Spring 2027

Geoscience Data Analysis

Introductory course on applied geoscience data analysis covering uncertainty propagation, hypothesis testing, linear regression, time series, and experimental design for rock, soil, and water sampling.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Ken Ferrier3.6/5

Summary

What you’ll be able to do

  • Quantitatively describe and display data distributions in geoscience applications.

  • Calculate and propagate uncertainties in geoscience data.

  • Test hypotheses about geoscience data using central tendencies and uncertainties.

  • Describe how linear regression works and use it to quantify trends and their uncertainties in geoscience data.

  • Recognize and account for common pitfalls in applications of data analysis to the geosciences.

  • Analyze time series and directional data across the geosciences.

  • Design geoscience data collection for testing hypotheses.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

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Prerequisites

Course map

MATH 222 or graduate/professional standing

  • take one
GEOSCI 340

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  • Any of

Professors

Spring 2027
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About this rating

Raw average: 3.48/5 from 23 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

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Historical instructors & teaching patterns

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Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

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SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LAB 301Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 200

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records

Student experience

the class

Introduction to the fundamentals of applied geoscience data analysis, focusing on solving practical problems using real real-world data. Covers applied data analysis topics that are essential across a wide range of geoscience fields, including geophysics, geochemistry, hydrogeology, structural geology, sedimentology, geochronology, glacial geology, and geomorphology. Covers the use of example geoscience data sets to display and describe data; calculate and propagate uncertainties; test hypotheses; fit functions to data with linear regression and multiple linear regression; account for artifactual and serial correlation; analyze time series and directional data; and design experiments to optimize collection of rock, soil, and water samples.

difficulty & workload

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Topics

  • Geoscience fields including geophysics, geochemistry, hydrogeology, structural geology, sedimentology, geochronology, glacial geology, and geomorphology
  • Artifactual and serial correlation
  • Time series and directional data analysis
  • Experimental design for rock, soil, and water sample collection

Skills

  • Quantitatively describe and display data distributions
  • Calculate and propagate uncertainties
  • Test hypotheses about geoscience data
  • Apply linear and multiple linear regression to quantify trends
  • Analyze time series and directional data
  • Design geoscience data collection and sampling experiments

Grades

Instructor

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Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

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Selected offering source records
GEOSCI 340 · Spring 2027

Geoscience Data Analysis

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records
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  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:420:027372",
    "course_id": "GEOSCI 340",
    "course_uid": "course_5e18d7e4bf34a8ad307a748b",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "027372",
    "source_subject_id": "420",
    "title": "Geoscience Data Analysis",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Not Applicable"
  }
]
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Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
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Model & dataset provenance
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  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "cc53ab701892ab2568228d61b9ad1b8f66823b68dfed989ce79b6634642b046d",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
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