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A S U

Master of Science in Geology

2021-10-19

General Courses for all Groups
Geo. 601 Field Geology and Statistical Geology

(a) Field Geology: Sampling and field identification of rocks - Basic procedures at outcrops: Observations, field relations, interpretations, and measuring attitudes of planar and linear features - Methods of determining location - Geologic field mapping (on topographic base maps, aerial photographs and space images) - Construction of geologic cross sections - Measuring stratigraphic sections - Report writing.
(b) Statistical Geology: Introduction to geo-statistics - Computers and programming – Probability – Mode - Mean and standard deviation. Kurtosis and skewness - Correlation coefficient - Testing normal populations - T-test. X2 test. Analysis of sequences of data (least- Square method and regression analysis) – Semi-variograph technique.

Geo. 613 Sedimentary Petrology and Sedimentation
(a) Sedimentary Petrology:
Terrigenous clastic sediments (Sandstones, conglomerates, breccias, and mud rocks) – Limestones – Evaporites – Ironstones – Phosphates - Coal - Oil shale - Cherts and siliceous sediments and volcanoclastic sediments.
(b) Sedimentation: Processes during sedimentation: Grain movement – Bedforms - Dynamics of moving particles and fluids - Transport mechanisms - Currents and their deposits - Subaqueous gravity processes - Facies models: Alluvial – Eolian - Fluvial - Lacustrine – Deltaic – Coastal - Shelf - Flysch, turbidite and pelagic - Tectonics and sedimentation: Geosynclines and sedimentary basins at convergent plate boundaries.

I- Mineralogy and Petrology Group
Geo. 611 Mineralogy and Geochemistry
(a) Mineralogy:
Study of the nesosilicate - Sorosilicate, inosilicate (Single and double chain) - phyllosilicate and tectosilicate minerals.
(b) Geochemistry: Advanced geochemical studies in the following topics: Chemical weathering – Colloids - Clay minerals and soils - Crystallization of magmas – Metamorphism - Distribution of the elements - Isotope geochemistry - Rare earth geochemistry - Ore-forming solutions - Oxidation of ore deposits.

Geo. 612 Igneous Petrology and Metamorphic Petrology
(a) Igneous Petrology:
Magmatism at divergent and convergent plate boundaries as well as intraplate magmatism (Continental rifts, oceanic islands and basic layered intrusions).
(b) Metamorphic Petrology: Macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic textures and structures of metamorphic rocks - Low, medium and high pressure metamorphic facies - Metamorphism at plate boundaries.

Geo. 614B Advanced Crystallography, ore petrology and Lab Techniques
(a) Advanced Crystallography:
Principles of identification of the internal crystal structure - The use of X-ray diffraction in determination of the internal symmetry of crystals and unit cell as well as determination of the internal crystal structure - Identification of crystalline substances by X- ray diffraction - X-ray crystallography applied to identification of clay minerals - Characterization of crystalline substances - Crystalline vs non crystalline substances and dust and environmental pollution.
(b) Ore Petrology: Ore petrography – Ore paragenesis – Phase rule – PTX diagrams – Sulphide studies.
(c) Lab Techniques: X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence - Atomic absorption spectrophotometry - Fluid inclusion technique - Advanced electron microscopy - Energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis - Microprobe analysis - Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) - Mineral separation - Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for total chemical analysis - Thermal analysis technique.

II- Stratigraphy Group
Geo. 624 Advanced Structural Geology and Geotectonic
(a) Advanced Structural Geology:
Types of structures - Sources of structural data - Detailed structural analysis - Strain and stress - Folds – Tectonites – Joints - Normal faults - Growth faults - Continental rifts - Half grabens and transfer zones - Thrust faults and thrust systems - Strike-slip faults and wrenching (Simple - Convergent - Divergent) - Releasing and restraining bends - Strike-slip duplexes and flower structures - Termination of strike-slip faults - Diapiric structures.
(b) Geotectonic: Geosynclines and geosyncline theory - Continental Drift - Scientific achievements leading to the New Global Tectonics - Plate Tectonics - Examples of tectonic regions: Divergent plate boundaries (Red Sea) - Convergent plate boundaries (Zagros mountains) - Transform plate boundaries (The Dead Sea Transform) - Tectonostratigraphic assemblages in convergent and divergent tectonic settings.

Geo. 628 Advanced Lithostratigraphy and Biostratigraphy
(a) Advanced lithostratigraphy:
Principles of stratigraphic classification - Stratigraphic definitions and procedures of establishing stratigraphic units – Stratotypes - Lithostratigraphic units - Procedures of establishing and extending lithostratigraphic units -
(b) Biostratigraphy: Code of bio stratigraphic units - Chronostratigraphic scale - Chronostratigraphy of the Precambrian - Bio stratigraphic correlation of Cambrian – Ordovician – Silurian – Devonian – Carboniferous – Permian – Triassic – Jurassic – Cretaceous – Paleogene - Neogene - Bio stratigraphic zonation of Cretaceous – Paleogene - Neogene.

