Environmental Science Courses
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26:375:540
Bioremediation (3)
Bioremediation describes the environmental
applications of microbes (mostly bacteria and fungi) to remediate contaminated soils and waters. Remediation can be accomplished by breaking down or altering toxic compounds to less or nontoxic ones, or by retarding their movement into noncontaminated areas. This course will emphasize principles of microbial physiology, how microbes transform contaminants, and the factors that influence rates of bioremediation, and will also cover molecular methods developed to detect impacted sites and
to monitor the effectiveness of bioremediation and/or the presence of contaminant-degrading organisms.
Prerequisites: One semester of general chemistry and one year of general biology.
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26:375:560
Air Pollution Measurements (3)
Focuses on the principals of air pollution and techniques of in situ measurements of pollutants in the ambient air. Topics will include the sources of selected air pollutants, major chemical transformation and removal processes, characteristics of particulate matter (PM), measurement techniques of concentrations, particle-size distributions, and deposition. Regulations on air pollution and techniques on emission reduction will be discussed. Influence of air pollution on the environments locally and globally will also be discussed through case studies.
Prerequisite: Completion of one year of college chemistry, or at least one graduate-level course in one of these areas: atmospheric chemistry, environmental chemistry, geochemistry, environmental chemical science, or air resource management.
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26:375:562
Aqueous Geochemistry (3)
The chemistry of geologic fluids, with emphasis on the chemical reactions that control the composition of groundwater and surface water. Topics include mineral dissolution and precipitation, oxidation and reduction, acid-base and complexation reactions. The carbonate system, coordination chemistry of metal ions, water-rock interactions, and acid mine drainage will also be examined in detail.
Prerequisites: One year of chemistry plus one semester of planet earth or environmental geology.
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26:375:602
Geographic Information System (3)
Introduction to Geographic Information System (GIS) along with extensive hands-on experience with the ESRI ArcGIS software. Topics in this course include: data formats and sources; map design and visualization techniques; map projection, metadata, basic spatial analysis techniques, and web-GIS applications. In weekly lab sessions, students will also learn how to work with Arcmap to visualize geographic data, create maps, geocoding, query a GIS database, and perform spatial analysis using common analysis tools. During final weeks of the semester students will apply their acquired techniques to solve geographic problems using a systematic approach to specific projects. Application of GIS, locally and globally, will also be discussed through case studies.
Prerequisite: Students should know how to use Windows-based software for file management and browsing.
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26:375:701,702
Research in Environmental Sciences (BA,BA)
Thesis research with adviser toward the completion of the graduate degree.
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26:375:725
Independent Study (BA)
Covers areas of study in which one or more students may be interested, but which are not sufficiently broad to warrant a regular course offering.
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26:375:790
Doctoral Dissertation (BA)
Study of the literature pertaining to selected environmental geology topics; analysis of the epistemology used; preparation of critical written reports.
Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree in geology and permission of instructor.
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Environmental Geology Courses
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26:380:510
Advanced Reading in Environmental Geology (3)
Study of the literature pertaining to selected environmental geology
topics; analysis of the epistemology used; preparation of critical
written reports.
Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree in geology and permission of instructor.
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26:380:511
Geologic Site Characterization in New Jersey (3)
Team-taught course focusing on the regional geologic characteristics of New Jersey and adjacent parts of Pennsylvania and New York for application at the environmental engineering site scale. Regional and site characterization provides understanding of geologic conditions that affect site suitability, design, and performance. It also offers the framework for evaluating groundwater hydrology and geochemical, engineering, and seismological characteristics of the site.
Prerequisite: Bachelor's degree in geology or environmental science.
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26:380:520
Structural Controls on the Environment (3)
Examines the structural controls on environmental problems like radon, pollutant transport, and slope stability. Structural petrology is studied to determine the concentration of radioactive elements and other contaminants in deformed rocks. The development of anisotropies is studied to show the movement of fluids including pollutants in rocks. Rock strength and earthquake mechanics are studied to determine slope and foundation stability. Includes practical laboratories and field trips.
Prerequisites: An undergraduate course in structural geology and permission of instructor.
