physical properties of the rock-forming minerals.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- 2 hours lectures, 1 hour seminar
- Prerequisites: CHEM 203 or CHEM 213.
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EPSC 519 Isotope Geology (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Geochronology, the fractionation of the stable isotopes, and applications to petrology and mineral deposits.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Wing, Boswell (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 hours lectures
- Prerequisites: equivalent of the U2 core program.
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EPSC 542 Chemical Oceanography (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : History of chemical oceanography. Seawater composition and definition of salinity/chlorinity. Minor and trace-element distribution in the ocean. Geochemical mass balance. Dissolved gases in sea water. CO2 and the carbonate system. Chemical speciation. Physical chemistry of seawater. Organic matter and the carbon cycle in the marine environment. Sediment geochemistry.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Mucci, Alfonso (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 hours lectures
- Prerequisites: CHEM 213, CHEM 257 or equivalents, or registration in the Graduate Program in Oceanography.
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EPSC 545 Low-Temperature Geochemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Chemical evolution of the atmosphere and oceans. Detailed characterization of the major reactions and processes governing the weathering of rocks and the diagenesis of various types of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Basic concepts of chemical equilibria, reaction kinetics and transport applied to the interpretation of the diagenetic evolution of pore waters and sediments. Nature of the driving forces and an introduction to modeling of diagenesis. Relationship between organic matter and mineral diagenesis. Geochemical cycles.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Winter
- Prerequisites: CHEM 203, CHEM 213, EPSC 212, EPSC 312
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EPSC 561 Ore-forming Processes 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Physicochemical controls of hydrothermal mineral deposition. Discussion of fluid inclusion theory and application; stable isotope systematics, wall-rock alteration; ore mineral solubility and speciation; and mechanisms of mineral deposition.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- 3 hours seminar
- Prerequisite: One course in ore petrology (EPSC 451 or EPSC 452) or equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
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EPSC 570 Cosmochemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Examines the implications of phase equilibria and the compositions of meteorites and the solar system for the formation and internal differentiation of the terrestrial planets and the nature of chemical fractionation processes in both planetary interiors and the solar system as a whole.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- 3 hours lecture
- Prerequisites: EPSC 220, EPSC 210, or equivalent, or permission of instructor.
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EPSC 590 Applied Geochemistry Seminar (3 credits)
Overview
Earth & Planetary Sciences : Seminar course devoted to field case studies that illustrate the applications of geochemical principles to solving geologic problems. Each student will prepare and lead a class devoted to a geochemical subject of their own choosing.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Mucci, Alfonso; Baker, Don (Winter)
- Winter
- 3 hours seminar
- Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Faculty of Science—2010-2011 (last updated Jan. 19, 2011) (disclaimer)