Department website: http://eps.jhu.edu/
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences offers programs of study and research in a wide range of disciplines including atmospheric science, ecology, environmental science and studies, geology, geochemistry, geophysics, oceanography, and planetary science. The undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences is flexible and allows the student, in consultation with a faculty adviser, to devise a program of study that is both rigorous and individualized. The graduate program develops skills in research through independent investigation under the general guidance of one or more members of the faculty, backed up by relevant course work. The department gives particular emphasis to the integration of experimental investigation, theoretical calculation, and quantitative field observations.
The Department also supports an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in Environmental Science and Studies (ENVS), which involves faculty from a range of departments across the university. The two ENVS majors and minor introduce students to the ways in which humans interact with and affect the Earth. ENVS is solution-focused and trains students to help solve the environmental and sustainability problems facing society today using the powerful tools of science and policy. Undergraduate degrees are typically specialized within traditional disciplines, but a primary goal of this program is to develop the ability of students to think outside of those boxes. Students learn theory, research, and practical applications of the natural and social sciences in their coursework, while also examining the relationship between humans and the environment through the lens of the humanities.
Facilities
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences is housed in Olin Hall, a modern building dedicated to the Earth sciences, nestled on a wooded knoll on the western edge of campus. Its facilities include state-of-the-art instrumentation, a departmental library, and modern computer equipment. There are laboratories for crystallography, evolutionary biology/ecology, stable isotope geochemistry, materials science, and fluid and solid mechanics. Olin Hall also contains equipment for modern petrographic work (including a computer-controlled image analysis system), darkroom facilities, and a laboratory for sectioning rocks. There is also a substantial collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils. Facilities are available for a wide spectrum of fluid mechanical experiments, including thermal convection and solidification.
A JEOL 8600 electron microprobe in Olin Hall is available to all members of the department. Crystallographic facilities include a modern specimen preparation laboratory for transmission electron microscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The transmission electron microscopy laboratory houses state-of-the-art instruments capable of both high-resolution imaging at the atomic scale and microanalysis at the nanometer scale.
The department contains several computer laboratories containing clusters of workstations and personal computers, together with printers and scanners. These computers are used for numerical simulations, graphics applications, data manipulation, and word processing.
Field studies and excursions form an integral part of the program of instruction and research in geology and are closely integrated with the laboratory and course work. Situated at the fall line between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont and only an hour’s ride from the Blue Ridge and Appalachians, Baltimore is an excellent location for a department with a field-oriented program in geology. The department has a permanent field station for geological research, Camp Singewald, in the Bear Pond Mountains of Washington County, Maryland, and a vehicle for field use.
Supporting facilities on campus include the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, the Space Telescope Science Institute, and the Homewood High-Performance Computing Center. In addition, the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, the facilities of the Smithsonian Institution and the Geophysical Laboratory and the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington are available by special arrangement for students qualified to use them. For students whose research requires substantial computation, special arrangements can be made to use the supercomputers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Undergraduate Programs
The Earth and Planetary Sciences major focuses on the study of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that shape the Earth and other planets. It is designed primarily for science students who wish to have a career involving research and study of the Earth and planets, although it is also suitable for students planning careers in the health professions.
The interdisciplinary ENVS majors and minor introduce students to human-Earth interactions and processes, our complex relationship with the changing environment, and methods for solving environmental and sustainability problems. The Environmental Science major emphasizes the perspective of the natural sciences, while the Environmental Studies major emphasizes the social science perspective, but there is a set of common core courses shared by both these majors that create a strong interdisciplinary foundation. ENVS is designed to prepare students for a variety of potential career paths, including both graduate study and entry-level jobs in an environmentally related field.
In addition to major requirements, students are required to complete the university requirements for the bachelor's degree. See Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree.
Graduate Programs
Requirements for Admission
Applicants must submit transcripts, Graduate Record Examination scores (aptitude exam only), and supporting letters to show their ability to do advanced study. The applicant should have his/her GRE scores, verbal and quantitative aptitude, sent to the department before the January 1 deadline for filing applications for admission.
The department expects applicants for advanced degrees to have completed undergraduate training in the basic sciences and mathematics. Normally this includes mathematics through at least integral calculus and a year’s course each in physics, chemistry, and biology. Further undergraduate study in one or more of these subjects or in mathematics is highly desirable for all programs in the Earth sciences; additional mathematics is essential for geophysics, atmospheric sciences, and dynamical oceanography. Extensive undergraduate work in Earth sciences is not a requirement for admission. If students lack formal training in this area or have deficiencies in the other related sciences, they may be admitted but will have to allow additional time in the graduate program to make up for deficiencies in their preparation.
JUMP to Requirements for the B.A./M.S. Option for Johns Hopkins Undergraduate ENVS Majors.
Requirements for Advanced Degrees
Candidates for the Ph.D. must take courses and meet requirements specified by their advisory committee; must pass a comprehensive examination before a departmental committee and an oral examination administered by the Graduate Board of the university; and must submit an acceptable dissertation involving significant original research. A minimum of two consecutive terms registered as a full-time student is required.
The department rarely accepts candidates for the M.A. degree alone, but Ph.D. students can, with the consent of their advisors, complete a program that will qualify them for the M.A. degree at the end of the second year. Candidates for this degree must pass a comprehensive examination before a departmental committee, and must satisfy the residency requirement specified above for the Ph.D. degree. A student’s advisor may require an essay demonstrating research capability.
For further information about graduate study in the Earth and planetary sciences contact the Chair, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Fields of Graduate Study and Research
The department offers a range of fields of study covering Earth, Space and Environmental Sciences. In recent years we have invested in hiring new faculty in Planetary Sciences, Geosciences and Environmental Science, with seven new assistant professors and two new full professors. What links all of our fields of research together is a focus on treating individual processes- ranging from the formation of rocks to the distribution of organisms- as part of a system, with implications for and feedbacks from other parts of the system. The description below provides a rough grouping of the research areas involved and the faculty associated with each one. Interested applicants are urged to consult individual group web sites for more detail as well as to view presentations made as part of the department’s 50th Anniversary celebration (http://eps.jhu.edu/events/50th-anniversary-symposium/). Prospective students should contact individual faculty members with whom they are interested in working. Students with interests that cross disciplinary boundaries or who use techniques found in different groups are strongly encouraged to apply as we believe that the most exciting questions to pursue in science today involve interdisciplinary research.
Planetary Sciences
In the last four years the department has hired four new faculty members in the Planetary Sciences who study bodies ranging from Mercury to Pluto to exoplanets. Key questions include: What role do planetary atmospheres play in the habitability of planets and the origin and/or evolution of life? (Hörst) What can we learn from the sedimentary record on Mars about what processes have shaped the evolution of that planet? (Lewis) How do planetary dynamos work? (Stanley) How can we use the wealth of spectra coming to us from new sensors to learn about planetary atmospheres? (Sing) A common thread across all of this work is the question of habitability- what sort of things need to happen in order for a planet to be able to support life, and for us to detect it? These questions are addressed using a combination of observation (ground-based telescopes and robotic spacecraft), laboratory experimentation, theoretical modeling, and Earth-analog field studies. The program requires an interdisciplinary focus, drawing from a wide variety of fields including astronomy, geosciences, physics and chemistry. Research often includes data from active planetary exploration missions. EPS faculty include members of the Cassini mission to the Saturn system, New Horizons mission to the Pluto system, and Mars Science Laboratory Rover teams, along with a number of proposed future missions to Venus, and Titan, and other worlds.
