EESC W4001x. Advanced General Geology. 4 pts. Prerequisites: one term of college-level calculus, physics, and chemistry.

A concentrated introduction to the solid Earth, its interior and near-surface geology. Intended for students with good backgrounds in the physical sciences but none in geology. Laboratory and field trips.

EESC W4008x. Introduction To Atmospheric Science. 3 pts. Prerequisites: advanced calculus and general physics, or the instructor's permission.

Basic physical processes controlling atmospheric structure: thermodynamics; radiation physics and radiative transfer; principles of atmospheric dynamics; cloud processes; applications to Earth's atmospheric general circulation, climatic variations, and the atmospheres of the other planets.

EESC W4009. Chemical Geology. 4 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: physical chemistry or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Thermodynamics as applied to Earth systems.

EESC W4050x. Global Assessment and Monitoring Using Remote Sensing. 3 pts. Prerequisites: instructors' permission. Recommended preparation: some college-level physics or math.

Given in alternate years. Enrollment limited to 24 students. General introduction to fundamentals of remote sensing and image processing. Example applications in the Earth and environmental sciences are explored through the analysis of remote sensing imagery in a state-of-the-art visualization laboratory.

EESC W4051. Advanced Applications of Remote Sensing and Image Processing. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites:EESC W4050 or the instructors' permission.

Given in alternate years. Enrollment limited to 24. Priority given to graduate students, seniors, juniors, etc., in descending order. Rigorous treatment of advanced topics appropriate for students interested in applying remote sensing data and techniques to their own research. Lecture covers advanced principles and current research; lab emphasizes individual student projects.Lab Required.

EESC W4056y. Teaching and Learning Concepts in Earth Science. 3 pts. Prerequisites: undergraduate degree in science.

Pedagogical content knowledge required to teach concepts in Earth Science, including students' prior ideas about aspects of the Earth, prerequisite skills and understandings underlying Earth science concepts, use of analogies, metaphors and models to facilitate student thinking about Earth science topics, use of inquiry, and assessment of student understanding.

EESC W4076y. Geologic Mapping. 3 pts.

Fieldwork on weekends in April and two weeks in mid-May immediately following the end of examinations. Enrollment limited. Estimated expense: $250. The principles and practices of deciphering geologic history through the observation of rocks in the field, mapmaking, construction of geological cross-sections, and short written reports.

EESC W4085. Geodynamics. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: calculus, differential equations, introductory physics.

Given in alternate years. An introduction to how the Earth and planets work. The focus is on physical processes that control plate tectonics and the evolution of planetary interiors and surfaces; analytical descriptions of these processes; weekly physical model demonstrations.

EESC W4113x. Introduction To Mineralogy. 4 pts. Prerequisites: introductory geology or the equivalent, elementary college physics and chemistry, or the instructor's permission.

Elementary crystallography and crystal structures, optical properties of minerals, mineral associations, and economic minerals. Laboratory: identification of minerals in hand specimens and use of the petrographic microscope.

EESC W4223y. Sedimentary Geology. 4 pts. Prerequisites: introductory geology or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Two required weekend field trips in March/April. An overview of sedimentology and stratigraphy for majors and concentrators in Earth and environmental sciences, and for graduate students from other disciplines. Lectures, class discussions, labs, and field exercises are integrated, with emphasis on processes, the characteristics of sediments and sedimentary rocks, interpretation of the geological record, and practical applications. Details at http://eesc.columbia.edu/courses/w4223/

EESC W4230y. Crustal Deformation. 3 pts. Prerequisites: introductory geology and one year of calculus. Recommended
preparation: higher levels of mathematics.

Introduction to the deformation processes in the Earth's crust. Fundamental theories of stress and strain; rock behavior in both brittle and ductile fields; earthquake processes; ductile deformation; large-scale crustal contractional and extensional events.

EESC W4300. The Earth's Deep Interior. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: Calculus, differential equations, one year of college physics, and EESC W4950 or its equivalent.

An introduction to properties of the Earth's mantle, fluid outer core, and solid inner core. Current knowledge of these features is explored, using observations of seismology, heat flow, gravity, geomagnetism, plus information on the Earth's bulk composition.

