NEW COURSE OFFERINGS IN EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Graduate Courses
Ground Penetrating Radar taught by Dr. Lee Slater
The course will provide a comprehensive background in this
popular geophysical technique that is regularly applied in
environmental investigations and forensics research.
The student will gain competency in the electromagnetic theory
behind the technique and obtain a unique ‘hands on learning’
experience using the GPR instruments owned by Rutgers-Newark.
This ‘hands on’ experience will allow the student to gain confidence
in the data acquisition methods in the field and common processing
techniques used to interpret GPR datasets. The course builds upon a
developing departmental expertise in near surface/environmental
geophysics and complements two other courses in near surface geophysics
[1] 26-380-606-S01: Electrical Environmental Geophysics, and [2] 26-380-607-S01:
Seismic and potential field environmental geophysics.
Hydrogeophysics taught by Dr. Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis
“Hydrogeophysics” is a relatively young discipline concerned with the utilization of
common geophysical methods in order to provide quantitative information for
subsurface hydrogeological parameters and processes. This seminar course will focus
on the hydrogeological information that can be extracted from geophysical techniques
increasingly used in subsurface characterization and monitoring. A key aim is to
introduce students to the governing relationships between hydrogeological and
geophysical properties and how they can be exploited to provide hydrogeological
information on the subsurface using geophysics. This course will not primarily focus
on the theory/application of the geophysical methods as this material is covered in
other courses offered in the department. Rather the focus of this course is the
relationships between geophysical properties of the earth (e.g. electrical resistivity,
dielectric permittivity, seismic velocity) and the hydraulic properties that are required
to improve understanding of subsurface hydrogeology (e.g. hydraulic conductivity,
transmissivity, seepage velocity, porosity). However, certain technological
advancements in geophysics have been made specifically for hydrogeological
applications (e.g. time-lapse monitoring of moisture and solute transport) and these
methodological and modeling approaches will be covered. The course will thus be of
interest to both hydrogeology & geophysics students, as well as environmental
consultants with a background in hydrogeology. Finally, leading scientists in the field
of Hydrogeophysics will be invited to give lectures in their area of expertise.
Offered Fall Semester 2008
Bioremediation
This course will focus on the biological degradation, transformation, and
sequestration of contaminants in the environment, with emphasis on in situ
microbial processes in soil, groundwater, and surface water settings. Bioremediation
of both organic and inorganic contaminants will be examined in depth. Topics include
biosorption of heavy metals, biodegradation of hydrocarbons and chlorinated
solvents, and biocatalysis in environmental systems.
Offered Spring Semester 2006