Students are encouraged to take courses in astrophysics, chemistry, physics, applied mathematics, computer science, and engineering to gain the comprehensive background necessary for interdisciplinary research. The best undergraduate preparation is a broad background in physics, applied mathematics, chemistry, or earth science. Advanced undergraduate courses in these fields (including differential equations, linear algebra, classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, organic, and physical chemistry) are strongly recommended. The EPS Planetary Science research program has close ties with the Space Department of the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), and students may be co-advised by APL researchers. Students in the department additionally benefit from the local availability of outside institutions including the Space Telescope Science Institute (co-located on the JHU campus), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Deep Earth Geosciences
This area focuses on understanding chemical and physical processes deep within the Earth and other planetary bodies. Key questions include: How do materials behave at very high temperatures and pressures, and what are the implications of this behavior for the whole planet system? (Wicks, Sverjensky) By what processes and at what rates do petrologic and tectonic systems evolve, and what are the feedbacks with the biosphere? (Viete). How is the Earth’s geodynamo changing with time - and why? (Stanley) The interdisciplinary techniques used to study these questions include X-ray scattering and laser studies of planet-building minerals at extreme conditions (Wicks), geological field work and observation, and spatially-resolved geochemical and geochronological analysis of crystalline rocks (Viete) and theoretical and laboratory studies of mineral-fluid interactions (Sverjensky).
Aqueous geochemical studies centered in the Sverjensky group focus on the role of water in the evolution of Earth through deep time, particularly the linkages between water in the deep Earth and the near-surface environment. It involves quantitative geochemical modeling of the chemistry of water-rock interactions from Earth's surface into the upper mantle. Students participate in research involving the interpretation of experimental studies of water-rock interactions in terms of fundamental properties of aqueous inorganic and organic species over extreme ranges of pressure and temperature. Developing a thermodynamic characterization of the behavior of fluids at elevated pressures and temperatures enables exciting research into topics such as the origins of diamonds, the development and evolution of the continents and the potential roles of abiogenic hydrocarbons in Earth's deep carbon cycle. Collaborations with experimental laboratories enable a wide range of training in combined theoretical and experimental studies of the role of fluids in the history of Earth and other planets
Students applying in this area will come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including class and research experience in chemistry, mechanical engineering, material science and condensed matter physics. Recommended classes, depending on the research track, include crystallography, mineralogy, petrology, and field geology, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, continuum mechanics, and mineral physics.
Research within the fields of petrology and tectonics centered in the Viete group focus on questions of length scales, time scales and drivers. It seeks to understand the tectonic processes that operate at plate margins, the nature and utility of the rock record, and interactions between the solid Earth and biosphere. Current foci include crustal heating and the tectonic significance of metamorphic rocks, scales of tectonic organization and episodicity, and petrologic records of seismicity. Student projects begin in the field, first involving mapping, measurement, observation and sampling. With field context established, geological questions are further interrogated through micro-scale structural, geochemical and geochronological analysis of sampled materials. Simple analytical and numerical modeling of processes of deformation and heat and material transfer are used to reproduce observed features and constrain processes recorded in landscapes and rocks.
Students applying in this area should enjoy field work and the outdoors and will preferably have some background and interest in chemistry, physics and/or mathematics. Recommended classes, depending on research track, may include field geology, petrology and petrography, structural geology, sedimentology, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and rock mechanics.
Geoscience in the Surface Environment
This area focuses on what the geological record can tell us about the evolution of life on Earth and its interaction with climate. A particular focus of this group is the use of isotope geochemistry to examine the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur cycles, and to link changes in the rock record to the actual organisms present at the time. Key questions include: What was the physical and chemical context in which the earliest complex life formed? (Smith) How do environmental conditions and/or biological communities influence geochemical signatures found in the rock record? (Gomes)
Students working in this area will learn a range of skills- including the field geology methods necessary to put samples in context, how to make isotopic measurements necessary to characterize the large-scale chemical environment, and how to use this information in conjunction with quantitative and modeling tools to investigate the coevolution of life and the Earth surface. Additionally, the Smith group has expertise in the paleontology of Ediacaran organisms and the Gomes group uses the tools of microbial ecology. Using multi-disciplinary tools, researchers in this area seek to use insight about the coevolution of life and the Earth surface to provide context to understand modern climate change and investigate the tools that can be used to search for life on other planets.
Oceans, Atmospheres and Climate
The Oceans, Atmospheres and Climate area focuses on understanding planetary-scale and regional dynamics with implications for planetary climates, including anthropogenic climate change. The philosophy underlying the department’s program is a rigorous and thorough process-based understanding of the climate system, with a grounding in fluid dynamics, energy exchange, and relevant chemical and biological interactions. Researchers in the department address these processes with theory, laboratory and numerical experiments, and study both remotely sensed and in situ field observations. Johns Hopkins is a member of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
The best preparation for graduate study in this program is an undergraduate degree in physics, applied mathematics, mechanical engineering, or another parent science such as chemistry, oceanography, meteorology, or geology/geophysics. Prior course work in fluid dynamics, while highly desirable, is not mandatory to pursue graduate study in this area. It is strongly recommended to have a broad background in the parent sciences, specialization in one of them, and at least three years of undergraduate mathematics. Research experience is also desirable.
Research in physical oceanography (involving Profs. Haine, Gnanadesikan and Waugh) focuses on the processes that maintain the global ocean circulation and the ocean’s role in climate and global biogeochemical cycling. In particular, attention is on the role of waves, eddies, and small-scale mixing in controlling the ocean’s part in Earth’s heat and freshwater balances. We also study advection, stirring, and mixing processes in the interior ocean and their roles in dispersing atmospheric trace gases and nutrients. The research program also includes computational oceanography, with links to other Hopkins departments and centers.
Research in atmospheric dynamics, (involving Prof. Waugh) focuses on large-scale dynamics, the transport of trace constituents, and understanding the composition of the global atmosphere (e.g., distributions of stratospheric ozone and tropospheric water vapor). Current interests include stratospheric vortex dynamics, troposphere-stratosphere couplings, transport and mixing processes, and global modeling of chemical constituents.
Research in hydroclimate, including atmospheric processes that drive precipitation and terrestrial hydrology, is a focus of Prof. Zaitchik’s group. This research employs satellite image analysis, numerical modeling, and field observation to build a process-based understanding of the ways in which climate shapes landscape and vice versa. Current interests include drivers of rainfall variability in the tropics, coupled natural-human systems, seasonal forecast, and the application of hydroclimate analysis to studies of water resources, agriculture, and human health.
Research on climate and radiation is found across all of the research groups in this area and includes study of the global climate system and its response to radiative forcing due to changes in greenhouse gases and solar luminosity, the feedback effects of water vapor and clouds, and the radiative and hydrological effects of aerosols. These studies involve global and regional scale modeling, and the analysis and interpretation of satellite observations.
Additionally Prof. Gnanadesikan’s group conducts research in global biogeochemical cycling, focussing on applying and developing large-scale computational models that can be combined with observations remotely sensed data to characterize cycling of key elements (including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen) in the earth system. Opportunities exist to link this work to the observational and theoretical geochemistry work done in the department as well as to simulate key periods and transitions in Earth History.
Ecology: Organisms, Ecosystems and Environmental Change
This area of research involves understanding how organisms interact with each other and with the physical world, and how humans affect ecological processes and ecosystems. Questions include: How does past and present land use change affect species distribution, community assembly and biogeochemical cycles? (Avolio, Szlavecz) How does biodiversity, especially invasive species, affect the rates of soil biogeochemical cycling the production of greenhouse gasses (Szlavecz)? How do urban environments shape the ecology and evolution of plants and soil organisms within these systems (Avolio, Szlavecz)? What are the linkages between plant community composition and ecosystem function and/or services in grasslands and cities (Avolio)? How resistant or resilient are grasslands to global change drivers and what is their capacity to adapt to new environmental conditions (Avolio)? Students are invited to participate in ongoing collaborations at two Long Term Ecological Research Sites (Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Konza Prairie Biological Station), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, or to design an original research project under the advisement of our faculty.