EESC W4330. Introduction to terrestrial paleoclimate. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010.

Given in alternate years. An overview of the archives in which evidence of terrestrial paleoclimate is preserved, the approaches to developing and applying proxies of climate from these archives, approaches for constraining the time represented by the information, and interpretations that have been developed from such archives. Important archives to be included are ice cores, caves, wetlands, lakes, trees, and moraines. The time interval covered will be mostly the last few tens of thousand years, and chronometers based on radiocarbon, U-series and surface exposure dating will be presented. The course will consist of a formal lecture on one day and a recitation on the second day which will emphasize examples and problem solving.

EESC G4403y. Managing and adapting to climate change. 3 pts. Course is required for the MA in Climate and Society program. Open to a maximum of 8 additional graduate students , admitted by application to and with permission of instructor. Prerequisites:EESC W4400; previous social science course or experience in policy and administration.

This integrating seminar on science and policy-making deals with climate and environment-development issues, and helps investigate ideas and methods for analyzing problems to reduce societal vulnerability and build resilience to climate variability and climate change. In order to integrate learning, the course is structured around modules that bridge several "divides": the social and natural sciences, temporal scales of variability and change impacting various sectors, the developing and industrialized regions, across local, national and international spatial levels, as well as socio-political, economic and ecological dimensions of development. The lectures and discussions move back and forth between theory and practice, required for the effective management of risks from a changing climate. The seminar modules will be led by outstanding researchers and professionals, with deep experience in the praxis of climate risk management and will include the economics & politics of sustainable development and climate risks; climate phenomena, societal responses and impacts; poverty, agriculture and food security; managing climate risks for health; managing competing claims over water; urban disaster risk management; climate risks & decision-making under uncertainty; media and climate. Practicum sessions, in addition, are designed to help integrate learning.

EESC W4405. Summer Seminar in Climate and Society. 3 pts. Prerequisites: enrollment in the M.A. Program in Climate and Society.

This seminar complements the summer internship or thesis work for students in the M.A. Program during their final semester. By reporting and examining research and internship projects, both individually and as a group, students will improve their understanding of research and proposal design and methodology; improve the presentation of their ideas for professional contexts; and apply themes from the previous two semesters of coursework to the "real world." Students will present a brief report that ties the summer internship or thesis research activities to the issues discussed in the M.A. Program core curriculum.

EESC W4406. Summer Internship in Climate and Society. 3 pts. Prerequisites: enrollment in the M.A. Program in Climate and Society.

During the third and final term of study for the 12-month M.A. Program in Climate and Society, students must complete either a thesis or internship and simultaneously enroll in EESC W4405. The summer internship requires a minimum of 140 hours of professional participation during the Summer Term in a position related to core issues of concern to the Program. The selected position must be approved by the Director of the M.A. Program by a specified date in the Spring Semester preceding the Summer Term. The position must be substantive in nature and must constitute a practical, professional experience. Students will be evaluated on the basis of oral and written updates on the work, a student internship report to be submitted at the end of the Summer Term, and on the basis of a supervisor report form to be submitted by the site supervisor for the internship.

EESC W4550x. Plant Ecophysiology. 3.5 pts. Prerequisites: general biology or instructor's permission.

Plant organismal responses to external environmental conditions and the physiological mechanisms of plants that enable these responses. An evolutionary approach is taken to analyze the potential fitness of plants and plant survival based on adaptation to external environmental factors. 2-hour lab on Fridays at Lamont.

EESC W4701x. Introduction To Igneous Petrology. 4 pts. Prerequisites: introductory geology or the equivalent. Recommended preparation: EESC W4113 and knowledge of chemistry.

Given in alternate years. Students not enrolled in terrestrial geology may elect to write a substantial term paper in lieu of the laboratory course. Compositional characteristics of igneous and metamorphic rocks and how they can be used as tools to investigate earth processes. Development of igneous and metamorphic rocks in a plate-tectonic framework.

EESC W4710. Advanced Field Petrology. 4 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites:EESC W4701 or EESC W4230 or equivalent.

