EARTH SCIENCES (ESCI)

• Undergraduate Courses
• Graduate Courses

Additional fees are charged for some Earth Sciences lecture and laboratory courses. See the online class listings or the Expenses section of the Catalog.

In addition to the courses below, the department may offer the following Special Topics courses:

ESCI 4308-12. Special Topics in Regional Geography. (3). Geographic analysis of physical, cultural, economic characteristics of a selected world geographic region, including Europe, United States, Canada, Central America, South America. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours credit with a change in topic.

ESCI 4370-79. Special Topics in Archaeology. (3). May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours credit with a change in topic.

ESCI 4610-19. Special Topics In Geography. (3). (GEOG). Topics are varied and in online class listings.

Undergraduate Courses : 2011 Catalog

ESCI 1003 - Earth (3)
(GEOG 1003, 1103). Examination of Earth as a complex system in which the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere interact with human actions to affect the environment; formation of rocks; shape of surface of Earth; changes in weather and climate; natural hazards. Two hours lecture, two hours laboratory per week. PREREQUISITE: one introductory natural science course, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 1010 - Weather and Climate (4)
(ESCI 1011, GEOG 1010, 1001). Atmospheric processes and geographic distribution of radiation, moisture, pressure, and circulation interacting to create weather systems and storms; oceanic influences, earth-sun relationships, global climate patterns; human interaction with atmosphere. Laboratory exercises, observations, and experiments designed to apply scientific methods. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory per week. PREREQUISITE: two years of high school algebra. [G]

ESCI 1020 - Landforms (4)
(ESCI 1021, GEOG 1002, 1020). Agents and processes of landform development and geographic relationships of landscapes including volcanic, fluvial, glacial, and coastal environments; soil development and vegetation associations; environmental hazards to humans; maps and aerial photo interpretation as sources of environmental information. Laboratory exercises, observations, and experiments designed to apply scientific methods subjects. Three hours lecture, two hours laboratory per week. PREREQUISITE: two years of high school algebra. [G]

ESCI 1040 - Physical Geology (4)
(1101). (GEOL). Introduction to processes that form the rocks in the earth's crust; the earth's internal forces that make mountains and volcanoes; special emphasis on topics that impact the Mid-South, such as earthquakes. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. [G]

ESCI 1050 - Historical Geology (4)
(1102). (GEOL). Overview of history of earth and its life as interpreted from rock and fossil record; origins of continents, mountain ranges, ocean basins and natural regions of U.S. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1040. [G]

ESCI 1103 - Human/Envirnmntl Earth Science (4)
(GEOL). Applications of physical geology to understanding, evaluating and solving problems encountered in the environment by past human populations; study in management, utilization and preservation of archaeological resources. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. [G]

ESCI 1301 - Survey of World Regions (3)
(GEOG). (TBR: GEOG 2010). Survey of economic, cultural and physical traits characteristic of developing and industrialized nations. [G]

ESCI 1401 - Intro/Cultural Geog (3)
(GEOG). (TBR: GEOG 1030). Geographical aspects of human behavior; distributional patterns and interactions of such cultural characteristics as language, religion, politics, and economics. [G]

ESCI 2301 - Fundamental of Archaeol (4)
(Same as ANTH 2301). Hands-on experience in archaeological methods; survey of past civilizations; critical evaluation of how modern archaeological methods and theories are applied. PREREQUISITE: ANTH 1100, recommended.

ESCI 3200 - People/Culture World (3)
Major ethnographic areas and selected cultures of world.

ESCI 3211 - Invertebrate Paleontology (4)
(GEOL). Fossil invertebrate animals and their importance in interpretation of ancient environments, evolution, and geologic time. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1040, or permission of instructor. [W]

ESCI 3221 - Principles/Conservation (3)
(GEOG). Development of conservation ethic and wilderness concepts; survey of environmental problems, land use, and energy and resource utilization; soil erosion and crop productivity relationships.

ESCI 3311 - Mineralogy/Petrology (4)
(GEOL 3311). Classification and identification of minerals. igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks in hand specimen; geological occurrence and use of minerals; genesis and occurrence of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Two lecture hours, four laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1020 or 1040, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 3401 - Historical Geography of U S (3)
(GEOG). Evolution of the cultural landscapes of the United States with emphasis on the interaction of environment and people in the development of this nation.

