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This is the core graduate course, which is mandatory for all incoming graduate students. The goal of the course is to develop each student’s research proposal and skills to communicate their proposals (oral and written forms). Each student will have a completed written research proposal and two opportunities for oral presentations by the end of the course. Additionally, students learn about general scientific methods (e.g., hypothesis testing), methods for critical analysis and Western vs traditional ways of knowing.

Students must complete a research project assigned by the supervisor. During the first two weeks of the term in which the student first registers, the student and supervisor must reach an agreement on the objectives and methodology of the research project, along with an evaluation scheme. This information must be conveyed to the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies for their approval. The final product for this course is a written document of the work performed (approx. 40 pages in standard format). For candidates who start their MSc studies in September, the final grade for this course must be submitted to the Graduate Affairs Officer no later than the end of the third week of the following August.

The mark for this course is based on the written report produced in ESS3603Y and the student’s performance in an oral defence of that work. The examining committee for the oral defense will consist of the supervisor and two members of the graduate faculty selected by the supervisor. The student must provide members of the examining committee a copy of the report at least one week in advance. The oral defense will consist of a 20 minute presentation of the work, followed by questioning by members of the examining committee. Other students may attend the presentation and question period with the permission of the candidate and examining committee. The examination concludes when the committee finishes with questions. Each committee member will evaluate the student based on the quality of the written report, and the student’s explanation of it, the depth and breadth of knowledge relevant to the project demonstrated during the oral examination and overall originality and creativity. The mark for this course will be the average mark assigned by the three examiners. For candidates who start their MSc studies in September, the final grade for this course must be submitted to the Graduate Affairs Officer no later than the end of the third week of the following August.

This is a term-length course to provide exposure to research for students in the department’s all course MSc program. Students are required to contact a potential research supervisor prior to the start of term to decide upon a research project. The project must involve critical analysis and interpretation of information, be it experimental, analytical or field observations, as acquired by the student, or gleaned from the literature. The final product for the course will be a 20 page (1.5 spaced, 12 point font, including figures and tables) report describing the work accomplished, and a 20 minute oral presentation. The student will receive 80% of their mark from the research supervisor based on the report, and 20% from the faculty members attending the presentation. Prior to commencing, the student must submit a project plan, developed in consultation with the research supervisor, for approval by the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies.

Crystal chemistry of the major rock forming minerals. The course covers the underlying concepts behind the behaviour of minerals as solid-state materials including: Structure and bonding of minerals, chemical substitutions and solid-state transformations, high temperature and pressure behaviour, chemical weathering and kinetics. Prerequisite: ESS221H1

This course is not offered at this time.

This advanced course focuses on analyzing structures to understand how “strain” and “stress” are expressed in the rocks. Through geometric, kinematic and mechanical analysis of these structures, we will learn to elucidate the geological processes that have occurred over time. Graduate student will be given the opportunity to apply the knowledge they learn in this course towards their graduate research.

Exploration of the tectonic processes of the Earth from a global and regional perspective. The course examines the nature of these surface tectonics based on geological observations and tries to unravel the geodynamics that give rise to planetary activity.

Current geophysical surface and borehole methodologies (gravity, magnetics, electrical, electromagnetic, nuclear) and their theoretical basis for investigating Earth’s interior to depths ranging from several metres to tens of kilometers.

The use of proxy data (terrestial and aquatic microfossils) to infer past environmental conditions. The nature and extent of Quaternary environmental change is considered in the context of assessing current issues such as acidification, metal pollution, eutrophication and global climate change. Paleoenvironmental techniques are applied in the laboratory.

Prerequisite: A 200-level course from one of BIO, GGR, ESS. Recommended preparation: BIO468H1/469Y1/ GLG216H1

This course starts with an introduction to strain and stress, and derives the seismic wave equation. Ray theory is then covered to explain travel times and amplitudes of seismic arrivals leading to the concept of seismic tomography methods for mapping earth's internal structure. Finally the seismic source theory and earthquake source mechanisms are discussed. Subjects such as exploration reflection and refraction seismic methods, digital seismic data processing will also be covered by the course.

A treatment of the fundamental physical processes by which planets form and evolve. The course will be taught using specific case studies from selected themes, which will change on a yearly basis. Possible themes might include: tectonic modeling, structural analysis, Precambrian geophysics and dynamics of the terrestrial planets. The course will be team taught, in which individual instructors will focus on a particular aspect of each theme, providing some lectures for background prior to reading the important literature.

This course will focus on the fundamental processes by which Earth materials are concentrated into economically-viable deposits. Emphasis is placed on techniques used both in mineral deposits research and industry-focused exploration. This is aimed at developing practical skills through a series of hands-on workshops, lectures, guest lectures from industry experts, and assignments using real-world data.