Enrollment limited to 6. Priority determined by application to the instructor, based on past field experience, coursework, plus practical considerations. Intensive introduction to detailed mapping, field measurements and sampling, plus analytical techniques on spatially related samples, to investigate geodynamic processes such a melt migration, formation of igneous crust, localization of ductile deformation, evolution of geochemical reservoirs, hydrothermal alteration, and general determination of stress, strain, temperature, pressure and cooling rate.

EESC W4835x. Wetlands and Climate Change. 3 pts. Prerequisites: introductory biology or chemistry, or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Enrollment limited to 20. Priority given to juniors and seniors. Analysis of modern wetland dynamics and the important ecological, biogeochemical, and hydrological functions taking place in marshes, bogs, fens, and swamps, with a field emphasis. Wetlands as fossil repositories, the paleoenvironmental history they provide, and their role in the carbon cycle. Current wetland destruction, remediation attempts, and valuation. Laboratory analysis and field trips.

EESC W4885y. The Chemistry of Continental Waters. 3 pts.

Given in alternate years. Recommended preparation: a solid background in basic chemistry. Introduction to geochemical cycles involving the atmosphere, land, and biosphere; chemistry of precipitation, weathering reactions, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and groundwaters; stable isotopes and radioactive tracers of transport processes in continental waters.

EESC W4886y. Isotope Hydrology. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: basic knowledge of physics, math, and chemistry.

Given in alternate years. Trace substances in groundwater systems with the potential for investigations of groundwater flow and paleoclimate. Discusses the principal methods of isotope hydrology (e.g., tracers as dyes or radioactive clocks) and the geochemistry and sources/sinks of the individual tracers in the groundwater system. Presents and interprets observed distributions in terms of groundwater flow dynamics and paleoclimate.

EESC W4887. Isotope Geology, I. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: basic background in chemistry and physics.

Given in alternate years. Principles of atomic stability and radioactive decay, principles of radiometric dating, element formation in stars, formation and composition of the solar system and Earth, chemical differentiation of the Earth, use of isotopes as tracers and geochronometers.

EESC W4888. Isotope Geology, II. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010.

Given in alternate years. Application of stable isotopes, radioisotopes, and mass spectrometry to current topics in the geosciences: radiocarbon production history, 14C age dating, uranium series age dating, stable isotope topics in the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

EESC W4917. Earth/Human Interactions. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010.

Enrollment: limited to 20. Priority given to senior natural and social science majors, then graduate students. Based upon the most current understanding of our planet our interactions, and how we make decisions, a new knowledge-based "green" framework is developed for our relationship to our planet and to each other as well as its general implications for human stewardship of our planet. This new knowledge-based framework is explored using case studies, class participation, and term papers on specific current scientific and policy issues like global warming that impact the sustainability and resilience of our planet.

EESC W4920x. Paleoceanography. 3 pts.

Given in alternate years. Course examines the ocean's response to external forces, such as changes in the Earth's orbit, and to internal forces, such as the El Nino/La Nina oscillation using deep-sea cores, corals, and other paleoceanographic archives. Analysis of geochemical, statistical, and modeling techniques used to reconstruct the Cenozoic history of the oceans including changes in sea level, ocean productivity, deep water formation, sea surface temperature changes, sea ice distribution, thermocline changes and surface currents. Studies include both the frequency and time domains. Emphasis on current topics and debates in paleoceanography.

EESC W4924. Introduction To Atmospheric Chemistry. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010.

Given in alternate years. A survey of trace gas photochemistry important in the Earth's atmosphere. Major topics are composition, including biogenic and anthropogenic inputs, and chemical processes, including reaction kinetics and photochemistry. Specific applications to tropospheric air quality, including smog and acid rain, and stratospheric ozone, including the Antarctic ozone hole, are covered, with an emphasis on the response to anthropogenic pollutants and climate change.

EESC W4925x. Principles of Physical Oceanography. 3 pts. Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: a solid background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Physical properties of seawater, water masses and their distribution, sea-air interaction influence on the ocean structure, basic ocean circulation pattern, relation of diffusion and advection with respect to distribution of ocean properties, ocean tides and waves, turbulence, and introduction to ocean dynamics.

EESC W4926. Principles of Chemical Oceanography. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010.