All Ph.D. students are expected to have a background of general biology, physics, chemistry and calculus. Deficiencies can be made up in the first semesters at Hopkins. Students take a core program of statistics, Earth history, stable isotope geochemistry, and ecology. In conjunction with the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Earth and Planetary Sciences offers course work opportunities in aquatic chemistry, microbial ecology, geospatial analysis, and analytical environmental chemistry.
Financial Aid
The university makes available to the department a number of Gilman Fellowships, which provide for complete payment of tuition, together with Johns Hopkins’ fellowships and graduate assistantships that carry a nine-month stipend. Graduate assistantships cannot require more than 10 hours a week of service to the department, and all recipients of financial aid carry a full program of study. In addition, a number of special and endowed fellowships pay as much or more. In many areas of study, summer support is also available.
Applications for admission to graduate study and financial aid (including all supporting documents and GRE scores) should be submitted to the department before January 1.
For current course information and registration go to https://sis.jhu.edu/classes/
Courses
A broad survey of the Earth as a planet, with emphasis on the processes that control global changes. Topics include: the structure, formation, and evolution of the Earth, the atmosphere, oceans, continents, and biosphere. Special attention is given to present-day issues, such as global climate change, natural hazards, air pollution, resource depletion, human population growth, habitat destruction, and loss of biodiversity. Open to all undergraduates.
Area: Natural Sciences
An introduction to the important resources involved in the origin and production of oil, natural gas, coal, cement, metals and geothermal fluids.
Area: Natural Sciences
The four and a half billion year story of Earth's global changes focusing on the co-evolution of Earth and Life.
Area: Natural Sciences
The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global-mean rate. In this course we will be studying this phenomenon and its consequences by looking at the interconnected parts of the Arctic climate system (ocean, atmosphere, and ice), how they are changing, and which socio-economic opportunities and environmental challenges arise from these changes.
Area: Natural Sciences
An exploration of the occurrence and potential effects of poisons in the environment, from naturally occurring ones such as arsenic to those that may be introduced by mankind such as nuclear waste.
Area: Natural Sciences
An introduction to planetary science and planetary exploration primarily for non-science majors. A survey of concepts from astronomy, chemistry, geology, and physics applied to the study of the solar system.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course is designed to introduce non-science students to the ways in which humans and the Earth interact. These interactions go in both directions, with Earth processes and materials affecting human society, and human activities altering the Earth. Topics include natural disasters, natural resources, and environmental issues rooted in geology; and they are examined from both a historical perspective and in the context of current events. Class time involves active learning and hands-on experiences.Course open to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Seniors by instructor permission only.
Area: Natural Sciences
People imagined going to the Moon long before Neil Armstrong took those famous steps. Works such as Jules Verne’s 1865 book De la terre à la lune (From the Earth to the Moon) and Georges Méliès’s 1902 movie Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) served to inspire later exploration of the Moon in the second half of the 20th century. In 1959, Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to visit the Moon and since then a number of robotic and human missions have successfully explored the Moon. Analyzing data from those missions has led to a detailed scientific understanding of the Moon, yet certain fundamental questions remain unresolved. This calls for future exploration of the Moon. To be active participants of future exploration of the Moon, students in this course will understand the culture, history, engineering, and science of the Moon.
Area: Natural Sciences
Ecology is the study of organisms and their environment. This course focuses on the patterns of distribution and abundance of organisms. Topics include population dynamics and regulation, competition, predation, host-parasite interactions, patterns of species diversity, community succession, the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems. We will also discuss the role of natural and human disturbances in shaping communities.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.103 OR AS.020.151
The course provides a broad introduction to the principles and practice of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related tools of Geospatial Analysis. Topics will include history of GIS, GIS data structures, data acquisition and merging, database management, spatial analysis, and GIS applications. In addition, students will get hands-on experience working with GIS software.
Area: Engineering, Natural Sciences
This course investigates earth processes that lead to natural hazards and their social and economic consequences. Topics include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, coastal flooding, drought, fire, and climate change. We will use case studies to explore the scientific principles behind the occurrence of natural disasters, assess their risks, and evaluate how societies have responded to these events.
Area: Natural Sciences
Basic concepts in geology, including plate tectonics; Earth’s internal structure; geologic time; minerals; formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; development of faults, folds and earthquakes; geomagnetism. Corequisite (for EPS Majors): AS.270.221; optional for others. The course is introductory and open to undergraduates at all levels; freshmen are encouraged to enroll.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course is a hands-on learning experience for introductory geological concepts and techniques using geological tools, such as mineral/rock samples, microscopes, and maps. Field trips are its essential part. The course is open to undergraduates at all levels; freshmen who wish to get their hands (and boots) dirty are encouraged to enroll.
Corequisite(s): AS.270.220
Area: Natural Sciences
An introduction to the properties, occurrence, and origin of the basic constituents of the Earth, including minerals and rocks. Introductory training in the recognition of minerals and rocks in the laboratory and the field.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.
Area: Natural Sciences
A broad survey of the Earth’s oceans and atmospheres, and their role in the environment and climate. Topics covered include waves, tides, ocean and atmosphere circulation, weather systems, tornadoes and hurricanes, El Niño, and climate change. For science and engineering majors
Area: Natural Sciences
Modeling the chemistry of water-rock interactions from weathering and riverine development at Earth’s surface to hot springs at depth, fluids in subduction zones in Earth’s interior, and the ancient fluids preserved in fluid inclusions. Thermodynamic basis for the calculation of equilibria and irreversible chemical mass transfer involving minerals and aqueous species at low and high temperatures and pressures. The course culminates with practical examples of research interest to individual participants.
Prerequisite(s): (AS.030.101 AND AS.030.102) AND (AS.270.220 AND AS.270.221) or equivalents.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course will explore the evolution of life in the context of environmental, ecological, and geological changes to the Earth surface system. The goal of the class is to provide students with an understanding of how geological and paleontological records provide insight into the origin(s) of life, oxygenation of the atmosphere, the evolution of multicellularity, evolutionary radiations and extinctions, and modern global change.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.103 OR AS.270.220 OR AS.270.224; or permission of the instructor.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course provides an introduction to igneous and volcanic processes on Earth and other planetary bodies. Focus is placed on linking observations made on rocks in hand sample and outcrop to Earth/planetary processes. The course will review crystal chemistry of major rock-forming minerals and progress through how igneous rocks form. Volcanism, including eruption processes, landforms and tectonic settings, will be reviewed. Labs will include rock identification, study of thin sections under microscope and field trips. Teaching is geared toward the graduate and advanced undergraduate level. Recommended course background: AS.270.220 and AS.270.221, or instructor permission.
Area: Natural Sciences
This in-depth survey will inform students on the non-renewable and renewable energy resources of the world and the future prospects. Topics include petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, biomass, and ocean energy. Global production, distribution, usage, and impacts of these resources will be discussed.
Area: Natural Sciences
Urban ecology has been called the ecology in, of, and for cities. In this course, we will explore how ecological concepts are applied to urban ecosystems and the different approaches to urban ecological research. Topics will include: Biodiversity, water dynamics, energy and heat island effects, and nutrient cycling, urban metabolism, design of greenspace, and sustainability of cities. We will use Baltimore as a case study for studying cities.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.308 OR EN.570.205 OR EN.570.403
Area: Natural Sciences
An introduction to modern ways to interpret observations in the context of a conceptual model. Topics include model building, hypothesis testing, and inverse methods. Practical examples from geophysics, engineering, and medical physics will be featured.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course explores the distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions. Topics include dynamics and regulation of populations, population interactions (competition, predation, mutualism, parasitism, herbivory), biodiversity, organization of equilibrium and non-equilibrium communities, energy flow, and nutrient cycles in ecosystems. Field trip included. Students who have not taken one of the prerequisites may register with the permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.103 OR AS.020.151
Area: Natural Sciences
Modern vertebrates (animals with backbones) are the products of a more than 500-million-year evolutionary history. This course surveys that history and uses it to explore such core evolutionary concepts as adaptive radiation, convergence, extinction, homology, phylogenetic taxonomy, and tree thinking. Emphasis will be placed on the origins of the modern vertebrate fauna and how fossils are being integrated with developmental biology to better understand major transitions in the vertebrate body plan.