Geo. 631 Micropaleontology or Micropaleontology and Paleoecology
(a) Micropaleontology or Micropaleontology:
Definitions - Detailed description – Anatomy – Classification - Phylogenetic trends of different groups of micro- or macrofossils and their applications.
(b) Paleoecology: Fundamental ecologic principles - The concept of paleoecology - Environmental analysis of terrestrial – Marine - Shallow marine environments - Autecology (External factors: Shape of the earth – Temperature – Oxygen – Salinity - Depth - Stratum) - The concepts of foraminiferal paleoecology - Modern methods of paleoecology - Applied paleoecology.

III- Structural Geology Group
Geo. 624 Advanced Structural Geology and Geotectonic
(a) Advanced Structural Geology:
Types of structures - Sources of structural data - Detailed structural analysis - Strain and stress - Folds – Tectonites – Joints - Normal faults - Growth faults - Continental rifts - Half grabens and transfer zones - Thrust faults and thrust systems - Strike-slip faults and wrenching (Simple - Convergent - Divergent) - Releasing and restraining bends - Strike-slip duplexes and flower structures - Termination of strike-slip faults - Diapiric structures.
(b) Geotectonics: Geosynclines and geosynclinal theory - Continental Drift - Scientific achievements leading to the New Global Tectonics - Plate Tectonics - Examples of tectonic regions: Divergent plate boundaries (Red Sea) - Convergent plate boundaries (Zagros mountains) - Transform plate boundaries (The Dead Sea Transform) - Tectonostratigraphic assemblages in convergent and divergent tectonic settings.

Geo. 628 Advanced Lithostratigraphy and Biostratigraphy
(a) Advanced lithostratigraphy:
Principles of stratigraphic classification - Stratigraphic definitions and procedures of establishing stratigraphic units – Stratotypes - Lithostratigraphic units - Procedures of establishing and extending lithostratigraphic units -
(b) Biostratigraphy: Code of bio stratigraphic units - Chronostratigraphic scale - Chronostratigraphy of the Precambrian - Bio stratigraphic correlation of Cambrian – Ordovician – Silurian – Devonian – Carboniferous – Permian – Triassic – Jurassic – Cretaceous – Paleogene - Neogene - Bio stratigraphic zonation of Cretaceous – Paleogene - Neogene.

Geo. 641 Photogeology and Geomorphology
(a) Photogeology:
Aerial photography - Electromagnetic spectrum - Film technology - Types of aerial photographs (Conventional B/W, B/W IR, Color IR, UV) - Multispectral cameras - Mechanical scanners - Satellite imagery and its advantages - Digital image processing - Digital mosaics - Stereovision of satellite images - Uses of satellite images - Geologic interpretation of aerial photographs and satellite images.
(b) Geomorphology: Concepts of geomorphology - Geomorphic processes - Topography upon structures - Base level changes - Peneplain concept - Hillslope geomorphology – Fluvial geomorphology - Desert geomorphology - Karst topography - Coastal geomorphology - Main landforms of Egypt - Quantitative analysis in geomorphology.

IV- Hydrology Group
Geo. 614a Lithostratigraphy and Structural Geology
(a) Lithostratigraphy:
Lithosome and biosome – Vertical - Lateral and combined - vertical and lateral relationships among lithosomes - Sedimentary facies - Sedimentary environments.
(b) Structural Geology: Types of structures - Sources of structural data - Stress and strain - Stress and strain ellipsoids - Types of deformation - Folds and their structure contour maps - Joints and their representation - Normal faults - Thrust/reverse, and strike-slip faults and their associated features - Structure contour maps of faulted rocks - Construction of structural cross sections from surface and subsurface data - Structural features of Egypt.

Geo. 627 Physical Properties of Rocks and Formation Evaluation
(a) Physical Properties of Rocks:
Grain and pore space history - Rock density – Porosity and permeability - Capillarity and pore throat distribution - Storage capacity properties – Electrical – Ecoustic – Mechanical – Magnetic – Thermal - Radiation properties of rocks - Problems and applications.
(b) Formation Evaluation: Study of different types of logs (Shale Content logs - Porosity Tools - Electric Resistivity Logs - Thermal Decay Time Log (TDT)) - Log interpretation for determination of lithology – Porosity - Saturation.

Geo. 651 Hydrogeology and Hydrodynamics
(a) Hydrogeology:
Revision of principles of hydrogeology - Practical applications of hydrogeology - Methods and approaches of research in hydrogeology - Techniques of collecting – Processing - Ttabulating hydrogeologic data - Methods of field and lab analysis in hydrogeology - Graphical representation in hydrogeology - Hydrogeologic concept of developing groundwater resources - Case studies in hydrogeology.
(b) Hydrodynamics: Theory of flow of groundwater - Flow of groundwater in unconfined - Semi-confined - Confined aquifers - Hydraulic factors of groundwater aquifers - Flow of groundwater through wells - Hydraulic problems during drilling – Development - Production and their solutions.