ESCI 3430 - Economic Geography (3)
(GEOG). Spatial characteristics and distribution of economic activities.

ESCI 3451 - Intro/Urban Planning (3)
(GEOG). Introduction to regional and urban planning emphasizing spatial relationships of physical, economic, and cultural phenomena necessary in planning process.

ESCI 3512 - Structural Geology (4)
(GEOL). Structures of the crust; geometry of folds and faults, rock deformation, criteria for recognizing structures, solution of geometrical problems. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1040, MATH 1910, or permission of instructor. [C]

ESCI 3712 - Sedimentology/Stratighy (4)
(GEOL). Origin and classification of sedimentary rocks and mutual relationship of sedimentary rock bodies both geographically and through geologic time. Lecture emphasizes comparison of modern depositional systems with their ancient counterparts. Laboratory emphasizes hand specimen analysis and preparation of geologic maps. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: GEOL 1050.

ESCI 3802 - Oceanography (3)
(GEOL 3802). Origin, chemistry, water circulation, shoreline and deep water characteristics of oceans; its role in evolution and history of earth; marine life and its ecology.

ESCI 4101 - Global Geophysics (3)
(GEOP). Origin, evolution, structure of planet earth from geophysical perspective; accretion and composition of the earth; isotopic determination of ages; differentiation of oceanic and continental crust; mechanisms of plate tectonics; seismic structure, gravity and magnetic fields of earth. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor.

ESCI 4122 - Soils and Soil Processes (3)
(GEOG 4122). Processes and dynamics of soil profile development; major models of soil development examined and applied to soil genesis in Tennessee; application of soil techniques to archaeology, planning, earth sciences, and soil conservation and erosion problems; emphasis on field and laboratory techniques with field work in soil mapping and soil taxonomy. Two lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week.

ESCI 4201 - Urbanization/Environmt (3)
(GEOG). Ways man has changed natural environment by urbanization and how physical features and processes influence development and function of cities.

ESCI 4202 - Geomorphology (4)
(GEOL). Description, origin and interpretation of landforms and their relationships to underlying structure and geologic history; processes acting on earth's surface, including active tectonics; weather; mass-wasting; climate change; and fluvial, shoreline, and glacial processes. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1020 or ESCI 1040

ESCI 4203 - Environmental Geophysics (4)
(GEOP 4201). Survey of shallow geophysical prospecting methods; seismic reflection and refraction techniques; electrical, magnetic and gravity field measurements; practical measurements and fundamental principles governing acquisition and interpretation of geophysical data for shallow subsurface investigation. Three lecture, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor.

ESCI 4211 - Physical Hydrology (4)
(GEOL). Movement, storage and development of groundwater; groundwater in the hydrologic cycle; aquifer characteristics and tests. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1040 and MATH 1830 or equivalent.

ESCI 4213 - Field Methods/Hydrology (3)
(GEOL 4213). Practice of field methods in solving hydrologic problems. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 4211, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4214 - Climatology (3)
(GEOG 4211). Climatic elements and methods of data analysis; applications of climatology in agriculture, health, economics, and architecture. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1010 and PHYS 2110/2111.

ESCI 4215 - Physical Climatology (3)
(GEOG). Components of earth's energy balance, emphasis on solar radiation, heat transfer, and evapotranspiration. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1010 and PHYS 2010/2011.

ESCI 4220 - Geol/Hazard/Earthquakes (3)
(GEOP). Estimation of geological aspects and hazards associated with individual earthquakes and earthquakes on specific faults; earthquake rupture patterns, topographic expressions; estimating ages of prehistoric earthquakes, triggering, associated landslides and debris flows. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor.

ESCI 4231 - Water Resources (3)
(GEOG). Hydrologic processes and their application to needs of cities, industry, agriculture, and recreation.

