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GEOL 350: Planetary Geology (BMC)

GEOL 350: Planetary Geology; Prof. Selby Cull-Hearth; Spring 2021

Assignment (from syllabus)

Pick a review paper. It should be a paper that:

  • You find interesting. 
  • Is a literature review. 
  • Is published in a peer-review journal. Check out journals like: Earth-Science Reviews, Annual Review of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Earth & Planetary Science Letters*, Icarus*, Journal of Geophysical Research - Planets*Geophysical Research Letters*

* =  most papers published in these journals aren’t reviews, but they do have them. Nature, Science, and Geology will also often have overview papers that summarize NASA missions

  • Is fairly recent (published in the last 20 years)
  • You have enough background in that you can explain concepts and background to your colleagues. This might mean choosing a paper that draws on methodologies you're familiar with, or a paper related to your final project topic. 

Here's an example of a literature review paper that fits these criteria:https://www-annualreviews-org.proxy.brynmawr.edu/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-earth-060115-012355

Locating a review article

In GeoRef, you can narrow your search to help locate literature reviews. When you've found results for a topic you're interested in, limit (using the left-hand facets) to "peer-reviewed," and "serial" and "analytic" under Document Type. Limit years to the last 20 years.

You could also do an advanced search in one or more of the journals listed above. For example, you could search "Mars" (Anywhere) AND Earth-Science Reviews (in Publication Title-PUB) OR Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences (in Publication Title-PUB).

Background information

Encyclopedia of Planetary Science

Published in 1997. Over 450 detailed, illustrated entries.