Area: Natural Sciences
An introduction to the evolutionary history and diversity of mammals, with emphasis on the first half of the Cenozoic - the beginning of the Age of Mammals. The course will focus primarily on the adaptive radiation of mammals (including our own order primates) that followed the extinction of the dinosaurs, exploring the origins and relationships of the major groups of mammals as well as the anatomical and ecological reasons for their success. Lectures will be supplemented with relevant fossils and recent specimens.
Area: Natural Sciences
A survey of naturally occurring catastrophic phenomena, with emphasis on the underlying physical processes. Topics include hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions and climate change. Intended for students in science and engineering.
Area: Natural Sciences
In this course, students examine the meaning and implications of biodiversity with a focus on disciplines associated with conservation biology, wildlife conservation and wildlife management, including taxonomy, genetics, small population biology, chemical and restoration ecology, and marine biology. This includes exploring how conservation biology differs from other natural sciences in theory and in application. Students learn the major threats to biodiversity and what natural and social science methods and alternatives are used to mitigate, stop, or reverse these threats. The course also includes the economic and cultural tradeoffs associated with each conservation measure at the global, national, regional, and local levels. One required field trip.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course is an introduction to the use of remote sensing technology to study Earth’s physical and biochemical processes. Topics covered include remote sensing of the atmosphere, land and oceans, as well as remote sensing as a tool for policy makers.Also offered as 270.618
Area: Natural Sciences
Introduction to radioisotope geo/thermochronology and mantle stable and radioisotope geochemistry. Course covers: (1) methods for dating of rocks and geologic processes using long-half-life radioisotope systems, including the various isotope systems available and their applicability; (2) radioisotope techniques for investigation of the geochemical evolution of the crust and mantle; (3) isotope fractionation and utility of traditional and novel stable isotope geochemistry for interrogating high-temperature processes, and (4) thermochronology and methods for interrogating upper-crustal processes. Recommended course background: AS.270.220 and AS.270.221, or instructor permission.
Major problems of current interest in planetary science are critically discussed in depth.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course will examine the cycling of trace chemicals in the ocean, consider what we can learn from the distributions of these chemicals about the ocean circulation, and ocean ecosystems. Topics covered will include oceanic biological productivity, open water cycling of nutrients and oxygen, ocean acidification and sediment cycling.
Area: Natural Sciences
This class is an introduction to a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena in the world’s oceans. Underlying basic principles are exposed wherever possible. Topics covered include: seawater, waves, tides, ocean circulation, chemical oceanography, biogeochemical ocean processes, and remote sensing of the oceans. Recommended Course Background: freshman Physics, Chemistry, Calculus through ordinary differential equations.
Area: Natural Sciences
Students in this course will gain an understanding of the origin of various forms of matter in our Solar System and beyond, along with its evolution through geologic processes. Beginning with the concepts of nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution, this course will then cover the condensation of matter, meteoritics, and petrogenetic evolution of differentiated, rocky bodies (i.e. asteroids, the Moon, Mars). Evolution of matter in extra-Solar planetary systems (i.e. exoplanets) will also be broached. In lab we will examine thin sections of meteorites, lunar material, and terrestrial analogs - a field trip to the Smithsonian Meteorite Collection is planned. Graduate and advanced undergraduate-level students are encouraged, as are interdisciplinary students with an interest in planetary science.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.
Area: Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could visit other planets and travel through the space? Students in this course will use state-of-the-art observational techniques in planetary exploration and actual spacecraft data from the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Mars Rover mission to solve problems in planetary science and design a space exploration mission. Important planetary properties, such as atmospheric composition and interior composition of a planet, will be studied using remote sensing and in situ data. Recent discoveries about exoplanets will be integrated into course activities. Recommended Course Background: One semester of Introductory Chemistry (AS.030.101).
Prerequisite(s): ((AS.110.105 AND AS.110.106) OR (AS.110.108 AND AS.110.109) OR (AS.110.202 AND AS.110.211)) AND ((AS.171.101 AND AS.171.102) OR (AS.171.103 AND AS.171.104) OR (AS.171.105 AND AS.171.106) OR (AS.171.107 AND AS.171.108))
Area: Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Introduction to stable isotope and radioisotope geochemistry. Isotope measurements are used to probe fundamental questions in the Earth and environmental sciences because they can be used to extract information about the timing of and/or chemical, physical, and biological processes associated with the formation of geomaterials. The first half of the course focuses on light isotope systems (O, C, S, etc.) and low-temperature applications, including: (1) tracing sources and sinks of fluids, sediments, biological materials, and contaminants, (2) studying rates and mechanisms of biochemical reactions, and (3) paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The second half of the course focuses on heavier isotope systems and high-temperature applications, including: (1) methods for dating of rocks and geologic processes using long-half-life radioisotopes, including the various isotope systems available and their applicability, and (2) isotope fractionation at high temperatures and the utility of radioisotope and novel stable isotope geochemistry for interrogating processes influencing the crust and mantle. Biweekly lab classes (scheduled in first week) will allow students to become familiar with principles of isotope measurements and interpretations. Mid-term and final exams. Recommended course background: AS.270.220 and AS.270.221, or instructor permission.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.220 AND AS.270.221
The course introduces basic aspects of cycles and flows in the soil ecosystem, and provides students with an overview of the higher groups of soil organisms. Laboratory and field surveying methods are also covered.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course is designed for undergraduate students interested in pursuing geophysics research in the topics of solid state physics or inorganic chemistry. It will consist of a weekly seminar paired with a separate paper reading+discussion group, covering a range of topics on the frontiers of mineral physics. Themes rotate each semester, and Fall 2018 will be paired with the Mineralogy Lecture Series on Modeling and Experimental challenges in Cosmochemistry. Recommended Course Background: Relevant coursework such as Mineralogy or equivalent in other department, and instructor permission.
Have you wondered how life began on Earth or if we are alone in the Universe? This course will explore the prebiotic chemistry and origin of life on Earth, then move on to Mars, icy bodies (Europa, Titan, Enceladus) and newly-found “habitable” exoplanets. Students in this course will learn state-of-the-art methods and techniques used to characterize habitable conditions and to detect life. This course will deepen understanding of the current developments and ongoing discoveries in field of astrobiology.
Prerequisite(s): AS.030.102 or equivalent.
Area: Natural Sciences
A study of streams, lakes, and groundwater with a focus on aspects of water quality, hydrology, geomorphology, and aquatic ecology that are relevant to human impacts on freshwater systems. US environmental policies and water resource management agencies will also be examined in the context of issues such as dams, cattle grazing, climate change, and water allocation.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.103 OR AS.271.107 or permission of the instructor.
