Current Graduate Courses

Friday 10-12 pm, ES2119

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.

Wednesday 10-12, ES2119

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.

Friday 1-6 pm, ES2100

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, GLG. Recommended preparation: BIO468H1/469Y1/ GLG216H1

ESS2303 explores the evolution of Earth as a system through a geochemical perspective. The course will emphasize geochemical proxy records of the Great Oxidation Event and examine its geological evidence in northern Ontario. A mandatory five-day field trip to Whitefish Falls (September 22-26) will be included. Students will investigate the Huronian glaciations and study 2.1 billion-year-old rocks containing debated worm-like structures, potentially the earliest evidence of free oxygen in the atmosphere. Students are expected to complete independent reading before and after the field trip as well as writing a field report.

This course will cover the theory and applications of chemistry in the earth and environmental sciences. Topics covered will be based on student interests and might include chemical bonding, acid-base equilibria, speciation, oxidation-reduction reactions, cosmic abundances, nucleosynthesis, radioactive decay, dating of geological materials, and stable isotopes. 

An individual directed studies course about a selected topic in Earth Sciences. A maximum of one directed studies course may be used to fulfil program requirements. Contact the Graduate Administrator for more information.

Monday 3-5 pm

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.

Thursday 1-3 and Friday 9-12, ES2101 

Monday 12-2, ES1062

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.

This advanced seismology course 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. For the Year 2023/2024, subjects such as seismic data processing, computational seismology and earthquake fault dynamics will be covered.

An individual directed studies course about a selected topic in Earth Sciences. A maximum of one directed studies course may be used to fulfil program requirements.Contact the Graduate Administrator for more information.

An individual directed studies course about a selected topic in Earth Sciences. A maximum of one directed studies course may be used to fulfil program requirements.Contact the Graduate Administrator for more information.

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.

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.