Shaping the Earth's Surface

Catalog description

The region between the tops of trees to the surface of unweathered rock houses diverse ecosystems, natural resources, and where we as humans reside. This region is known as the critical zone and processes shaping the critical zone can have profound impacts on vegetation, animals, and natural resources like soil and water. Students will learn the physics behind surface and shallow subsurface water flow in the critical zone and how the routing of water shapes the Earth’s surface from the top of mountains to the deep ocean. The role humans play in shaping the land surface and our impacts on the severity of natural disasters will also be covered.