Oceanography is a 4-unit General Education course designed to introduce students to the vast water bodies that cover over 70% of the Earth.  Geology 155 satisfies the B2 block of the General Education requirements.  The course is taught for introductory or General Education students and does not assume a background in science.  It is intended to be educational, interesting, and fun. 

     This course creates a better understanding of the oceanic environment that is so close to Cal State LA students.  Faculty work to increase your basic knowledge of the ocean so that travel along the California coast will be more meaningful.  The pleasure you take from sports such as diving, surfing, swimming, fishing, and just going to the beach will be enhanced by this course.

     Geology 155 is a lecture and laboratory course.  Lectures include faculty presentations, discussions, demonstrations, and illustration of features of the oceans, seafloor, and coastal areas.  Lecture topics include the nature of the seafloor, plate tectonic evolution of ocean basins, properties of seawater, effects of winds and currents, waves, tides, beaches, and environmental issues.  Instructors strive to make these topics relevant to the life experiences of area residents.

     Students are required to do a half-day cruise on either the Yellowfin or the Van Tuna, CSU oceanographic research vessels, and take a short walk along the coast.   Students also meet for 100 minutes once a week in the laboratory to build on their knowledge and prepare for the field trips.  There is a $10 field trip fee associated with this course.

     The on-campus laboratory sessions prepare you for the field trips.  This preparation is designed to make your boat trip and coastal walk more rewarding and memorable.  You may also use a lab manual to learn about beach profiles, seafloor bathymetry, wave behavior, and other topics.  Movies are sometimes shown. 

            Boat crew member using a plankton net to collect a sample from the water column. 

     The boat cruise most commonly occurs in or immediately outside of Los Angeles Harbor.  Approximately once a year students have an opportunity to take a boat cruise to Catalina Island.  Boat cruises are a lot of fun and very educational.  Samples of sediment and organic life are collected from the seafloor or the water above and analyzed by the students and faculty while on the boat.  Whales, dolphins, and California sea lions may be seen on the cruises. 

     In addition to the boat cruise, students do a half-day walk along the coast.  Your walk might include places such as Malaga Cove or Cabrillo Beach.  The walk provides an opportunity to learn about beach formation, seacliff erosion, the behavior of waves, beach development and erosion, and human impacts on coastal resources.   

    Student grades are generally based on 3 lecture examinations, a writing assignment, laboratory and field trip participation and performance, and possibly an extra credit assignment. 

     Students often report an increased appreciation of the importance of our oceans.  Field trips are commonly described as a "really fun, new experience."  New friendships are often made on field trips.  Faculty work toward these results with enthusiasm and love for their field. 

Students and a pelican gather around the tank to examine samples brought up from below.

Oceanography Photo Gallery

Contact us for more information about Geology 155 Oceanography

Geology Office Physical Sciences Room 216
Telephone (323) 343-2400

                     General Education Courses in Geology
B2 Block Courses in Geology
              Geology 150 Earth Revealed       Geology 155 Oceanography       
B3 Block Courses in Geology       
              Geology 158 Natural Disasters
Under Division Theme Courses in Geology
        Theme A: The Challenge of Change in the Developing World

              Geology 312 Global Climate Change and the Developing World
              Geology 351 Environmental Geology of Developing Nations
        Theme D: Urban Life and Environment
              Geology 357 Urban Geology 

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