Major

The mission of the undergraduate program in Geophysics is to expose students to a broad spectrum of geophysics, including: resource exploration, environmental geophysics, seismology, and tectonics. Students in the major obtain a solid foundation in the essentials of math, physics, and geology, and build upon that foundation with advanced coursework in geophysics to develop the in-depth knowledge they need to pursue advanced graduate study and professional careers in government or the private sector.

Courses listed below are required for the B.S. degree in Geophysics. A written report on original research or an honor's thesis is also required by participation in three quarters of Research Seminar (the Geophysics 185 series) during the senior year. Seniors in Geophysics who expect to undertake graduate work are urged to take the Graduate Record Examination as early as is convenient in their final undergraduate year.

Bachelor of Science in Geophysics

CURRICULUM

GEOPHYSICS CORE COURSES (24-26 units)

Students must take all of the following:

• GEOPHYS 110. Earth on the Edge: Introduction to Geophysics, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 120. Ice, Water, Fire, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 130. Introductory Seismology, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 150. Geodynamics: Our Dynamic Earth , 3 units
• GEOPHYS 160. Introduction to SES Computing, 2 units
  or equivalent knowledge
• GEOPHYS 190. Near-Surface Geophysics, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 196. Undergraduate Research, 5 units
• GEOPHYS 199. Senior Seminar: Issues in Earth Sciences (WIM), 3 units
• GEOPHYS 201. Frontiers of Geophysical Research, 1 unit

GEOPHYSICS BREADTH COURSES (12-14 units)

Choose four upper-level courses, one from each of the following four areas:

1. Resources, hazards, and the environment

• GEOPHYS 182. Reflection Seismology, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 183. Reflection Seismology Interpretation, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 185. Rock Physics for Reservoir Characterization, 3 units
• ENERGY 120. Fundamentals of Petroleum Engineering, 3 units
• GES 131. Hydrologically-Driven Landscape Evolution, 3 units

2. Whole-earth Geophysics

• GEOPHYS 184. Journey to the Center of the Earth, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 140. The Earth from Space: Introduction to Remote Sensing , 3 units
• GEOPHYS 170. Global Tectonics, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 186. Tectonophysics, 3 units

3. Numerical and computational methods

• GEOPHYS 187. Environmental Soundings Image Estimation, 3 units
• GEOPHYS 281. Geophysical Inverse Problems, 3 units
• CME 200. Linear Algebra with Applications to Engineering Computations, 3 units
• CME 204. Partial Differential Equations in Engineering, 3 units
• CME 206. Introduction to Numerical Methods for Engineering, 3 units
• CME 211. Computer Programming in C++ for Earth Scientists and Engineers, 3 units
• EE 102A. Signal Processing and Linear Systems I, 4 units
• ENERGY 160. Modeling Uncertainty, 3 units

4. Geophysical fluid dynamics

• GEOPHYS 181. Fluids and Flow, 3 units
• CEE 164. Introduction to Physical Oceanography, 4 units
• EESS 146A. Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: The Atmospheric Circulation, 3 units
• EESS 220. Physical Hydrogeology, 4 units
• ENERGY 121. Fundamentals of Multiphase Flow, 3 units
• GES 130. Soil Physics and Hydrogeology, 3 units

SUPPORTING MATHEMATICS COURSES

Students must take all of the following (15-20 units):

• CME 100. Vector Calculus for Engineers, 5 units
• CME 102. Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers, 5 units
• CME 104. Linear Algebra and Partial Differential Equations for Engineers, 5 units
• (MATH 51 (recommended: 51M), 52, and 53 plus one of CME 104, CME 108, or GEOPHYS 112 may substitute for the CME series)

SUPPORTING SCIENCE COURSES

Students must take all of the following (16-25 units):

• GES 1A, B, or C Introduction to Geology, 4-5units
• CHEM 31A,B Chemical Principles I & II 8
  or CHEM 31X Chemical Principles, 4 units
  or a score of 4-5 on the Chemistry AP exam
• PHYSICS 41. Mechanics, 4 units
• PHYSICS 43. Electricity and Magnetism, 4 units
• PHYSICS 45. Light and Heat, 4 units
• plus one additional PHYSICS class (4 units)
• PHYSICS 110. Intermediate Mechanics, 4 units
  or PHYSICS 120. Intermediate Electricity & Magnetism , 4 units
  or CEE 101A. Mechanics of Materials, 4 units
  or EE 141. Engineering Electromagnetics, 4 units
  or ME 80. Mechanics of Deformable Bodies, 4 units

plus one additional approved geology class (4 units) typically chosen from among:

• GES 102. Earth Materials: Introduction to Mineralogy, 3 units
• GES 110. Structural Geology and Tectonics, 5 units
• GES 111A. Fundamentals of Structural, 3 units
• GES 151. Sedimentary Geology and Petrography: Depositional Systems, 4 units

For more information: contact Richard Nevle Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Bldg 320-112, 724-0984 or Professor Simon Klemperer Director of Undergraduate Studies, Mitchell 353.

Minor in Geophysics

The Geophysics minor provides students with a general knowledge of Geophysics in addition to a background in the related fields of physics, mathematics, and geology. The minor consists of one required class (3 units), two electives (6 units), and prerequisites in mathematics and physics. Minors require no fewer than 20 units and no more than 36 units.

CURRICULUM

1. GEOPHYS 110

2. Three additional approved upper-level (100 or higher) Geophysics lecture courses, typically chosen from GEOPHYS 120, 130, 140, 150, 170, 184, 190.

3. Supporting science:

1. PHYSICS 20 series (21,22,23,24), or 41 and either 43 or 45
2. GES 1A or 1B or 1C
3. CME 100 or MATH 51

Download departmental program proposal form

In addition, prospective minors must download, complete, and file the Registrar's Major-Minor Course Approval Form.

Coterminal B.S./ M.S. Program

The department also offers a coterminal program. Interested individuals should check with a member of the department faculty for details.

Honors Program

The department offers a program leading to the B.S. degree in Geophysics with honors. The guidelines are: 

1.Select a research project, either theoretical, field, or experimental, that has the approval of an adviser. 
2.Submit a proposal to the department, which decides on its suitability as an honors project. Necessary forms are in the department office. 
3.Course credit for the project is assigned by the adviser within the framework of GEOPHYS 205.
4.The decision whether a given independent study project does or does not merit an award of honors is made jointly by the department and the student'adviser. This decision is based on the quality of both the honors work and the student's other work in Earth sciences.
5.The work done on the honors program cannot be used as a substitute for regularly required courses. 
Please download the Undergraduate Honors Program Application.

Concentration in Geophysics for Physics Majors

Students can now take a concentration in Geophysics as part of their B.S. Degree in Physics. To complete the Geophysics Concentration, students include four geophysics courses in their degree program, or three courses plus a thesis. More information on the concentration is available on the Physics department website, or contact Simon Klemperer.

Application Procedure for B.S.

Prospective Undergraduate Applicants please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission for information and to request an application.