ESCI 4241 - Biogeog/GIS Analyses/Ecology (3)
(GEOG). (Same as BIOL 4241). Basic principles of interaction between geography, organism diversity and evolution; physical factors limiting species distribution, theories of island biogeography, geographical modes of speciation. Laboratories introduce principles of GIS, basic functions of ArcGIS, and other programs relevant to ecological studies. Two lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: BIOL 1120 and 1121, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4251 - Environmental Hazards (3)
(GEOG). Environmental hazard and disaster experiences to investigate the nature, impact, and social responses to environmental hazards; focus is placed on relationship between nature, society, and technology in how people and places perceive, experience, and cope with environmental hazards.

ESCI 4252 - Global Environ Change (3)
(GEOP). Characteristics of natural systems; magnitude of human alteration of environmental systems; history of natural changes in climate and landscape; impact of changes. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor.

ESCI 4261 - Plan Sustainable Cities/Region (3)
Multidisciplinary and multi-scaled approach to understanding the sustainability of natural and built environments in planning cities and regions; methods for measuring sustainability; emerging development concepts and practices; technology, efficiency, social equity and public health implications of sustainability; sustainable urban/regional form of the future.

ESCI 4270 - Ancient Human Soc/Envir Chng (3)
(Same as ANTH 4270). Examination of past people and their environments from the Ice Age to recent times; archaeological and paleoecological data. Three lecture hours per week.

ESCI 4301 - Archaeology/North America (3)
(Same as ANTH 4301). Intensive study of various prehistoric cultures from earliest times until historic contact. PREREQUISITE: ANTH 1100, 1200, 1300, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4307 - Thematic Studies/China (3)
Geographic analysis of physical, cultural, and economic characteristics of China and neighboring regions.

ESCI 4311 - Advanced Mineralogy/Petrology (4)
Crystal chemistry, optical mineralogy, igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope; genesis and occurrence of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Two lecture hours, four laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 3311. PREREQUISITE OR COREQUISITE: CHEM 1110/1111, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4325 - Archaeol Fld/Lab Techn (3)
(Same as ANTH 4325). Field excavation, specimen preparation, use of survey instruments and photography, map making, archaeological record keeping; methods and techniques in archaeological laboratory analysis; emphasis on organization and supervision of laboratory procedures. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor.

ESCI 4332 - Intro to Geochemistry (3)
(GEOL). Geological and chemical processes that govern or control migration and distribution of elements and atomic species of earth in space and time. Three lecture hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 3311, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4341 - Aqueous Geochemistry (3)
(GEOL). Physical chemistry of aqueous solutions as applied to geochemical processes on earth's surface. PREREQUISITE: CHEM 1120.

ESCI 4350 - Archaeology of Collapse (3)
(Same as ANTH 4350). Emphasis on archaeology of regional politics and archaic states throughout the world. Overview of social and political collapse of complex societies.

ESCI 4351 - Adv Structural Geology (3)
(GEOL). Analysis of crustal structure; stress in rocks, mechanical interpretation of crustal structures. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 3512, MATH 1910.

ESCI 4352 - Old World Archaeology (3)
(3351) (Same as ANTH 4352). Old World cultures from first humans to early civilizations.

ESCI 4401 - Seismology (4)
(GEOP). Seismic wave propagation within the earth; historical context of earthquakes and earthquake source; common seismological techniques used to understand earth structure and source parameters. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: calculus through vector calculus, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4431 - Urban Geography (3)
(GEOG). Geography of urban processes and forms; cultural, social, economic, and political aspects of the contemporary city.

ESCI 4443 - Transportation Planning (3)
(GEOG). Planning for various transportation modes and networks and impact they have on land use and contemporary development problems.

ESCI 4502 - Computer Cartography (3)
(GEOG). Use of computer mapping programs as effective techniques for visual presentation of wide variety of data. Two lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week.

ESCI 4511 - Remote Sensing/Environ (4)
(GEOG 4511). Survey of theory and application of using color, infrared, thermal, and radar images generated from satellite and aerial photographs for geographic, geologic, environmental, and planning purposes. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: one college-level MATH course, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4515 - Geographic Info Science (3)
(GEOG). Theoretical and practical understanding of fundamental GIS concepts, capabilities, and applications; nature of geographic data and issues of data input, data models, database design, spatial analysis, data output using ArcGIS software. Three lecture hours, two laboratory hours per week. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1010 or 1020 or 1301 or 3430 or 4501, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4521 - Quantitative Methods (3)
(GEOG). Introduction to quantitative methods in spatial analysis. [C]

ESCI 4522 - GIS for Business/Social Sci (3)
(GEOG). Introduction to the application of interactive computer mapping and geographic information systems software in business and social science decision making.