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26:380:521
Analytical Methods in Urban Environmental Pollution (3)
Principles and application of modern instrumental methods to evaluate environmental samples of contemporary relevance. The course is structured for students with varied research backgrounds and goals so that they may apply both specific tools (where applicable) and more generally the concepts towards their own graduate-level research. The importance of
experimental error, standards, statistics, and quality assurance will be emphasized. Specific analytical methods to be discussed and/or
implemented in lab exercises include redox and acid base titrations, spectroscopy (UV-Vis and flame/graphite furnace atomic absorption), CHN
elemental analysis, HPLC, mass spectrometry. In addition, molecular methods to detect and quantify environmentally significant biological
entities (enteric bacteria, harmful viruses) will also be discussed and/or implemented. During the second portion of the course, students will participate in group-based, hands-on field and lab research involving environmental sample collection, processing, and analysis, culminating in written report and oral presentation.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
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26:380:561
Environmental Soil Geochemistry (3)
Chemical principles applied to the study of the soil environment, including mineral-solution equilibria and solubility; adsorption/desorption behavior of soils toward natural constituents and anthropogenic contaminants; cation exchange and oxidation-reduction behavior; transport and fate of contaminants in soils.
Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree in geology and permission of instructor.
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26:380:576
Environmental Geology (3)
Investigation of the processes and cycles that control the global composition and functioning of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and surficial lithosphere. Topics address the interrelationships among the natural cycles and anthropogenic perturbations, including the fate of contaminants in various near-surface environments and methods of characterization and remediation.
Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree in geology and permission of instructor.
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26:380:577
(F) Seminar in Environmental Geology (3)
Human interaction with the geological environment. Case histories involving geological hazards to engineering works, transportation, land use, water, mineral and energy resources, disposal of wastes, and public health.
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26:380:600
Applied Groundwater Modeling (3)
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the applied modeling of groundwater flow and transport in the subsurface. A hands-on, inquiry-driven class that utilizes popular commercial software packages (e.g., Visual Modflow) to demonstrate fundamentals of hydrogeology employed to evaluate groundwater resources, groundwater quality, and the fate of contaminants in the subsurface.
Pre- or corequisite: 400-level undergraduate class, or graduate class, in hydrogeology, or equivalent background as determined by instructor (permission of instructor required if an upper-level hydrogeology class has not been taken).
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26:380:606
Electrical Environmental Geophysics (3)
Theory and application of electrical geophysical methods in the characterization of near-surface features, with emphasis on solving environmental and engineering problems. Course focuses on the following methods: (1) DC resistivity, (2) induced polarization, and (3) electromagnetic induction.
Prerequisite: Applied geophysics or permission of instructor.
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26:380:607
Seismic Environmental Geophysics (3)
Overview of the theory, methodology, processing, and interpretation of the seismic reflection and refraction geophysical methods. Focus on the environmental applications of these techniques in geological site characterization, groundwater, and remediation surveys. Introduction to field data acquisition and processing at a site close to campus. Note that the class involves a mandatory field component.
Prerequisite: Applied geophysics or permission of instructor.
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26:380:608
Ground Penetrating Radar (3)
Comprehensive study of theory, methodology, processing, and interpretation of the ground penetrating radar geophysical method. Focus on the environmental applications of this technique in site characterization studies, contaminant studies, remediation, groundwater surveys, archeology and forensics. Exploration of field data acquisition and processing techniques at sites on and/or close to campus. This class includes a mandatory field component.
Prerequisite: Applied Geophysics (26:460:406 or equivalent) or permission of instructor.
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26:380:609
Quantitative Methods in Environmental Geophysics (3)
Presents a comprehensive study of the theory and practice of geophysical inversion. Inverse methods are used to transform geophysical data into a physical model of the subsurface, which allows geophysicists to draw meaning from their data. The focus of this class will be the application of geophysical inverse methods in environmental geophysics and hydrogeophysics; however, the material of the class will be relevant to many areas of applied geophysics.
Prerequisites: Applied Geophysics (26:460:406 or equivalent) and Linear Algebra (26:640:350 or equivalent) or permission of instructor.
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26:380:610
Potential Field Methods in Applied Geophysics (3)
Comprehensive study on the theory and practice of potential field methods in geophysics. Potential field methods include gravity and magnetic surveys; these methods rely on Earth's gravitational and magnetic field and are used to image the subsurface. The material presented in class will focus on the application of these methods to environmental problems. The course will include a mandatory field component.
Prerequisite: Applied Geophysics (26:460:406 or equivalent) or permission of instructor.
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26:380:701
Research in Geology (BA)
Thesis research with adviser toward the completion of the graduate degree.
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26:380:800
Matriculation Continued (E1)
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