Given in alternate years. Recommended preparation: a solid background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Factors controlling the concentration and distribution of dissolved chemical species within the sea. Application of tracer and natural radioisotope methods to large-scale mixing of the ocean, the geological record preserved in marine sediments, the role of ocean processes in the global carbon cycle, and biogeochemical processes influencing the distribution and fate of elements in the ocean.

EESC W4929. Mixing and dispersion in the ocean. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010.

Recommended preparation: some background in fluids, as provided by courses like EESC W4925 or APPH E4200, or the instructor's permission. Mixing and dispersion in the ocean is of fundamental importance in many oceanographic problems, including climate modeling, paleo and present-day circulation studies, pollutant dispersion, biogeography, etc. The main goal of this course is to provide in-depth understanding (rather than mathematical derivations) of the causes and consequences of mixing in the ocean, and of the properties of dispersion. After introducing the concepts of diffusion and turbulence, instruments and techniques for quantifying mixing and dispersion in the ocean are reviewed and compared. Next, the instabilities and processes giving rise to turbulence in the ocean are discussed. The course concludes with a series of lectures on mixing and dispersion in specific oceanographic settings, including boundary layers, shallow seas, continental shelves, sea straits, seamounts, and mid-ocean ridge flanks.

EESC W4930y. Earth's Oceans and Atmosphere. 3 pts. Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: a good background in the physical sciences.

Given in alternate years. Physical properties of water and air. Overview of the stratification and circulation of Earth's ocean and atmosphere and their governing processes; ocean-atmosphere interaction; resultant climate system; natural and anthropogenic forced climate change.

EESC W4937. Cenozoic Paleoceanography. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: College-level geology helpful but not required.

Enrollment limit: 20; EESC graduate students have priority. Introduces the physical and chemical processes which govern how and where ocean sediments accumulate. Major topics addressed are: modes of biogenic, terrigenous, and authigenic sedimentation, depositional environments, pore fluids and sediment geochemistry, diagenesis, major events in Cenozoic paleoceanography, and sediment stratigraphic principles and methods.

EESC W4941. Principles of Geophysics. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: calculus through MATH V1202 and physics through PHYS C1007.

The structure and properties of the Earth as inferred from geophysical investigations: gravity, isostasy, earthquakes, seismic exploration, geomagnetism, marine geophysics, satellite observations, tides. Recommended for nongeophysics majors or those with little previous geophysics background.

EESC W4947y. Plate Tectonics. 3 pts. Prerequisites: physical geology.

Prepares students for research and oral exams with cross-disciplinary analysis of the plate-tectonic cycle. Driving forces and mantle convection, plate kinematics, magmatism, structure, thermal and chemical evolution of mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones, continental rifts and collisions, and hot spots. Includes literature readings of great debates, and emphasizes integration of geophysical, geological and geochemical observations and processes.

EESC W4949x. Introduction to Seismology. 3 pts. Prerequisites: elementary college physics and mathematics (including calculus).

Given in alternate years. Basic methods of seismogram analysis. Classification of seismic waves and elementary theory of body waves and normal modes. Elementary aspects of seismic prospecting, earthquake source theory, instrumentation, discrimination between explosions and earthquakes, inversion of seismic data to infer Earth structure, earthquake engineering, earthquake insurance and hazards mitigation, estimation of seismic risk, and earthquake prediction.

EESC W4950. Mathematical Methods In the Earth Sciences. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: college-level physics and calculus.

A set of basic mathematical skills is essential for understanding sophisticated methods of analysis. This course will develop and improve these skills, and give a sense of the key analytical methods and challenges in different sub-disciplines within the Earth sciences.

EESC G6001x and y. Earth Science Colloquium. 1 pt.

Current topics in the Earth sciences

EESC G6003x and y. Masters Research. 4 pts. Individual research in the student's field of specialization at the masters level.

EESC G6005x and y. Case Studies In Earth and Environmental Science Journalism. 3 pts. Required for students in the EESJ M.A. degree program, open to others with instructor's permission. Consideration of a number of important issues, controversies, insights and discoveries in Earth and environmental sciences, from both a scientific and a journalistic perspective. Topics vary from year to year and may include global warming, climate prediction, mass extinctions, earthquake prediction, sealevel rise, supply of natural resources, pollution.

