EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE

Catalog description

(Slashed with ESCI 45045 and ESCI 75045 ) Earth system science refers to a rapidly emerging transdisciplinary endeavor aimed at understanding the structure and functioning of the Earth as a complex, adaptive system. The development of this field began with the awareness that life on Earth exerts a control on the physical and chemical environment. The course begins with an overview of the history of this effort, which provides context for the state of the art understanding of the Earth system. Throughout this course, traditional disciplines that examine components of the Earth system in isolation (including geology, oceanography, biology and atmospheric science) are reviewed before building toward a unified understanding of the Earth system. The course also explores the impact of human advancements and civilizations in altering this system in an unprecedented manner. Course concepts include planetary boundaries, feedbacks and tipping points. A key focus of the course is the importance of spatial and temporal scale when investigating the Earth system. Throughout this course, students read and discuss papers exploring multiple techniques for integrating Earth system components, including observations, experiments and modeling. Ultimately, each student produces a research paper or proposal for a project that could bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries to investigate exciting linkages within the Earth system.