Courses related to ESS

* GEO 321 The Earth's Climate

Philander

Water and energy cycles in the Earth’s climate system, short and long term variability in ocean and atmospheric circulation, and their implications for detecting, modeling and predicting climate change.  Study of weather, climate, and associated phenomena, including cyclones, fronts, hurricanes, oceanic currents, El Nino, La Nina and global warming. Laboratory will include development of computer models to investigate ocean/atmosphere feedbacks and predictive modeling.

GEO 322/ENV 444 Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change

An examination of natural biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements, anthropogenic perturbations of these cycles, and climate implications of these perturbations. We discuss the biogeochemistry of ocean and land ecosystems, geochemical cycles of CO2 and other biogenic greenhouse gasses, and the role of greenhouse gases in climate. We conclude with an examination of man’s impact on the global environment. Prerequisites: CHM 102 and MAT 102 and PHY 102. M. L. Bender

GEO 505, 506 Fundamentals of the Geosciences

Faculty

A two-semester course covering some 80 fundamental papers on origin and interior of the Earth, life on Earth , plate tectonics, composition of the oceans and atmosphere, geodynamics and global tomography, past climate, present climate, ocean biogeochemistry, orogenies and thermochronology, rock fracture and seismicity.  Emphasis is on how various disciplines are tied together in the problems they try to solve, and on reading and summarizing papers in many different fields. This is a required course for all students in the GEO program.

(* taught by ESSE PI)