You are in the official 2002-2003 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
California State University, Fresno geology students study active volcanism in New Zealand.
The College of Science and Mathematics
C. JOHN SUEN, Chair
STEPHEN D. LEWIS, Vice Chair
EVANGELINA (VENGIE) BALLI, Administrative Support Coordinator
McLane Hall, Room 285
(559) 278-3086
http://www.csufresno.edu/geology/
B.S. in Environmental Sciences
Approval pending. The B.S. in Environmental Sciences is jointly conferred
with UC Riverside.
B.A. in Natural
Sciences
Earth Science Option
Faculty
C. John Suen, Chair
Stephen D. Lewis, Vice Chair
Frederika J.M. Harmsen, Graduate Adviser
Robert G. Dundas, Lecturer
Arthur H. Barabas, Bruce A. Blackerby, Roland H. Brady, Robert D. Merrill,
P. Graham Mortyn
Why study earth science? What is it?
- Continents adrift and colliding
- Natural resources
- Energy resources and waste disposal
- Oceans, atmosphere, and climate change
- Floods and landslides
- Construction siting and materials
- Fossils and evolution
- Surface and underground waters
- Volcanoes and earthquakes
- Mountain building and erosion
- 4.6 billion years of earth history
- Environmental education
- Remote sensing and spacial information analysis
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at California State
University, Fresno offers courses leading to the Bachelor of Science and
Master of Science in Geology -- as well as the Bachelor of Arts in Natural
Sciences and the Minor in Geology -- which are especially well-suited for
primary and secondary teachers.
Collaborating with the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University
of California, Riverside, the department also offers a special program leading
to the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences. The degree is jointly
conferred by California State University, Fresno and the University of California,
Riverside.
Coursework and research emphasize field and laboratory investigations
of geologic and environmental problems. Our field orientation takes advantage
of the university's proximity to the Sierra Nevadas, the California Coast
Ranges, coastal California, and the desert provinces. This unique location
gives faculty and students access to an unparalleled outdoor laboratory,
all within short trips from the university.
The department's close relationship with state agencies and the private
sector enables many students to pursue internships or part-time employment
in geologic and environmental work while they complete their degrees.
The Bachelor of Science in geology prepares students for employment in petroleum
geology, mineral exploration, land-use planning, environmental assessment,
hydrology, and engineering geology, or for teaching earth science or physical
science at the secondary level. The Master of Science program provides a
graduate degree for students who want to work in industry or government
on the professional level, for students who want to teach earth science
in junior college, or for students who wish to pursue further graduate study.
Our applied geology option specializes in engineering geology, hydrogeology,
or exploration geology fields, which have the strongest employment potential.
Students may also participate in coursework and research in marine geology
and oceanography offered through Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Monterey
Bay. Consult the chairs of the Earth and Environmental Sciences and Biology
departments. See Moss Landing Marine
Laboratories, Biology Department.
Facilities and Support
Department equipment includes:
- X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer
- Polarizing microscopes for transmitted and reflected light petrography
- Cathode luminoscope for microscopic study of textures
- Heating-freezing stage for microscopic study of fluid inclusions
- Rock preparation laboratory, which includes crushing and mineral separation facilities, as well as diamond saws and lapping machines for preparing thin and polished sections
- Remote Sensing/Geo Information Systems (GIS)
- Microcomputers and peripherals
- IBM and SUN engineering workstations
- Electronic mapping lab
- Fully equipped distance learning instructional lab
- Field and laboratory equipment for water chemistry studies
- Field geophysical instruments: 12 channel seismograph, single channel seismograph DC resistivity meter, magnetometer/gradiometer, laptop computer
- Two four-wheel drive vehicles and three other field vehicles
Career Opportunities
Career pathways in earth science can lead to occupations in:
- environmental, planetary, engineering, structural, petroleum, and mining geology
- volcanology, mineralogy, and hydrogeology
- soil science, sedimentology, and geoarcheology
- oceanography, paleontology, and geomorphology
Earth and Environmental Sciences Courses