ESCI 4525 - Adv Geographic Info Sci (3)
(GEOG). Design and implementation of spatial analysis approaches within the context of GIS technology; development of a sound understanding of the operational basis of modern GIS technology. PREREQUISITE: GEOG 4515, or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4531 - Field Methods/Geography (3)
(GEOG). Basic methods of geographic analysis used in classifying, analyzing and reporting field generated data including field mapping, sampling procedures, questionnaires and archival and public document research. One and one-half lecture hours, three laboratory hours per week.

ESCI 4541 - Geography/Fld Studies (1-6)
(GEOG 4541). Faculty conducted field trip emphasizing study of geographic phenomena. Location will vary. Topics may include physical landscapes, landaus patterns, cross-cultural analysis, micro and regional economics, or other geographical processes. Credit hours based on length of time in field. Requires field journal and report to receive credit. May be repeated for maximum of 6 hours credit with change in content. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor and completion of special registration.

ESCI 4551 - Urban Planning Studio (3)
(GEOG). Application of planning process to urban problems and preparation of plans for the urban area. PREREQUISITE: GEOG 3451 or permission of instructor.

ESCI 4621 - Investigations In GEOG (1-3)
(GEOG 4621). Student, under faculty supervision, studies in-depth particular geographic topic. May be repeated for a maximum of 3 hours credit with change in content. PREREQUISITE: approval of instructor.

ESCI 4622 - Geology Field Camp (6)
(GEOL). Preparation of structural and lithologic maps in prescribed geologic areas using topographic maps and aerial photographs. Instruments used are the alidade and the Brunton compass. Offered in summer school only. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 3312, 3512, and 3712. [I]

ESCI 4680 - Applied Archaeology/Museums (3)
(Same as ANTH 4680). Representations of cultural heritage in a broad array of public venues; repatriation, cultural patrimony, cultural resource management, civic engagement, rights and responsibilities of stakeholders, public involvement in museum representations, performance and education, culture and memory.

ESCI 4700 - Earth Science Internshp (1-9)
(GEOG 4700). Experience working with agency in which knowledge of earth science can be utilized. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours credit. Credit allowed only after acceptance of report. PREREQUISITE: approval of instructor and department chair. (S/U)

ESCI 4701 - ESCI Field Excursions (1-2)
(GEOL). Conducted field trips during spring vacation. About 30 hours of field work follow 2-4 hours of lectures. Open to nonmajors. Among areas which may be included are Ouachita-Arbuckle-Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma; Ouachita, Ozark dome and adjacent mineral districts; central and southern Appalachians; Gulf Coastal Plain; Death Valley, CA; and Grand Canyon, AZ. Check online class listings for specific location. NOTE: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 hours credit. Dates, hours and credits to be arranged. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor.

ESCI 4722 - Investigation In ESCI (1-3)
(GEOP). Individual or group work on topics of current interest in the broad field of geophysics. May be repeated for maximum of 6 hours credit. PREREQUISITE permission of instructor.

ESCI 4731 - Senior Thesis (1-3)
(GEOL 4731). Original study on subject of significance to earth science to be carried on independently by student with faculty supervision. PREREQUISITE: senior standing in Geology.

ESCI 4801 - Seminar in Applied Geography (3)
(GEOG). Synthesis and application of geographic perspectives, concepts, techniques and tools to contemporary research themes. Major concepts and traditions of geography will be explored, evaluated, and applied in seminar format based on review of literature, current issues, and the written and oral presentation work of students. PREREQUISITE: ESCI 1010, 1020, 1011, 1021, 1301 or 4307-12, or 3430, 3514 and two additional upper division courses selected from two of the following areas: human/economic, environmental/earth, or the techniques. Registration by permit only. [W, I]

Graduate Courses : 2011 Catalog