Communicating results of geoscience investigations to a diverse set of audiences will grow in importance in our 21st century world.

Geoscience is essential to our understanding and management of produced water, an inevitable byproduct of oil and gas development. This course provides a scientific and regulatory background of produced water, how it is commonly disposed, what opportunities exist for the re-use of produced water, and what the environmental and regulatory challenges for re-using produced waters are.

We will go on a tour of some selected outcrops of the Cretaceous System of central Texas. This general area constitutes one of the best exposures of Cretaceous strata anywhere around the globe. In the course, we will emphasize various aspects of the development, stratigraphy, sedimentology, structure, and paleontology of these Cretaceous units.

The two most basic tools used in petroleum exploration and production are well logs and seismic data. Their integration is essential to enhance the probability of success of exploratory and development ventures. In this module we concentrate on the subject of well logs. Although we always hope for success when we drill wells, we can learn valuable information from dry holes also.

This course provides an overview of earthquake risk in the U.S. and explores the importance of coordinated post-earthquake response and the effectiveness of post-earthquake technical clearinghouses in improving earthquake resiliency.

Forensic Geology/Petrography is not a new tool in the construction industry; however, it is generally not a well-known discipline. Observations detailed in this course are not typically covered during university geological studies. Most of these skills are learned on the job and do require a minimum of 5 years of experience directly under a Petrographer to earn a Petrographer title.

This course provides a straightforward, informational "building block" approach to a working understanding of bedrock wells. Essential information will be presented with the goal of providing a thorough, yet realistic, understanding of bedrock wells, and in particular, enhanced awareness of the important aspects of yield and economic considerations prior to planning and development.

This course is intended as a basic review of seismic prospecting methods for locating and extracting oil and gas global resources. It begins with a review of world hydrocarbon reserves, production and consumption, as well as overall goals and methods which apply to petroleum exploratory efforts.

Fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource in an increasingly populous and water-intensive world. Maintaining an adequate supply of fresh water both nationally and globally will be one of the largest challenges of the 21st century. Desalination of salty water, from both the ocean and the ground, represents a huge potential source of fresh water.

This course is designed to help faculty and non-academic professionals host career discussions with students. The course provides learners with specific career-related content, materials, and well-tested tools that will help in facilitating geoscience career discussions and presentations. The course will cover three main sections:

This course provides an overview of how groundwater and surface water interact, what the implications of these interactions on water resources are, and how water can be more effectively managed if an understanding of these interactions is incorporated.

This course is designed to be an introduction to the subject of landslides or mass wasting. Landslides or mass wasting occur in both solid bedrock and in poorly-consolidated sediments. Concerning the latter, loose sands, clays and soft shales can prove to be quite problematic. These type of strata are highlighted in our discussions.

This course will provide an overview of the writing skills that geoscience students develop during their undergraduate and graduate academic training, the skills and tools that are needed for non-academic careers, and advice for students on how to acquire the needed writing skills as they prepare for and pursue their career path.

This course will focus on how to use Membrane Interface Probe sensor results in combination with soil and groundwater analytical results to map the distribution of volatile organic chemical non aqueous phase liquids.

The purpose of professional licensing is to ensure a minimum level of competency for practitioners in a given field in order to protect the public. Having a license to practice geology is a requirement in the majority of United States, Canada and several other countries. In contrast to other professions, a disconnect has developed between applied geologists and academia.

No country in the world produces all of the mineral resources necessary for modern society. International trade plays a critical role in providing these raw materials, forming a global network of production, export, import, and use. This network must continuously adapt to national and international developments in science, technology, politics, and economics.