EESC G6010. Nonlinear Dynamics In Earth Sciences. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: undergraduate mechanics (physics), calculus. Given in alternate years. Introduction to nonlinear dynamics, with examples drawn from the Earth sciences. Low-dimensional chaos, fractals, propagating interfaces, high dimensional spatial-temporal complexity; the Lorentz attractor for convection, shallow water waves, river networks, climate oscillations, and earthquakes.

EESC G6201. Sedimentary Environments and Facies. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites:EESC W4223 or its equivalent or instructor's permission. Offered infrequently (every three to four years). Field exercises undertaken on three weekends or an equivalent time over spring break. Processes of sedimentation, depositional facies, and the sedimentary environments in which they accumulate.

EESC G6221. Sedimentary Basins. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites:EESC W4223 and a structural geology course or their equivalents, or instructor's permission.

Offered infrequently (every three to four years). Origin and evolution of sedimentary basins in a plate-tectonic framework, with reference to well-studied examples and selected current issues and controversies.

EESC G6300y. Geophysical Inverse Theory. 3 pts.

Given in alternate years. Basic techniques of linear and non-linear inverse theory, and the validation of numerical models with sparse and noisy data. Includes discussion of genetic algorithms and evolutionary programming, theories of optimization, parameter tradeoffs, and hypothesis testing.

EESC G6810y. The Carbon Cycle. 3 pts.

Four aspects of the Earth's carbon cycle are considered: how it operated just prior to the Industrial Revolution; the fossil fuel CO2 perturbation; changes during glacial time; and the long-term planetary control system. Emphasis on information obtained from measurements of 13C and 14C.

EESC G6908x. Quantitative Methods of Data Analysis. 4 pts. Prerequisites: calculus. Recommended preparation: linear algebra, statistics, or instructor's permission.

Fee: to be determined. Introduction to the fundamentals of data analysis. Topics: review of relevant statistics and linear algebra; methods of interpolation (different interpolants, advantages/disadvantages); methods of least squares (linear, weighted, constrained, error analysis); linear and nonlinear correlation; spectral analysis (Fourier analysis, convolution, deconvolution, distribution theory, Fourier theorems, smoothing, error analysis, power and phase spectral estimation, different approaches); filtering time series; forecast models (AR, MA, ARMA, ARIMA), empirical orthogonal functions (EOF), and related techniques.

EESC G6920. Dynamics of Climate. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites:EESC W4008, and advanced calculus, or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Fundamental physical processes that determine current climate. One-, two-, and three-dimensional climate models. Climate effects of solar variability, volcanoes, clouds, anthropogenic perturbations, oceanic and cryospheric influences.

EESC G6921y. Atmospheric Dynamics. 3 pts. Prerequisites:EESC W4008, and advanced calculus, or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Exploration of atmospheric dynamical properties from the theoretical and observational standpoints, including potential changes with climate. Discussion of the fundamental equations is combined with literature review. Topics covered include the Hadley Circulation, tropical cyclones, Madden-Julian Oscillations, the Quasi-biennial Oscillation, planetary wave generation (baroclinic and barotropic instability), propagation, and transports, normal models of variability (Arctic Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation), mesoscale circulations, and turbulence.

EESC G6922x. Atmospheric Radiation. 3 pts. Prerequisites:EESC W4008, remote sensing, or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Scattering and absorption processes in planetary atmospheres. Cloud, aerosol, and gas contributions to the atmospheric greenhouse effect, atmospheric heating and cooling rates, global and local radiation budgets. Applications to climate by means of energy balance and radiative convective models.

EESC G6923. Radiative Processes of Climate. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: remote sensing or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Radiative effect of clouds, aerosols, atmospheric gases, and surface albedo on climate. Past and present climate changes, feedback effects, and climate sensitivity to radiative forcing. Climate modeling capability with 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D climate models.

EESC G6927x. Tropical Oceanography. 3 pts. Prerequisites:EESC W4008, W4925, G6921 or G6930, and W4950 or its equivalent.

