Undergraduate Courses

Introduction to the origin and evolution of Planet Earth, creation of the universe and the elements, early history of Earth, radioisotope geochemistry and the timing of events in the universe, the galaxy, and on Earth. Formation of the atmosphere and oceans. Climate.

An introduction to earth materials and processes.

An introductory treatment of the application of the basic physical laws to the understanding of weather phenomena. Cross listed with Phys 2750.

The rising global demand for fossil fuels, coupled with increasing concern about global warming, have made the search for affordable alternative energies a matter of local, national, and international importance. The path towards alternative energy infrastructures for the 21st century requires careful consideration of economic, environmental, technological, and political factors. This interdisciplinary course will blend current events, guest speakers, lively discussion, and a wide array of literature to separate fact from fiction in the heated debate concerning our nation's energy and climate future. Topics will include:  i) an overview of America's current energy structure, including the science and technology underlying each energy source,  ii) a review of key energy policies and precedent from the last several decades to present, including the Kyoto Protocol and the new California carbon mitigation bill, and iii) a look into the future of America's energy structure, with an emphasis on emerging technologies and policy development. Students will write briefs on topics covered in the first half of the course and, for the second half of the course, work in teams to conduct independent research into an energy-related question of their choosing.

An introduction to visualizing and understanding earth history, structure, and dynamics through geophysical methods including seismology, gravity, magnetism, heat flow, geochronology, and geodesy.

Structural geology and continuum mechanics for scientists and civil engineers. Stress and strain in rocks; faults, joints and folds; basic field mapping; laboratory exercises.

This course is a quantitative discussion of the physical properties of earth materials and dynamic processes in the solid Earth. We will closely follow Geodynamics by Turcotte & Schubert, in covering topics in stress and strain, elasticity and texure, heat transfer, gravity, fluid mechanics, rock rheology, and crustal faulting as mechanisms and consequences of plate tectonics.

Volcanic eruptions are the surface expression of the transfer of mass and volatiles from the deep interior of the planet. Violent eruptions rapidly transform the landscape and impact the atmosphere on short timescales, and the integrated history of magmatism has played a central role in the production of the crust and the degassing history of the planet. The fluid dynamics of volcanoes span a vast array of phenomena from viscous magma flows to turbulent, multiphase eruptions. This course will trace the path of magmas from their ultimate source in the mantle, storage and evolution in the crust, through eruption at the surface where they interact with the landscape and atmosphere.

This course will explore the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetosphere using a combination spacecraft observations and fundamental plasma physics. Credit not allowed for both EAS 4360 and EAS 6360.