Earth System Dynamics I

Catalog description

This course is the first of a two-course sequence, 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, and what this means for society as a whole. This will include theoretical background, guest lecturers, class discussion centered on prominent topics, e.g., global warming and the science behind this, and a class project that focuses on global scale interactions and their relevance to scientific, engineering, social, and economic endeavors.