3 credits United States and foreign, federal and state laws affecting the mineral industry and pertaining to mineral land acquisition, corporations, ethics, mining, taxation, water, environment, labor, safety and welfare. Rock mass classifications. Continuum mechanics stress analyses. Influence of discontinuities on stability. Influence of block geometry on rock mass stability.
Stability analyses of underground and surface excavations in jointed rock.
3 credits Minerals in world affairs. Interdependence of nations on minerals and the economic and political problems caused by their unequal geographic distribution and divided political control. Maximum of 6 credits. These courses consist of either lectures, periodic conferances, supervised reading, laboratory or fieldwork. May be repeated more than once to pursue different studies.