Credit Hours - 2

This course is designed to improve students’ quantitative and problem solving skills applied to geological problems. Student will learn and practice various types of mathematical approaches used to quantify processes across a broad range of geoscience disciplines, including mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, hydrogeology, and geophysics. Topics to be covered include: mathematics as a tool for solving geological problems; common relationships between geological variables; equations and how to manipulate them; trigonometry; graphs; statistics; differential and integral calculus. Students will be given projects to design and solve mathematically relevant problems in geology using any of the mathematical techniques discussed in class.

Reading list:

• Davis, J.C. (2003). Statistics and data analysis in geology. Wiley
• Ferguson, J. (1994). Introduction to linear algebra in geology. Chapman and Hall
• Fowler, C.M.R. (2004). The solid earth: an introduction to global geophysics. Cambridge University Press.
• Koch, G.S., & Link, R.G. (1970). Statistical analysis of geological data. Dover Publications.
• Turcotte & Schubert (1982). Geodynamics. Wiley
• Waltham, D. (2000). Mathematics: a simple tool for geologists. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.

Credit Hours - 1

Long vacation industrial attachment to a governmental or private sector geoscience or related institution/ company. Credit is contingent on submission of a final report by students and an assessment report by industry. This course offers an opportunity for students with little or no experience to come into a professional working environment and work hands-on in their chosen field.

Credit Hours - 2

This course has both lecture and practical components. The lecture component covers petrographic work on the origin, mode of formation, compositions, textures, fabric and classification of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The practical component covers the study of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks in hand specimen and in thin sections. Concepts are illustrated by rock suites from Ghana and elsewhere.

Reading lists:

• Best, M.G. (1982). Igneous and metamorphic petrology. Freeman.
• Ehlers, G.E. & Blatt, H. (1997). Petrology, Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. CBS publishers and distribution.4596/1-A new delhi-11000, India.
• Loren, A. R. (1995). Petrology: The study of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. WCB, McGraw-Hill.
• Nesse, & William, D. (2000). Introduction to Mineralogy. New York, Oxford University Press.
• Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A., & Zussman, J. (2013). An Introduction to the Rock-forming Minerals. London: Mineralogical Society.  
• Winter, D.J. (2001). An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. Prentice hall

Credit Hours - 2

This course aims to provide a practical introduction to palaeontology - the study of ancient life forms preserved as fossils. It examines how fossils are preserved, the identification of fossils and explains how fossils are used in establishing geologic age of rocks, correlating strata, and reconstructing paleoenvironments. The contents are as follows:  Study of Phyla: porifera, cnidarian, hemichordata,mollusca, brachiopoda; nature of the organism and geologic importance; important index fossils; environmental stratigraphy and environmental reconstruction. Identification and sketching of some specimens of the phyla of organisms indicated above.

Reading List

• Brouwer, A. (1967). General Palaeontology. Oliver and Boyd Ltd, London.
• Clarkson, E. N. K. (1996).  Invertebrate Palaeotology and Evolution (3rd Edition). Chapman and Hall, London, New York. 
• Jackson, P. N.  Introducing Palaeontology, A guide to ancient life. Dunedin.
• Laporte, L. F. (1979). Ancient Environments (2nd Edition). Prentice -Hall Inc. New Jersey.                
• Raup, M. P., & Stanley, S. M. (1978).  Principles of Palaeontology (2nd Edition). W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco. 
• Shrock, R. R. & Twenhofel, W.H. (1953).  Principles of Invertebrate Palaeontology (2nd Edition). McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. New York. 

Credit Hours - 2

Introduction to basic principles of geophysics as applicable to the solid earth. Topics covered include general earth properties (size, mass, and moment of inertia), seismology (wave equation, P, S, and surface waves, seismic reflection and refraction), gravity (gravity anomalies, rheology, flexure, geodesy, and geoid), magnetics (dipole field, paleomagnetics, and seafloor spreading), the electrical methods, radioactivity and geochronology, and heat flow.

Reading List:

• Cara, M., & Babuska, V. (1991). Modern Approaches in Geophysics: Seismic Anisotropy in Earth 10. Springer.
• Lowrie, W. (2007). Fundamentals of Geophysics (2nd Edition). Cambridge University Press.               
• McDowell, P.W. (2002). Geophysics in Engineering Investigations. Construction Industry Research & Information Association. 
• Parasnis, D.S. (1996). Principles of Applied Geophysics. Springer.
• Reynolds, J.M. (2011). An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics. Wiley & Sons Incorporated. 

Credit Hours - 2

This course is intended to familiarize students with the tools of geochemistry. These include the tools of thermodynamics, kinetics, aquatic chemistry, and trace element geochemistry. The course is divided into two parts. Part I covers the theory and application of thermodynamics and kinetics to processes controlling the composition of natural waters, and basic mineral-water-atmospheric gas interactions. Part II covers trace elements in igneous processes, including Goldschmidt’s classification of the elements and the geochemical periodic table, element partitioning between coexisting minerals, and trace element distribution during partial melting and crystallization.

Reading lists:

• Faure, G. (1998). Principles and Applications of Geochemistry (2nd Edition). Prentice Hall
• Holland, H., & Turekian, K. (2011). Geochemistry of earth surface systems. Academic Press, Elsevier
• McSween, H.Y. Jr., Richardson, S.M. & Uhle, M.E. (2003). Geochemistry: Pathways and Processes. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
• Shaw, D.M. (2006). Trace Elements in Magmas. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
• White, W.M. (2013). Geochemistry. Wiley-Blackwell

Credit Hours - 2

A practical field-based course consisting of two parts. Part I covers the most commonly used field equipment and outlines field safety procedures. It explores the general objectives of fieldwork, the use of a field notebook, and the necessary skills for the collection of paleontological and sedimentological data. Part II involves about six days ‘live-in’ field exercises in a sedimentary terrain (e.g., the Sekondian Group in the Sekondi/Takoradi area), providing 'hands-on' instructions on the recognition, identification, description and interpretations of geological features.