Area: Natural Sciences
A hands-on investigation of the water quality, hydrology, geomorphology, and aquatic ecology of streams and other freshwater bodies. Includes field trips to water-related facilities such as drinking water and wastewater treatment plants.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course will introduce student to methods used in field-based ecological research addressing population, community and ecosystem-level questions. Outdoor fieldwork is an essential part of the course. Field activities will center around the riparian ecosystem adjacent to the Homewood campus and on the urban ecology of the greater Baltimore region. Students will build skills in data collection, analysis, synthesis, and presentation. Basic statistical instruction in R will be taught to aid data analysis.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.;AS.270.308 OR EN.570.205
This semester, join HEMI’s Designer in residence, and MICA professor Jenna Frye, in a modified version of her popular experimental fabrication course, EPIC FAIL. Discover how thinking with your hands, embracing risk and failure and playful exploration with educational toys, can invigorate your research in mineralogy and deepen your understanding of crystallography visualization. This course is designed as a hands-on, deeply collaborative workshop, where we will investigate the role of creative fabrication technology and invention as it relates to communicating scientific research to outside audiences. Together we will make, tinker and fail our way to improved visualization and presentation strategies so that others may more fully access the complexities in our work.Topics in Mineralogy is a special topics course that rotates in subject and may be taken multiple times for credit. This course is designed for those interested in mineralogy, and we recommend concurrent enrollment in Planetary Interiors, Space Weathering, and/or Advanced Mineralogy seminar.
Seminar class on fundamentals of structural geology, as applied in field-based studies. Involves weekly readings/practical exercises on: (1) field techniques for measuring structures; (2) interpretation of structural data on maps and cross-sections; (3) approaches for inferring large-scale structure from limited data; (4) techniques for visualizing structure; (5) deformation style and associated fabrics/textures/structure; (6) metamorphism and deformation, and (7) methods for visualizing and analyzing structure. Topics covered are geared towards developing skills required for a 10-day, field-based Independent Study in Structural Geology course in Scotland in the summer (May–June).
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.220
In this seminar students will read seminal pieces in ecology. Assigned readings will span early 1900s to present. Students will pair a foundational paper with a more current paper on a similar topic to explore the evolution of ecological concepts and approaches over time. This course is aimed at upper level undergraduates and graduate students.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.202
This course is a study of techniques used to effectively communicate scientific knowledge with a focus on climate science. This will be done with three overarching topics: reading and comprehending scientific papers, critically interpreting science news from the media, and communicating complex climate science to a general audience. The course is intended for science and engineering majors and not open to freshman. Recommended pre-requisites: General Physics I and/or Oceans and Atmospheres.
Sedimentary rocks are the historical records of the Earth, documenting climate change, mass extinctions, and the evolution of life. This course will provide an introduction to sedimentary processes and sedimentary rocks. Focus is placed on linking physical observations to the ancient environments in which sedimentary rocks once formed. Fundamental tools for interpreting the sedimentary rock record, such as depositional models, geochronology, and chemostratigraphy will be reviewed. Two 1-day weekend field trips will occur over the course of the semester. There will also be weekly 1-hour labs. Lab and field trip times will be determined in the first week of class. Graduate and advanced undergraduate level. Recommended Course Background: AS.270.220 or instructor permission.
Area: Natural Sciences
Seminar class on the dynamics of subduction and accretionary orogenesis. Weekly readings discussed in class. Focus will be broad and process-based. Topics in subduction may include: (1) modes of global subduction through Earth history; (2) models of forced/triggered v. spontaneous subduction initiation; (3) arc development and implications for growth of continents; (4) subduction zone rollback and arc migration, and (5) subducted slab breakoff and tearing. Topics in accretionary orogenesis may include: (1) stress state of the overriding plate; (2) tectonic mode switches (shortening to extension and vice versa), and (3) length and time scales of the thermal manifestations of accretionary orogenesis.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.220 AND AS.270.221 or instructor permission.
Co-Listed with EN.530.366Investigation into the content relevant to an ongoing spacecraft instrumentation project. An interdisciplinary team will enhance the skills and knowledge of science and engineering students. Topics include mission background, planetary science, sensor design, spacecraft systems, and mission planning, and sensor fabrication, calibration, integration, and testing, data analysis and interpretation, scientific/technical writing and publication.
Area: Engineering, Natural Sciences
An introduction to all aspects of Geochemistry: theoretical, experimental, and observational, including the application of geochemistry to issues such as the migration of toxic metals and nuclear waste.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.220
Area: Natural Sciences
Intended for majors who are interested in the science that underlies the current debate on global warming, the focus is on recent observations one can glean from model simulations. Meets with AS.270.641. Recommended Course Background: AS.110.108-AS.110.109 and AS.171.101-AS.171.102
Prerequisite(s): Student may not receive credit for both AS.270.378 and AS.270.641.
Area: Natural Sciences
A survey of core topics in atmospheric science, including dynamics, thermodynamics, radiative transfer, and chemistry. The course addresses both basic principles and applications to weather and climate. Recommended pre-requisites: General Calculus and Physics I and/or Oceans and Atmospheres.
Area: Natural Sciences
Introduction to the regional geology and geological history of the Appalachian system (from Alabama to Newfoundland). Key papers on regional bedrock geology and Mesoproterozoic through Phanerozoic tectonics are reviewed in weekly seminar classes. Two three-day field trips are made on weekends negotiated at the beginning of the semester. Fieldwork will be designed with student input to test ideas and models from the literature. Techniques in sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous and structural field geology are introduced and developed in the field. Recommended course background: AS.270.220 and AS.270.221, or instructor permission.
Area: Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Field experience is an integral part of a geology student’s education. During this course, students will spend over a week outdoors, learning to make observations that can be used to interpret the geologic history and structure of natural environments. This course is a spring break field course that will focus on different topics each year. For Spring 2019, the focus of the trip will be on applying concepts and techniques covered in Dynamic Earth (AS.270.220/1), Sedimentary Geology (AS.270.350), and Earth History (AS.270.303). Students will also learn about the different tectonic events that have shaped the landscape that we see today in the western United States. The class is designed for upper level E&PS majors and first or second year E&PS graduate students. For logistical reasons, this class is capped at 10 students. Preference will be given to E&PS majors. Students will be camping during the field course and should be prepared to be hiking outside all day. In the case that obtaining personal field supplies (e.g., hiking boots, sleeping bags) is not possible through Homewood student affairs gear rentals and/or is a financial hardship, please contact the instructor. Any communication about this will be kept confidential.Mandatory class field trip: 9-day field trip to Esmeralda County, NV over spring break (3/16/18-3/24/18).
Prerequisite(s): (AS.270.220 AND AS.270.221) OR AS.270.350 OR AS.270.303
The Earth Sciences traditionally rely heavily on outdoor field education – the purposeful use of an outdoor environment to achieve educational objectives – in higher education. Observations made at the surface of the Earth are fundamental to understanding the processes that have shaped it, and outdoor field education is often considered an essential way to connect classroom theory with actual data and observations. However, despite the demonstrated benefits of outdoor field education, there are persistent, deep-rooted problems with it in higher education, two of which include accessibility issues and financial barriers. There is overwhelming and demonstrated need to make outdoor field education and research more accepting of all who want to participate. This course aims to explore some of these accessibility issues by: 1) reading and discussing peer-reviewed literature on this topic, 2) participating in and learning about already established virtual field trips and tools, and 3) developing our own virtual educational tools and experiences.
