Planetary Geology. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours

Catalog description

Prerequisite: PHY 1963 , or consent of instructor. This course is designed for students in the Sciences or Engineering and no prior Geological knowledge is assumed, although Earth will be our point of reference. Survey of the interior and surface geology of solid bodies in our Solar System and beyond (planets, moons, asteroids, comets, Kuiper Belt Objects and exoplanets). Topics will include bulk composition and differentiation of planetary interiors, surface processes such as (cryo-) volcanism and meteorite impacts, erosion and sedimentation by fluids and wind, and heat transfer styles. There will be an emphasis on how we know things and what we don't know, quantifying uncertainties in measurements and models, and the nature of planetary scientific enquiry. This course has Differential Tuition.