Given in alternate years. Enrollment limit: 25. Students closer to graduation will have priority. The focus of this course is the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phenomenon, which requires some consideration of the atmosphere. Linear equatorial wave theory allows a unified treatment of motions in the atmosphere and ocean. Other topics include boundary layer physics, and the mean structure of the atmosphere and upper tropical ocean. Theories for ENSO will be critiqued. The course will use the draft text The El Nino-Southern Oscillation Phenomenon by E.S. Sarachik and Mark A. Cane.

EESC G6928y. Tropical Meteorology. 3 pts. Prerequisites:EESC W4008, EESC W4950 or its equivalent, and EESC G6927, or some prior exposure to linear equatorial wave theory.

An introduction to the physics governing the large-scale behavior of the tropical atmosphere. Topics covered include the Hadley and Walker circulations, monsoons, atmospheric equatorial waves, the Madden-Julian oscillation, tropical cyclones, and El Nino. Principles of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics will be introduced as needed.

EESC G6929. Numerical Modeling of Geophysical Fluids. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: some acquaintance with geophysical fluid dynamics (e.g., EESC W4008, W4925, G6920, G6921, or Astronomy G4301). Given in alternate years. Derives simplified sets of model equations. Discusses characteristics of atmospheric and oceanographic motions relevant to numerical analysis. Studies principal numerical methods used in geophysical fluid models. Consistency, convergence, linear and non-linear stability. Data assimilation and the problem of observational noise. Draws examples from meteorology and oceanography, particularly numerical weather prediction.

EESC G6930. Ocean Dynamics. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: calculus, differential equations, vector algebra, fluid mechanics.

Given in alternate years. Hydrodynamical equations, vorticity dynamics, ocean circulation theories.

EESC G6940. Marine Seismology. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: a solid background in geophysics and instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Essential theory, methods and techniques of seismology as applied to study of the Earth beneath the oceans. Acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of near-vertical and wide-angle data with varied geologic applications. Emphasis is on forward modeling, inversion and imaging of modern marine seismic data types. Students will have hands-on experience with imaging codes and inversion schemes.

EESC G6948x. Gravity, Geodesy, and Isostasy. 3 pts. Prerequisites: a solid background in geophysics or instructor's permission.

Given in alternate years. Potential theory. Gravity and figure of the Earth. Gravity measurements and reductions. Interpretation techniques of gravity. Isostasy. Flexure of the lithosphere. Elastic plate/beam theory. Isostatic response functions. Geological interpretation of gravity data. Long and intermediate wavelength gravity anomalies. Satellite altimetry.

EESC G6949. Advanced Seismology. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: A solid background in geophysics, and a knowledge of complex variables.

Given in alternate years. Seismic waves in layered media, matrix methods, free vibrations of the Earth, dislocation theory, source mechanics.

EESC G8010y. Field Geology. 1 pt. Prerequisites: instructor's permission.

May be repeated for up to 9 points of credit, if taken in different areas. Estimated expenses: depends on locality visited. Field study in various geologic settings. Plans for the course are announced at the beginning of each term. [Spring 05: basin & range extensional tectonics trip, following Fall 04 preparatory seminar EESC G9450].

EESC G8666. History of Amphibians and Reptiles. 4 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: some training in vertebrate zoology and historical geology, and instructor's permission. The structure, relations, and phylogenetic history of the amphibians and reptiles; paleontological materials, methods, and principles of evolution.

EESC G8667. History of Mammals. 4 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: some training in vertebrate zoology and historical geology, and instructor's permission. The structure, relations, and phylogenetic history of mammals, with consideration of paleontological materials, methods, and principles of evolution.

EESC G8884. Advanced Geochemistry. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. Given in alternate years. Advanced topics in radiogenic isotope and trace-element geochemistry. Origin and composition of the Earth, evolution of the continents and mantle, and applications to igneous and surficial processes.

EESC G9001x and y. Research In Earth and Environmental Sciences. 1-6 pts. Prerequisites: permission of the professor in charge of the student's field of research. Individual research in the student's field of specialization. The research may lead to a doctoral dissertation or to contributions for publications.

EESC S9070. Field Research. 1-12 pts. Prerequisites: the approval of the department. The program in land areas includes individual field study of geological problems. The program in sea areas is conducted on the research vessel "Marcus G. Langseth." Qualified students may participate in a program of geophysical and geological investigation of selected localities or regions.