Geology in the Outer Solar System: This course will focus on the solid bodies of the outer solar system, addressing their formation, surfaces, interiors, evolution, and how we study them via remote sensing and spacecraft investigation. We will use data from the various missions that have investigated the outer system and cover aspects of instrumentation and remote sensing of outer system bodies from the Voyager missions, Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons. The course includes lecture, discussion, and hands-on lab work. Recommended pre-requisites: Dynamic Earth and/or Introductory planetary science and/or remote sensing, or instructor approval.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course will explore how the carbon cycle shapes environmental conditions and influences other biogeochemical cycles through an investigation of the modern carbon cycle, major carbon cycle perturabtions in the geological record, and projections of future global change. The majority of the class will be structured as a reading seminar, but students will also develop an understanding of how to use quantitative models to evaluate patterns of change associated with both modern and ancient carbon cycle perturbations with implications for predicting future environmental changes.Recommended Prerequisites: AS.270.103 or AS.270.220 or AS.270.224
Area: Natural Sciences, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Introduction to metamorphic geology and the concepts on which it is built. Ideas and techniques that underpin metamorphic petrology are introduced in the context of the development and evolution of metamorphic geology as a discipline. Focus is on utility of metamorphic geology in understanding crustal processes and the nature of plate tectonics. One-day, weekend field trips to explore the Baltimore Gneiss Domes. Recommended course background: AS.270.220 and AS.270.221, or instructor permission.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.220 AND AS.270.221
Area: Natural Sciences
This course investigates the physical processes occurring in planetary interiors. Topics include formation and differentiation of planetary bodies, planetary structure, thermal evolution, convection, and dynamo generation of magnetic fields. Standard remote sensing methods used to investigate planetary interiors and results from recent planetary satellite missions will also be discussed.Recommended: Knowledge of vector calculus, PDEs and introductory physics.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course will introduce and explore multiple topics of Space Weathering - the interaction of solar system bodies with the space environment. Through a combination of lecture, reading, research, and discussion the course will explore physical and chemical processes of solar and cosmic radiation and particles, micrometeorites, etc., on the surfaces of planets. We will also explore interaction of the space environment with planetary magnetic fields and atmospheres, and with non-planetary materials (such as spacecraft, and astronauts).
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.222
Seminar class on recent developments in igneous and metamorphic petrology. Involves weekly readings on modern methods/understanding in petrogenesis and processes leading to mineral (re)crystallization; rock deformation; fluid transport in rocks; pressure and temperature estimates of rock formation, and rates/durations of thermotectonic processes in the lithosphere. Topics covered will cater to interests and learning goals of those who register in the class.
Prerequisite(s): AS.270.220
This course explores processes that influence the evolution of planetary surfaces, including impact cratering, tectonics, volcanism, weathering, and sediment transport. These processes manifest themselves as structural deformation of planetary crusts due to loading by volcanoes, formation of craters by asteroid impacts, modification of surfaces by flowing landslides, rivers and glaciers, and the accumulation and transport of sand in dune fields on various planets. Emphasis is on the relationship to similar Earth processes, and the integrated geologic histories of the terrestrial planets, satellites, and asteroids. The focus will be on developing a physical understanding of these processes to interpret the surface characteristics and evolution of planets, satellites, asteroids, and comets from both qualitative assessments and quantitative measurements obtained from spacecraft data. A key component of the class will be the interpretation of these observations from recent and current planetary missions to the Moon, Mars, and other terrestrial bodies.Recommended Course Background: A sound knowledge of Calculus and Introductory Physics, and some prior knowledge of Earth and/or Planetary Science.
Area: Natural Sciences
Field experience is an integral part of a geology student’s education. During this course, students will learn to digitize, synthesize, and interpret the observations they made during the January field-based class to interpret the geologic history and structure of southern California. Study USA: Geological Field Studies in California is a co-requisite for this course.For Spring 2020, the focus of the field work and course will be on applying concepts and techniques covered in Dynamic Earth (AS.270.220/1), Sedimentary Geology (AS.270.350), Earth History (AS.270.303), Planets, Life and the Universe (AS.020.334), and Isotope Geochemistry (AS.270.331). Sedimentary rocks are spectacularly exposed in this region and record over a billion years of key events in Earth history. Students will learn how these rocks have shaped our understanding of major evolutionary and environmental shifts in Earth’s past, while also learning how to map these units’ regional geographic distribution. Finally, students will also learn about the different tectonic events that have shaped the landscape that we see today in the western United States. The class is designed for upper level E&PS majors and E&PS graduate students.
Mineral Physics is the study of mineralogical problems through the application of condensed matter physics and solid-state chemistry. In this course, students will participate in the journal discussion about the foundational and developing research capabilities in Mineral Physics, with an emphasis this semester on Spectroscopy. Topics will include electron spectroscopy and X-ray scattering (both elastic and inelastic) techniques.Readings in Mineral Physics is a special topics course that rotates in subject and may be taken multiple times for credit. Prerequisites: Structure of Materials (EN.510.311/601), Mineralogy (AS.270.222) or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): (EN.510.311 OR EN.510.601) AND AS.270.222 OR Permission of the Instructor.
Fundamental concepts and basic principles of chemistry and physics applied to the study of planetary atmospheres. Vertical structure of planetary atmospheres. Atmospheric radiation, thermodynamics, and transport. Principles of photochemistry. Planetary spectroscopy and remote sensing. Upper atmospheres and ionospheres. Evolution and stability of planetary atmospheres. Recommended Course Background: basic physics, chemistry and calculus
Area: Natural Sciences
An introductory course on the properties, flow, and transport characteristics of fluids throughout the Earth and planets. Topics covered include: constitutive relationships, fluid rheology, hydrostatics, dimensional analysis, low Reynolds number flow, porous media, waves, stratified and rotating fluids, plus heat, mass, and tracer transport. Illustrative examples and problems are drawn from the atmosphere, ocean, crust, mantle, and core of the Earth and other Planets. Open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Recommended Course Background: Basic Physics, Calculus, and familiarity with ordinary differential equations.
Area: Natural Sciences
Introduction to plate tectonics and its "framework" role in understanding the Earth. Kay papers will be discussed in a weekly seminar class. Focus will be on early works that helped establish the theory, in addition to recent breakthrough contributions that have led to modifications and improvements to the theory of plate tectonics.
Exploration of topic(s) in earth, planetary, and/or environmental science under the direction of an instructor.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
Research in earth, planetary, and/or environmental science conducted under the direction of a faculty advisor.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
Senior thesis research project in earth, planetary, and/or environmental science conducted under the direction of a faculty advisor.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
Writing Intensive
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
A variety of topics of current interest involving mineral-fluid interactions will be reviewed.
A weekly seminar series in which graduate students present their latest research results and attend Departmental seminars. This course is required for all graduate students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
A weekly seminar series in which graduate students present their latest research results and attend Departmental seminars. This course is required for all graduate students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
This course will examine the fluid dynamics that determine large-scale atmospheric circulation and variability using Ian James’ “Introduction to Circulating Atmospheres.” Topics covered will include the dynamics of Hadley cells, mid-latitude jets, baroclinic instability, monsoon circulations, and low-frequency variability of the circulation.
This graduate class will introduce modern inverse modeling and data assimilation techniques. These powerful methods are used in atmospheric science, oceanography, and geophysics and are growing more widespread. Topics will include: singular value decomposition, Green’s function inversions, Kalman filtering, and variational data assimilation. The class will include lectures on concepts and theory, and practical experience in the computer laboratory.Permission of Instructor Required
Also offered as 270.318
Area: Natural Sciences
Discussion of the physical principles that underlie earth remote sensing. Topics to include radiative transfer in Earth’s atmosphere, operating principles of active and passive remote sensing systems, and advanced methods for image analysis.
The aim of this course is to achieve conceptual understanding of the large scale low frequency ocean general circulation. The role of the ocean circulation in earth's climate is emphasized throughout.
Weekend field trip to explore regional geology. Students are required to prepare short presentations on field trip topics in advance of weekend trip. Attendance at two organizational meetings (to be scheduled) is required. Open to E&PS graduate students and upper level E&PS undergraduate majors and minors. Trip date is 11/9/2019. Consult instructors for details.
This course examines the transport of substances in geophysical flows. Topics covered include fundamental transport processes, transport in simple flows, and use of chemical tracers to infer transport properties. These concepts will be illustrated by case studies in a variety of geophysical flows, including the flow in atmospheres, oceans, lakes, and groundwater.
This course will cover fundamentals of aerosol physics and chemistry. Topics covered will include aerodynamics and diffusion of aerosol particles, condensation and evaporation, particle size distributions, optics of small particles, characterization of particle composition, and the diversity of aerosols found in planetary atmospheres.Recommended Course Background: Basic Physics and Chemistry. Calculus.
