Geology
9 courses · Las Positas College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026
GEOL 1 Physical Geology
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- GEOL 100
The Earth, its materials, its internal and external processes, and its development through time. Emphasis is placed on a thorough global understanding of Plate Tectonics as a framework and foundation for subsequent geologic topics and concepts. Topics include volcanoes, earthquakes and seismology, the Geologic Time Scale and the formation of the earth, rocks and minerals, hydrology, erosion, beach systems, environmental geology, glaciation, groundwater, etc. Course content includes the historical development of key geologic concepts. This is the foundation course for almost all subsequent geology courses for both geology majors and non-majors.
GEOL 1L Physical Geology Laboratory
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 54 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- GEOL 1 or GEOL 5 or GEOL 7, may be taken concurrently.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- GEOL 100L
Laboratory course to supplement the physical geology lecture course. Introduction to the materials and techniques of geology. Includes minerals, rocks, topographic and geologic maps, structural geology, identification and interpretation of landforms, geologic time and relative age dating analysis, etc.
GEOL 2 Historical Geology
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture,, 54 hours laboratory
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- GEOL 111
An introduction to Earth’s history and the life it supports with a laboratory. Subjects include geologic dating, plate tectonics, stratigraphy, fossils, biological evolution, the planet’s origin and the processes that have influenced paleogeography during the past 4.6 billion years.
GEOL 5 Environmental Geology: Hazards & Disasters
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- GEOL 130 (if taken with GEOL 7)
Understanding and planning for the effects of natural hazards and disasters on the earth, the ecosystem and human populations. Content covers the basic natural hazard processes, where and why they occur, as well as considerations for environmental land-use planning. Environmental hazards studied include earthquakes, volcanoes, river systems (including floods and dams), landslides, coastal erosion, tsunamis, sinkholes, etc.
GEOL 7 Environmental Geology: Resources, Use Impact & Pollution
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- GEOL 130 (if taken with GEOL 7)
Understanding how and where Earth’s environmental resources are created and located, and then studying how the resources are accessed and utilized. Topics include rock and mineral resources, energy resources (including fossil fuel and non-fossil fuel resources), water (including rivers, reservoirs, groundwater, etc.), waste disposal (including water and air pollution), global climate changes (including the greenhouse effect), etc.
GEOL 12 Introduction to Oceanography
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to the oceans, the history of oceanic science, instrumentation and exploration; marine geology including plate tectonics and shoreline processes; physical and chemical properties of sea water; causes and effects of currents, tides, and waves; introduction to the basic types of marine life, the basic marine habitats and ecosystems; distribution of marine resources and the Law of the Sea.
GEOL 12L Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 54 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- GEOL 12, may be taken concurrently.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Laboratory course to supplement the oceanography lecture course. Introduction to the materials and techniques of oceanic science. Includes sea floor rocks, oceanic geography, bathymetric maps, seismic reflection, seawater physics and chemistry, beach sand, tides, waves, marine life and marine fossils, sea floor spreading rates, etc.
GEOL 13 Introduction to Climate Science
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course covers the foundations of our current understanding of global climate. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of energy balance, the greenhouse effect, and the processes by which heat and greenhouse gasses move through earth systems. Topics include radiation, Earth's energy balance, the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, climate feedbacks, atmosphere-ocean interactions, global atmospheric circulation, weather and regional climate, climate change, and more. This course will discuss past climate, present climate, and discuss models of future climate in a changing world. Impacts of climate change on natural and human systems, as well as the ethical, social, and economic aspects of human-caused climate change will be briefly presented. Solutions to climate change will be discussed.
GEOL 20 Earth Science for Educators
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture,, 54 hours laboratory
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- GEOL 121
An introduction to the essentials of Earth Science with a laboratory. Topics include the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and solar system. This course focuses on the interactions between physical and chemical systems of the Earth such as the tectonic cycle, rock cycle, hydrologic cycle, weather and climate.