Fall 2024

Instructor: Fred Longstaffe 

Stable isotopes (O,H,C,S,N) systematics in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, sedimentary and diagenetic systems, hydrothermal systems, fluid migration, ore-forming fluids, igneous rocks and meteorites. Environmental applications: groundwater, soil organic matter, climate fluctuation; global cycle modification. 

Course Outline: Stable Isotope

*Cross-listed with ES 4431A

Instructor: Alina Shchepetkina ashchep@uwo.ca

Offered: Nova Scotia and New Brunswick 

A ten-day field trip to study aspects of the Appalachian Orogen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Students planning to take this course should have a reasonable grounding in igneous and sedimentray petrology, and in structural geology. Participation is at the discretion of the instructor. There will be a fee associated with this course.

 Course Outline: Regional Field Geology (TBA)

*Cross-listed with ES 4450Y

*** Note: Students signed up for this course in early summer. Arrangements have been made and tickets have already been purchased. Please do not register for the course unless you have already been in contact with Alina Shchepetkina

Instructor: Robert Shcherbakov

Offered: (TBA)

This course will provides an introduction into parameter estimation and data inversion for several geophysical problems. During the course, the students will be given an overview of fundamental concepts related to the construction of forward models, design of optimization methods and algorithms, and inversion of data for the underlying geophysical processes. Topics will include discrete linear inverse problems, maximum likelihood methods, Lanczos (Singular Value) decomposition, uniqueness and accuracy, data and model weighting, Bayesian formulation of the inverse problem, and non-linear problems.

 Course Outline: Geophysical Forward and Inverse Modelling

*Crosslisted with ES 4420A

Instructor: Sheri Molnar smolnar8@uwo.ca

Offered: (TBA)

An off-campus Geophysical field school providing an introduction to geophysical techniques, including gravity, magnetic, seismic and electromagnetic methods. Classroom lectures, with accompanying outdoor sessions and field exercises. Offered in co-operation with other Universities, with participation from geophysical contractors. The course meets professional registration requirements for Field Techniques (Geophysics). The course takes place during a ten day period in early September in the Calabogie and Admaston areas south and east of Ottawa (roughly eight hours drive from London). Students completing the course will learn to operate proficiently basic geophysical instrumentation; to design and carry out geophysical surveys to meet industry needs in mineral exploration, environmental engineering and petroleum exploration; to reduce and interpret data arising from such surveys; and to communicate the results of the surveys through professionally written reports and presentations.

Course Outline: Geophysics Field School (TBA)

*Cross-listed with the Earth Sciences 4451Z undergraduate course. 

Instructor: Rick Secco secco@uwo.ca 

An introduction to solid earth geophysics with emphasis on elasticity and thermal state. Physics and thermodynamics are applied to materials constituting the deep earth to derive information from available observable and laboratory data.

 Course Outline: Physics of the Earth's Interior

*Crosslisted with ES 3321A

Instructor: Katsu Goda kgoda2@uwo.ca

This course will provide an overview of analytical/numerical approaches, i.e. catastrophe models, in modelling, assessing, and mitigating the impact of natural catastrophes. It covers four main elements of catastrophe models, namely, hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and risk. More specifically, students will be exposed to various hazard modelling techniques (event frequency, hazard intensity, footprint modelling, etc.), gathering of exposure information (databases from public sources, GIS-type data acquisition), vulnerability modelling (damage surveys, statistical modelling of structural fragility, and its use for damage assessment), and risk quantification and management (physical mitigation, financial protection, and risk communication). Financial/insurance implications and aspects of disaster risk policies will also be incorporated, as appropriate. The students are expected to develop a comprehensive understanding of the sequences and their connections that comprise natural catastrophe modelling and assessment. This will be facilitated through assignments, computer lab sessions, and research-oriented individual project. 

 Course Outline: Natural Catastrophes

*Crosslisted with HRR 9573

Instructor: Catherine Neish cneish@uwo.ca 

Offered: (TBA)

This is an intensive 7-day short course for graduate students, researchers, industry and government employees on planetary science. This course is mandatory for all new planetary science graduate students at Western and should be taken during the first year. The focus of the course will be on the fundamental processes that have shaped the terrestrial planets and their moons, and asteroids. Particular emphasis will be placed on investigations of the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, which represent the highest priority targets for the Canadian planetary science community and the Canadian Space Agency. Some of the world’s leading experts on planetary science will present 1 day or half-day modules on selected topics. The course will be suitable for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and for professionals from industry and government. The course will feature both overview lectures on background theory, smaller topical study groups as well as hands-on activities involving imagery returned from unmanned orbiters and landers as well as astromaterials in the form of meteorites and analogue materials. Recent and ongoing planetary missions will be highlighted. It is intended to provide the non-specialist with a working knowledge of the multidisciplinary fields within planetary science.

For more information: https://space.uwo.ca/training/graduate_students/index.html

 Course Outline: Intro to Planetary Science (TBA)