Reading lists:

• Assaad, A.F., LaMoreaux, E.P., & Hughes, T.H. (2004). Field methods for Geologists and Hydrogeologists. Springer.
• Coe, L.A., Argles, T.W., Rothery, D.A., & Spicer, R.A. (2010). Geological field mapping techniques. Blackwell Publishing Limited. 
• Lisle, J.R., Brabham, P., & Barnes, J. (2011). Basic Geological mapping. The geological field guide series (5th Edition). John Wiley. 

Credit Hours - 2

This is a practical course involving the essentials of geometrical crystallography and internal order of crystals. The detail syllabus is as follows: Essentials of geometrical crystallography: Crystal description, symmetry elements, crystal symmetry, crystallographic axes. Parameters, indices, crystallographic notation, principal laws of geometric crystallography. Faces, forms, zones, crystal habit, measurement of crystal angles. Law of rational indices, classification of crystals, crystal systems, thirty-two crystal classes, spherical projection, stereographic projection, intergrowth of crystals. Essentials of Internal Order of crystals: Symmetry elements, space lattice, unit cell, space groups.

Reading List

• Clegg, W. (1998). Crystal Structure Determination (2nd Edition). Oxford University Press,    
• Muller, P., Herbst-Irmer, R., Spek, A., Schneider, T., & Sawaya, M. (2006). Crystal Structure 
• Refinement: A Crystallographer's Guide to SHELXL (International Union of Crystallography Texts on Crystallography). Oxford University Press.
• Phillips, F.C. (1971). Introduction to Crystallography. John Wiley & Sons Canada Limited,             
• Sands, D.E. (2010). Introduction to Crystallography. Dover Publications. 
• Stout, G.H.  (1989). X-Ray Structure Determination: A Practical Guide (2nd Edition). X Wiley-Interscience.

Credit Hours - 2

This course is designed to prepare students for the study of rocks in thin section (i.e. petrography). Topics to be covered include the elementary principles of crystal optics, familiarization with and use of the microscope, the immersion method, isotropic, uniaxial, and biaxial optics, and the detailed study of rock-forming minerals in thin section. By the end of the course students should be able to identify the major rock-forming minerals in thin section. In order to accomplish this objective students will learn about the underlying concepts related to mineral behaviour in transmitted/polarized light and the use of the petrographic microscope.

Reading lists:

• Edward, M. (2013). The Practical Methods of Identifying Minerals in Thin Section with microscope and the principle. Read Books Limited, India.
• Gribble, C.D., & Hall, A.J. (1992). Optical Mineralogy; Principles and Practice. Chapman & Hall, New York.
• Mita, S. (1996). Fundamentals of Optical, Spectroscopic and X-ray Mineralogy. New York.
• Perkins, D., & Henke, K.R. (2004). Minerals in Thin Section. Prentice Hall, New York.
• Stoiber, R.E., & Morse, S.A. (1994). Crystal identification with the polarizing microscope. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
• William, D, & Nesse, (2016). Introduction to Mineralogy. Oxford University Press, London.

Credit Hours - 2

This course provides an overview of sedimentary processes and products, and the basic principles of stratigraphic analysis and correlation. Topics covered in class include weathering, erosion, transport, deposition; sediments; lithification, diagenesis; sedimentary rocks; common sedimentary structures, depositional environments; stratigraphic nomenclature and the stratigraphic column; basic principles of stratigraphy. Lab work involving application and interpretation of the sedimentary and stratigraphic principles to historical geology.

Reading List:

• Boggs, S. Jr; (2006).  Principles of sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4th Edition). Pearson, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
• Davis, R. (1983). Depositional Systems. Prentice Hall INC, New Jersey. 
• Poort, J. M., & Carlson, R.J. (1992).   Historical Geology. Interpretation and Applications (4th Edition).  Prentice Hall INC, New Jersey.
• Krumbein, W. C., & Sloss, L. L. (1959).  Stratigraphy and Sedimentation. W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco.
• Laporte, L.F. (1979). Ancient Environments (2nd Edition). Prentice Hall, New Jersey. 
• Mathews, R. K. (1974). Dynamic Stratigraphy. Prentice Hall INC, New Jersey. 

Credit Hours - 2

The course discusses, from first principles, the morphology of the common types of geological structures, and relates them to their manifestation on the ground and geological maps. It covers the recognition and interpretation of geological structures from maps. The types of geological structures taught in class include: rock bodies, horizontal and dipping strata, folds, faults, joints, fractures, faulted folds, folds with cleavages, unconformities, and mapping of rocks and structures. Students shall learn how maps show the distribution of rocks and structures and how these can be interpreted to give information on the geological history, relative ages of rocks and events.

Reading lists:

• Bennison, G.M. (1990). An introduction to geological structures and maps. New York, NY: Chapman and Hall
• Borradaile, G. (2014). Understanding geology through maps. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
• Lisle, R.J. (2004). Geological structures and maps: a practical guide. Amsterdam: Elsevier
• McClay, K.R. (1987). The mapping of geological structures. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
• Roberts, J.L. (1982). Introduction to geological maps and structures. New York, NY: Pergamon Press Inc.