EESC G9293x and y. Seminar In Stratigraphy. 1-3 pts. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Readings and discussions on topics of current interest in stratigraphy.

EESC G9295x and y. Seminar In Sedimentology. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Readings, discussions, presentations of original research, outside speakers, and field trips dealing with topics of current interest in sedimentology.

EESC G9450x. Seminar In Structural Geology. 2 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Research problems in structural geology. Assigned reading. [Fall 04 preparatory seminar in basin and range extensional tectonics before Spring 05 field trip.]

EESC G9455x and y. Tectonophysics Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Special topics in tectonics and rock mechanics.

EESC G9500x and y. Seminar In Plant Physiology and Ecology. 1-3 pts. May be repeated for up to 10 points of credit. Prerequisite: instructor's permission. Discussions of the current literature and the fields of plant ecology and physiology.

EESC G9668x and y. Seminar In Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Current literature on evolution, systematics, and morphology of vertebrates, with reports by members of the seminar.

EESC G9701x and y. Advanced Petrology Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 10 points of credit. Research problems in petrology and special methods in the study of minerals and rocks bearing on their origin and relationships in time and space. Assigned reading. Topics such as advanced thermodynamics, experimental petrology, oceanic, continental, and planetary petrology are offered as appropriate.

EESC G9802x and y. Seminar In Geochemistry. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to six points of credit. Discussion of current developments in rock and water geochemistry.

EESC G9810x and y. Mathematical Earth Science Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 10 points of credit. Current research in problems at the interface between applied mathematics and Earth and environmental sciences.

EESC G9815x and y. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 10 points of credit. Problems in the dynamics of geophysical fluid flows

EESC G9910x and y. Seminar In Atmospheric Science. 1 pt. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 10 points of credit. Current research developments in atmospheric sciences and global change, including remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere and surface, global climate modeling, biogeochemical cycles, and interdisciplinary aspects of the climate system.

EESC G9928x and y. Advanced Submarine Geology Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Problems in submarine geology, including methods of measuring and mapping submarine topography, sedimentary processes, origin and nature of marine sediments, plate tectonics; structures, geomorphology, and history of the ocean floor.

EESC G9931x and y. Physical Oceanography Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. Review and critical study of selected current research problems.

EESC G9945x and y. Seismology Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 10 points of credit. Critical study of current problems in the field of seismology, including such topics as near and deep earthquakes, seismicity, instrument design, and monitoring underground nuclear explosions.

EESC G9947x and y. Marine Geophysics Seminar. 1-3 pts. Prerequisites: instructor's permission. May be repeated for up to 6 points of credit. The focus of each seminar is on a specific research direction that has proven critical to advancing our understanding of global geodynamic phenomena. Students, faculty and members of the research staff engage in analysis of such topics as mass fluxes at continental margins, mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridge processes, and formation of marginal seas. Much of this analysis is based on critique of the current literature, but students are also required to carry out individual projects and some reporting requirements may be included.

EESC W4090. Introduction to Geochronology and Thermochronology. 3 pts. Not offered in 2009-2010. Prerequisites: One term of college-level calculus, and solid Earth system science or its equivalent.

Given in alternate years. An overview of approaches to estimating ages of sedimentary sequences and events in Earth history. Intended for students with good backgrounds in the physical sciences, who want to use geochronological techniques in their studies. The geochronology emphasis will be on emerging improvements in precision and accuracy of the Ar-Ar and U-Pb systems as well as alternative approaches to directly dating sedimentary strata in the first half. The thermochronology emphasis will be on exploring approaches to understanding uplift and erosion histories. The course will consist of a formal lecture on one day and a recitation on the second day which will emphasize examples and problem solving.

EESC W4480x. Paleobiology and Earth System History. 3 pts. Prerequisites: High-school biology, introductory college-level geology

Given in alternate years. Course is a survey of the biological and biogeochemical evolution of the Earth System. Students focus not only on a narrative of the panoply of biodiversity though time, but also on the development and the testing of evolutionary and geochemical hypotheses within a historical science. Case studies of mass extinctions and biological innovation as well as current topics and debates will be examined in detail. There are 4 full-day Field trips.