Courses

GEO 455S/485S – Introduction to Remote Sensing for Geoscientists

Taught in fall semester (undergraduate and graduate level)
This course covers the fundamentals of acquiring, processing, and interpreting remote sensing data. Laboratories provide opportunities for students to develop applied skills in analysis of remote sensing data for problems related to the geosciences. Topics covered include: physics of electromagnetic radiation and interaction with geologic materials; common techniques for remote sensing as applied to the geosciences (e.g., infrared spectroscopy, lidar, SAR); and techniques for analysis of remote sensing data (e.g., image classification; spectral mixture analysis; stereogrammetry/structure from motion).

GEO 311D – GeoData

Taught in spring semester (undergraduate level)
This course covers a broad array of topics related to data acquisition, storage/organization, analysis, visualization, and interpretation in the Earth and planetary sciences. The course is designed for lower division undergraduates to build a foundation in quantitative skills (e.g., spatial analysis, regression, coding concepts, etc.) that have direct application to Earth and planetary science problems, and that they will use throughout their degree. Topics covered in this course include: organizing digital files; simple data calculations and table manipulations; basic statistics; introductory coding; and basic geospatial analysis.
 

PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT COURSES

GEO 416M – Sedimentary Rocks

Taught in fall semester (undergraduate level)
The goal of this course is to build a general understanding of the major characteristics of sedimentary deposits and rocks formed in different environments. Laboratories provide students practical opportunities to learn how to describe and interpret sedimentary rocks in hand sample and thin section, and apply the principles of stratigraphy. Topics covered in this course include: sediment grain properties (physical and chemical) and production; sediment transport, deposition and resultant structures; processes of diagenesis; characteristics of distinct sedimentary environments (e.g., aeolian, deltaic, fluvial); and stratigraphic principles and facies models.