This introductory course is a study of the structure and materials of the earth and its dynamic forces. Including plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, weathering, mass-movements, surface and ground water, wind, waves and currents, glaciation, mountain building, volcanoes and other igneous activities, deformation and resulting structures, earthquakes, earth’s interior, geologic time, and earth resources.

This course introduces some of the fundamental methods and concepts of geology in a laboratory situation, including: rock and mineral identification, use and interpretation of topographic and geologic maps and aerial photographs, and study of earth structures and landform development.

This earth history course studies the interaction and development of planet earth's four large-scale interrelated systems: the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. The four-and-one-half-billion-year historical development of these four larger systems (and their many subsystems) will be interpreted and analyzed by studying evidence from earth's rock layers and fossil record. Topics will include: the basic geologic, hydrologic, atmospheric, and biologic processes at work on earth (past and present), as well as selected details related to plants, animals, rock, erosion, deposition, and the development of ocean basins, continents, and planet earth.

This course introduces Earth's history and the life it supports in a laboratory setting: rock, mineral, and fossil identification; modes of fossil preservation; constructing and interpreting cladograms; interpreting geologic maps, cross sections, and stratigraphic columns; relative dating and interpreting sequences of geologic events; absolute dating; and paleogeographic reconstruction.

This course examines the geographic and geologic settings of selected National Parks of the United States and Canada. Park geomorphology and geologic time will be studied to clarify the history of each park. Parks covered include: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Petrified Forest, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Channel Islands and many others.

An introduction to the essentials of Earth Science including the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and solar system. This course focuses on the interactions between physical and chemical systems of the Earth such as the tectonic cycle, rock cycle, hydrologic cycle, weather and climate.

Oceanography is a broad interdisciplinary field focused on the common goal of understanding earth's oceans. It draws subject matter from geology, geography, geophysics, chemistry, meteorology, and biology. Its goals are knowledge about processes and interrelationships of the many subsystems which comprise the world's oceans. Specific topic areas include: a history of oceanographic research, the role of tectonic plates in oceans, features of the seafloor, the chemistry of seawater, movements of the ocean's water, coastal environments, life forms/conditions of oceans/seafloor as well as atmospheric/oceanic interactions.

This course deals with natural disasters that have occurred, possible mitigation of hazards and identification of potential future disasters related to geologic hazards (geohazards). Subjects covered will include natural events such as volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, floods, fire, hurricanes, tornadoes, coastal erosion, short-term climate changes, mass extinctions, earth impacts, and their effects on humans. Fundamental geologic and atmospheric principles will be presented to support the understanding of each of these processes as well as numerous case histories of historic natural disasters.