This course will focus on the geological evidence and causes for change in the Earth System (coupled lithosphere-hydrosphere-biosphere-atmosphere) over the last 4.5 billion years. It will be taught using specific case studies from selected time intervals, which will change on a yearly basis. Possible topics will include global biogeochemical cycling of C,S,O; deep biosphere geobiology and the origin and evolution of life; proxy indicators for global change; evolution of the atmosphere; the stratigraphic record of sea level change and plate reconstruction. The course will be team taught, in which individual instructors will focus on a particular topic, providing some lectures for background prior to reading the important literature.

This course will focus on the application of chemical principles to research in the Earth Sciences. The emphasis will be on recent studies across a range of diverse theme areas, selected according to the research interests of enrolled students. Possible themes might include: global geochemical cycles, microbial geochemistry, origin and distribution of the elements and geochemical kinetics. The course will be taught in a roundtable format with the instructor providing some background lectures; students will take turns presenting their chosen research papers and leading the discussion.

The course is focused on the principles and applications of stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry to understanding geological and planetary processes. The course will be taught using specific case studies from selected themes, which will change on a yearly basis. Possible themes might include: early solar system chronology, isotopic contraints on Earth differentiation, tracing pollutants in the subsurface, nature of the early Earth, ocean and atmospheric circulation, applications to tectonics. The course will be team taught, in which individual instructors will focus on a particular aspect of each theme, providing some lectures for background prior to reading the important literature.

This course provides both theoretical and practical instruction on a range of instrumental methods used in determining the composition, structure and chemical state of geological materials, including fluids, gases, glasses, rocks and minerals. The course includes laboratory assignments providing practical application of these techniques.

This course addresses problems of fitting physical models (both discreet and continuous) to data, and covers topics such as:

• What is inverse theory in physics and geophysics?
• When do data-consistent models even exist?
• Multivariate regression modelling of discrete models, Bayesian approaches, maximum likelihood estimation, with errors and hypothesis testing, both classical and resampling(e.g. bootstrap).
• Continuous models where spatial resolution is a meaningful concept (Backus-Gilbert theory).
• The Singular Value Decomposition approach to modelling. * Answerable and unanswerable questions in modelling:
• Singular Value Decompositions, exotic norms such as L-1, L-infinity.
• Methods for non-linear modelling: e.g. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), simulated annealing, genetic algorithms.

This course examines methods of investigating groundwater flow and subsurface transport of contaminants. It can be tailored to meet the interests and experience of the student. Basic theory is provided during a series of lectures, normally held on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings at UTSC. There is also a small project component, usually involving chemical speciation or contaminant transport models, applied to a groundwater problem.

This is an advanced seismology course that covers a range of theoretical and computational topics related to seismic wave propagation, seismic tomography, full-waveform inversion, earthquake sources and fault dynamics, as well as exploration seismology. Detailed topics may vary based on instructors.

Glacial sediments left by successive continental ice sheets cover a large area of Canada and provide a record of past climate change across the Northern Hemisphere. They also allow modelling of ice flow processes and provide insights into the flow of modern ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, especially in regard to ‘ice streams’ which are regional-scale corridors inset within the ice sheet of fast flowing ice. Mapping of paleo-ice streams in Canada is actively underway aided by new high -resolution topographic imagery (e.g., LiDAR) and is a key part of mineral exploration projects across the Canadian Shield. This course will explore how ice sheets form and decay and their sedimentary records; assessment will be by a brief research project and write up.

This is a term-length course that will usually involve lectures, reading assignments, and classroom discussion focusing on a specific theme not covered in any of the regularly-scheduled courses. 

This course will provide a more focused treatment of specific topics covered in ESS2304 Geochemistry. Possible areas of focus include: contaminant fate and transport in the subsurface, geochemistry of mineral deposits, cosmochemistry, microbial geochemistry, geochemical biomarkers, trace element geochemistry of igneous rocks. The course will be taught by different instructors depending on the topic, and as demand warrants. 

This course will provide a more focused treatment of specific topics covered in ESS2303 Earth System Evolution. Possible areas of focus include: the stratigraphic record of global change, techniques in paleoevironmental research, global biogeochemical cycles and paleoceanography. The course will be taught by different instructors depending on the topic, and as demand warrants.

This course will provide a more focused treatment of specific topics covered in ESS2222 Tectonics and Planetary Dynamics. Possible areas of focus include: tectonic modeling, structural analysis, Precambrian geophysics and dynamics of the terrestrial planets. The course will be taught by different instructors depending on the topic, and as demand warrants.