Earth Systems Dynamics

Catalog description

This course is a general elective offering that will expose students to earth systems dynamics, i.e., the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and terrestrial components, and their interactions at a global scale. The course also offers introductions to regional and local scale interactions, as well as societal impacts, e.g., science, engineering, policy, and economics. This course will provide students with the critical thinking skills to evaluate the underlying science of system components, how they fluctuate, interact via feedback loops, their carbon and energy dynamics, and what this means for society as a whole. Special focus will be given to remote sensing methods for assessing global system dynamics, including satellite image analysis. This offering will include theoretical background, guest lecturers, and class discussion centered on prominent topics, e.g., climate change and the science behind this.