Introduction to plate tectonics and its "framework" role in understanding the Earth. Kay papers will be discussed in a weekly seminar class. Focus will be on early works that helped establish the theory, in addition to recent breakthrough contributions that have led to modifications and improvements to the theory of plate tectonics.
Area: Natural Sciences
Meets with AS.270.378.
Prerequisite(s): Student may not receive credit for both AS.270.378 and AS.270.641.
Area: Natural Sciences
A sequel to AS.270.425 concentrating on planetary-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Physical understanding of the underlying fluid dynamics will be emphasized.
Environmental data is often messy-contaminated with noise, fundamental nonlinear, potentially stationary. This course will build on Menke and menke's Environmental Data Analysis with Matlab to examine methods of analyzing environmental data that don't lead us to confuse noise with signal. Topics covered will include significance testing, spectral estimation, nonparametric methods, multivariate data analysis. Applications will be tailored to the student interest.
Thermodynamic basis for the modeling of irreversible chemical mass transfer involving minerals and aqueous species at elevated temperatures and pressures. Reading will start with classic papers by Helgeson and co-workers and proceed to applications in the literature involving hydrothermal ore deposits, subduction zones, and diamond formation in the upper mantle. The course focusses on developing specific projects of research interest to individual participants.Recommended Course Background: AS.030.101 and AS.030.102 or equivalent, AND AS.270.220 AND AS.270.221 or equivalent, AND AS.270.302 or equivalent.
Area: Natural Sciences
Geobiology is the study of interactions between life and rocks. In this class we will explore how organisms impact sedimentary records both directly, by leaving behind biosignatures, or indirectly, by affecting their surroundings in a way that promotes formation of certain types of minerals. This will serve as a guide for interpreting geological records during the early evolution of life on Earth, the rise of animals, and major mass extinctions.
Area: Natural Sciences
Communication for Scientists” and the description is “This course will cover the various ways in which scientists are expected to communicate throughout the life of a project. Topics will include writing proposals, preparing impactful figures, writing press releases, interacting with the press (press conferences, radio/TV, interviews, etc.), writing for and speaking to the public, social media, and interacting with policy makers."
A survey of core topics in atmospheric science, including dynamics, thermodynamics, radiative transfer, and chemistry. The course addresses both basic principles and applications to weather and climate. Recommended pre-requisites: General Calculus and Physics I and/or Oceans and Atmospheres.
Area: Natural Sciences
Introduction to the regional geology and geological history of the Appalachian system (from Alabama to Newfoundland). Key papers on regional bedrock geology and Mesoproterozoic through Phanerozoic tectonics are reviewed in weekly seminar classes. Two three-day field trips are made on weekends negotiated at the beginning of the semester. Fieldwork will be designed with student input to test ideas and models from the literature. Techniques in sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous and structural field geology are introduced and developed in the field. Recommended course background: AS.270.220 and AS.270.221, or instructor permission.
Area: Natural Sciences
Field experience is an integral part of a geology student’s education. During this course, students will spend over a week outdoors, learning to make observations that can be used to interpret the geologic history and structure of natural environments. This course is a spring break field course that will focus on different topics each year. For Spring 2019, the focus of the trip will be on applying concepts and techniques covered in Dynamic Earth (AS.270.220/1), Sedimentary Geology (AS.270.350), and Earth History (AS.270.303). Students will also learn about the different tectonic events that have shaped the landscape that we see today in the western United States. The class is designed for upper level E&PS majors and first or second year E&PS graduate students. For logistical reasons, this class is capped at 10 students. Preference will be given to E&PS majors. Students will be camping during the field course and should be prepared to be hiking outside all day. In the case that obtaining personal field supplies (e.g., hiking boots, sleeping bags) is not possible through Homewood student affairs gear rentals and/or is a financial hardship, please contact the instructor. Any communication about this will be kept confidential.Mandatory class field trip: 9-day field trip to Esmeralda County, NV over spring break (3/16/18-3/24/18).
Area: Natural Sciences
Mineral Physics is the study of mineralogical problems through the application of condensed matter physics and solid-state chemistry. In this course, students will learn about the foundational and developing research capabilities in Mineral Physics, with an emphasis this year on shock compression and experiments at High Energy Density. Topics will include experimental investigation of equation of states, phase transitions, changes in optical and transport properties and other strain-rate dependent phenomena. Topics in Mineral Physics is a special topics course that rotates in subject and may be taken multiple times for credit .
Prerequisite(s): (EN.510.311 OR EN.510.601) OR AS.270.222 or instructor permission.
A range of standard mathematical methods used in earth and planetary science applications will be studied. A core set of topics will include back-of-the-envelope estimates, differential equations, linear algebra, special functions, and transforms. In addition, students will tailor the course to their needs by choosing from a range of extended topics to explore further. Potential topics include perturbation theory, tensors, probability theory and complex analysis. Open to graduate students and senior undergraduate EPS majors with permission of instructor. Recommended preparation includes knowledge of single and multivariable calculus and linear algebra.
The Earth Sciences traditionally rely heavily on outdoor field education – the purposeful use of an outdoor environment to achieve educational objectives – in higher education. Observations made at the surface of the Earth are fundamental to understanding the processes that have shaped it, and outdoor field education is often considered an essential way to connect classroom theory with actual data and observations. However, despite the demonstrated benefits of outdoor field education, there are persistent, deep-rooted problems with it in higher education, two of which include accessibility issues and financial barriers. There is overwhelming and demonstrated need to make outdoor field education and research more accepting of all who want to participate. This course aims to explore some of these accessibility issues by: 1) reading and discussing peer-reviewed literature on this topic, 2) participating in and learning about already established virtual field trips and tools, and 3) developing our own virtual educational tools and experiences.
Current research literature in planetary magnetic fields and dynamo theory will be studied. Topics will vary year-to-year. Students will be responsible for leading discussions on relevant papers from the literature. Open to graduate students and senior undergraduate EPS majors with permission of instructor. Recommended preparation includes knowledge of fluid dynamics, electromagnetism and planetary science.
A selection of planetary research topics investigated by Prof. Strobel spanning the past 45 years covering the progress that has been made and remaining problems that still need to be addressed. The majority of topics will involve the outer solar system and the science discoveries made by the Voyager, Cassini-Huygens, and New Horizons Missions as well as observations by Earth orbiting satellites – IUE, HUT, HST, FUSE.
Area: Natural Sciences
Humans are having such a massive impact on Earth systems that some call this the Anthropocene epoch. Should we consider this state of affairs progress or catastrophe? How to we find a sustainable path to the future? This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the principles and practice of sustainability, exploring such issues as population, pollution, energy and natural resources, biodiversity, food, justice, and climate change through the lens of systems thinking. Course open to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Seniors by instructor permission only.
Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course integrates the analysis and production of environmental media with weekly outdoor excursions. Students will survey a range of authors, adventurers, journalists, scientists, photographers, acoustic ecologists and filmmakers that have explored the natural world and chronicled the history of human-environmental relations and environmental problems. Field trips to regional parks and green spaces will encourage students to discover their own sense of place, foster a deeper level of ecological awareness and construct personal environmental narratives through careful exploration, observation, documentation and reflection.
Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Writing Intensive
Where does your food come from? What impact does food production have on the environment and human societies? How can food systems become more sustainable as the human population increases? This seminar-style course examines the past, present, and future of agriculture, including topics such as the foodways of indigenous people, modern "factory farming" versus organic agriculture, genetically modified foods, and the interplay among science, economics, policy, and agriculture. Involves hands-on experiences.
Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Environmental Policy in the Age of Trump. This course will analyze the effects of the current administration’s actions on environmental issues by assessing the policies in question and estimating the potential impacts on climate change, human health, and ecology. Policies that have been overturned or are under review represent a number of environmental issues, including climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, offshore drilling, national monuments, mining pollution, toxic discharge into public waterways, the development of oil pipelines, public land use planning, coal leases, a harmful insecticide, hunting in wildlife refuges, airborne mercury emissions, protection of tributaries and wetlands under the Clean Water Act, energy and fuel-efficiency standards, and resource extraction from federal lands. Students will examine the historical roles environmental organizations and government agencies have played in advocating for, creating and enforcing U.S. environmental policy and will discuss the future roles of these actors and other stakeholders in implementing effective environmental policy
Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Environmental cognition, consciousness and communication are produced, reproduced, interpreted and remembered with the support of visual representations and, in particular, photography. Images increasingly structure our experience of nature, environmental problems, human-environmental relations, and ecological awareness. Students will review critical literature focusing on visual representation theory, the relationship between images and social change, the practice of journalism and the history and typology of environmental photography. An understanding of environmental issues is required. Students will engage with the local community, identify and investigate environmental issues facing Baltimore, participate in photographic critiques, and develop a documentary project. This studio/seminar course is designed with an emphasis on independent research and practice.
Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Writing Intensive
In this seminar students will read seminal pieces in the field of socio-environmental research. Socio-environmental research recognizes that society and nature inherently interact in such a way that they affect and change one-another - it is not only that society affects the nature or that nature only affects society. Solving environmental problems necessitates understanding this duality and thus an interdisciplinary background. Assigned readings will span early from thinkers on environmental problems (Before 1900) to current approaches to studying and solving environmental problems.It is aimed at upper level undergraduates and graduate students.
Prereq: 270.103 or permission of instructor.This course will investigate the policy and scientific debate over global warming. It will review the current state of scientific knowledge about climate change, examine the potential impacts and implications of climate change, explore our options for responding to climate change, and discuss the present political debate over global warming.
Area: Natural Sciences
This course supports students in the design of their senior capstone project, including crafting a suitable research question, identifying appropriate methodologies, and writing a formal project proposal.
Environmental Ethics is a philosophical discipline that examines the moral relationship between humans and the natural environment. For individuals and societies, it can help structure our experience of nature, environmental problems, human-environmental relations, and ecological awareness. Beginning with a comprehensive analysis of their own values, students will explore complex ethical questions, philosophical paradigms and real-life case studies through readings, films and seminar discussions. Traditional ethical theories, including consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics will be examined and applied. Environmental moral worldviews, ranging from anthropocentric to ecocentric perspectives, will be critically evaluated. Organized debates will help students strengthen their ability to deconstruct and assess ethical arguments and to communicate viewpoints rooted in ethical principles. Students will apply ethical reasoning skills to an examination of contemporary environmental issues including, among others, biodiversity conservation, environmental justice, climate change, and overpopulation. Students will also develop, defend and apply their own personal environmental ethical framework. A basic understanding of modern environmental history and contemporary environmental issues is required. Prior experience with philosophy and ethics is not required.
Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Writing Intensive
The water, energy and food (WEF) nexus is a topic of growing interest in the research and policy communities. This course will survey WEF concepts and principles, introduce tools of analysis, and engage students in case studies of critical WEF issues in the United States and internationally.
This course provides students with a broad introduction to US environmental policymaking and policy analysis. Included are a historical perspective as well as an analysis of future policymaking strategies. Students examine the political and legal framework, become familiar with precedent-setting statutes such as NEPA, RCRA, and the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, and study models for environmental policy analysis. Cost benefit studies, the limits of science in policymaking, and the impact of environmental policies on society are important aspects of this course. A comparison of national and international policymaking is designed to provide students with the proper perspective. This course is taught in conjunction with an identical graduate course. All students will be expected to perform at a graduate level.
Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
An accompaniment to the GECS Senior Capstone Seminar for students whose research project involves a GIS component. Designed to enable beginner to advanced GIS users to acquire the data and skills needed to accomplish their research goals.
Area: Natural Sciences
In the 21st century, energy supply and consumption are critical subjects for international politics, social development, and the future of the environment. Policies that determine energy supply and consumption come to being in complex institutional, national, and international contexts. This course will equip students with the necessary background to analyze energy policy issues and contribute to them in a meaningful manner. It also involves examination of wide-ranging debates over the switch to renewables, the use of unconventional energy sources, and the environmental consequences of energy choices.
Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This seminar will provide the academic space, time, and mentoring for students to integrate, synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills obtained through the ENVS curriculum into a tangible environmental project.
This seminar explores topics related to career development and current events to support senior environmental majors as they transition to post-graduate life and work.
Exploration of topic(s) in environmental studies under the direction of an instructor.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
Research in environmental studies conducted under the direction of a faculty advisor.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
This course is designed to accompany a supervised, hands-on experience working on an environmental or sustainability-related research project or internship. While completing 80 hours of applied work, students will prepare a reflective journal, paper, and poster presentation about their experience.Graded S/U only.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
Senior thesis research project in environmental studies conducted under the direction of a faculty advisor.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
Writing Intensive
Cross Listed Courses
Anthropology
This course will grapple with the social and cultural dimensions of contemporary ecological problems through a local, project-based approach. Coursework will be organized on a studio basis in partnership with a local environmental organization, Friends of Stony Run. Continuing a collaborative project initiated in the fall of 2019, we will work together to develop interpretive materials for the Stony Run stream and urban watershed adjoining our campus.
Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
German Romance Languages Literatures
Over the past decade, growing numbers of filmmakers in Italy have addressed ecological crises in their work. This class takes an eco-critical approach to contemporary Italian cinema, examining a body of compelling place-centered stories that deal with local and global issues. Defining the scope of eco-cinema and the ways we can interrogate films as ecological texts, we shall screen earth-centered films that raise consciousness about the consequences of human manipulation of the natural world; the complicity of industry, government, and organized crime in creating environmental crises; and the effects of economic and social malaise. Screenings include iconic films such as Michelangelo Antonioni’s Red Desert (1963), more recent, critically acclaimed films such as Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah (2008), Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro (2018), and many others.
Area: Humanities
Interdepartmental
This multidisciplinary course explores the origins of life, planet formation, Earth's evolution, extrasolar planets, habitable zones, life in extreme environments, the search for life in the Universe, space missions, and planetary protection. Recommended Course Background: Three upper level (300+) courses in sciences (Biophysics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Math, or Computer Science)
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have already received credit for AS.020.334 OR AS.020.616 OR AS.171.333 OR AS.171.699 OR AS 270.335 OR AS.360.671
Area: Natural Sciences
This multidisciplinary course explores the origins of life, planet formation, Earth's evolution, extrasolar planets, habitable zones, life in extreme environments, the search for life in the Universe, space missions, and planetary protection. Recommended Course Background: Three upper level courses in sciences and buy textbooks
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have already received credit for AS.020.616 OR AS.020.334 OR AS.171.333 OR AS.171.699 OR AS.270.335 OR AS.360.339.
Area: Natural Sciences
Near Eastern Studies
Geoarchaeology is a multidisciplinary subfield that applies the tools and techniques of earth science to understand ancient humans and their interactions with environments. This course examines basic topics and concepts, including archaeological site formation, paleo-environmental reconstruction, raw materials and resources, soil science, deposition and erosion of wind and water-borne sediments in different environments such as along rivers, lakes and coastlines, radiocarbon and other chronometric dating methods, and ground-based remote sensing, including ground penetrating radar.
Area: Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Geoarchaeology is a multidisciplinary subfield that applies the tools and techniques of earth science to understand ancient humans and their interactions with environments. This course examines basic topics and concepts, including archaeological site formation, paleo-environmental reconstruction, raw materials and resources, soil science, deposition and erosion of wind and water-borne sediments in different environments such as along rivers, lakes and coastlines, radiocarbon and other chronometric dating methods, and ground-based remote sensing, including ground penetrating radar.
Area: Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences