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The CSRC research and graduate education programs strive to foster interdisciplinary approaches to define and solve problems of global and regional environmental change.
The mission goals of CSRC require teaching and research programs that cross boundaries of traditional scientific disciplines. The faculty, research staff, and graduate students face a unique and challenging task of creating a setting where collaborative research and teaching is of the highest priority.
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Graduate and Undergraduate courses taught and co-taught by CSRC faculty in partnership with EOS, the Department of Earth Sciences and the Department of Natural Resources.
Note: Some course numbers are used multiple times for courses offered in different semesters.
NR415/NR415H; GENED 3T - Global Biological Change (offered yearly in the Spring)
Instructor: George Hurtt
Biological changes have been occurring on Earth for at least the last 3.5 billion years. During this time, it is estimated that 98% of the species that ever existed have gone extinct. Today, approximately 1.7 million species are known to exist, and scientific estimates place the estimated current total at 10-100 million. From biodiversity loss to genetic engineering, we are in a period of particularly rapid change. This course provides an exciting introduction to the science of global biological change focusing on contemporary phenomena. In part I, the relevant scientific background on the physical and biological history of the planet is provided for perspective. In part II, major contemporary global biological changes are addressed including: land cover changes, marine ecosystem changes, freshwater ecosystem changes, biodiversity loss, introduced species, artificial selection, genetic engineering, and human population growth. Part III places these issues in the context of past global biological changes, describes some of the potential causes and consequences of these changes, and provides an outlook to the future. The ways in which technology has affected the environment and how it is used for understanding these changes are central concepts. Emphasis is placed on the scientific basis for these issues including, what is known, how and how well different phenomena are understood, and what scientific questions remain.
NR 426 - Wood Science Technology
Instructor: Barry Rock
Wood microstructure and identification: physical, chemical, and mechanical properties; characteristics of wood including those produced by growth and form (i.e., knots, cross-grain) and those produced by degradation (i.e., stain, decay); log and lumber processing and quality evaluation; preparation of wood for use, including drying, gluing, and protection against degradation.
ESCI 501 - Introduction to Oceanography
Instructor: Karen Von Damm
Physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes in the sea.
NR502 - Forest Ecosystems and Environmental Change
Instructor: Scott Ollinger
Introductory course in forest ecosystem ecology. Students learn about forest ecosystems around the world, how they function and how they are changing. The course is broadly divided into two principal themes; (1) ecological and ecosystem processes, including succession, element cycling and forest-atmosphere interactions, and (2) effects of human activities including air pollution, climate change and deforestation.
NR 744/844; EOS 844 - Biogeochemistry (Formerly EOS 813; Biogeochemical Dynamics)
Instructors:
Steve Frolking and
Scott Ollinger (offered every other year)
Examines the influence of biological and physical processes on elemental cycling and geochemical transformations from the molecular to the global scale, involving microorganisms, higher plants and animals and whole ecosystems; factors that regulate element cycles including soils, climate, disturbance and human activities; interactions among the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere; transformations of C, N, S, and trace elements Prereq: one semester each biology and chemistry.
ESCI 746/846 - Analytical Geochemistry
Instructor: Karen Von Damm
Theory, instrumentation, and applications of analytical methods in geochemistry. Prereq: one year of chemistry or geochemistry;/or permission.
ESCI 747/847 - Aqueous Geochemistry
Instructor: Karen Von Damm
Processes that determine the geochemical characteristics of water bodies. Emphasis on the geochemical continuum of terrestrial water and its geochemical evolution. Topics include the influence of cyclic salts, the nature of weathering reactions, the CO2-CaCo3 system, the formation and dissolution of salts and authigenic mineral formulation. Prereq: one year of chemistry or geochemistry;/or permission.
ESCI 764/864; EOS 864 - Paleoclimate Analysis
Instructors: Xiangming Xiao and Cameron Wake (offered in Spring 2006)
An overview of paleoclimate indicators for the last one million years in the context of global teleconnections (atmosphere-lithosphere-hydrosphere-cryosphere) and mathematical tools developed to interpret and link the different records of climate change. Prereq: one year calculus; one year chemistry; basic statistics;/or permission.
ESCI 795/895; NR 795/895; EOS 895 - Earth System Science
Instructors: George Hurtt and Cameron Wake (offered yearly in the Fall)
This course provides an introduction to the study of Earth as an integrated system. We will introduce the major components, interactions, and concepts for characterizing the contemporary Earth System (e.g. spheres, cycles, energy balance, equilibrium, feedbacks, linear and non-linear dynamics). Each lecture will build on background information to address advanced themes from recent scientific literature (e.g. multiple dynamic interactions, the 'Butterfly Effect', thresholds in metastable systems), and will include opportunities for class participation through group problem solving exercises and discussions. Research scientists from NASA who work in the field of Earth System Science will present guest lectures. Labs will focus on building computer models of key Earth System interactions discussed in the lectures. During the second part of the course, students will develop their own computer models to explore a specific question in Earth System Science.
NR 797/897 - Monitoring Forest Health
Instructor: Barry Rock
This course is designed to provide the field and remote sensing tools and experience needed by students to assess forest conditions at the individual tree and stand levels, as well as to conduct independent research projects on specific topics of interest. Such topics may inclue assessing change-over-time, landscape-level impacts of urban development, severe weather events, and other natural and anthropogenic perturbations affecting the health of forests. Forest damage due to insects, air pollution (primarily ground-level ozone), drought, the 1998 ice storm and others will be investigated.
EOS/ESCI 817 - Macro-scale Hydrology I
Instructor: Charles Vorosmarty
Focus on the numerous roles of water in the Earth System. Topics include the global water cycle, impacts of the greenhouse effect and other anthropogenic disturbances, hydrologic modeling, soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer schemes, water quality, GIS and water-related remote sensing tools. Based on extensive reading of current scientific literature, the students and instructor jointly select a research topic in macro-scale hydrology which will result in the preparation of a manuscript for publication in a refereed scientific journal. Course designed to be taken two consecutive semesters (fall and spring). Prereq: principles of hydrology or permission. (Also offered as EOS 817.)
EOS/ESCI 818 - Macro-scale Hydrology II
Instructor: Charles Vorosmarty
Students and instructors jointly select a research topic in macro-scale hydrology to be analyzed in depth during the course of the semester. A primary goal is the preparation of a manuscript for publication in a refereed scientific journal. Extensive library research, reading of recent and relevant scientific literature, technical analysis, writing. Course designed to be taken two consecutive semesters (fall and spring). Prereq: macro-scale hydrology I. (Also offered as EOS 818.)
EOS 895/ESCI 895 - Advanced Remote Sensing Methods for Earth System Research
Instructors: Bobby Braswell, Mark Fahnestock, Mary Martin and Xiangming Xiao (offered every other year)
This course focuses on learning analytical methods for using regional-to-global scale remote sensing data to study the Earth System. The tools and techniques of remote sensing will be discussed with the aim of developing the skills required for future research on a variety of topics - such as the structure and function of the terrestrial biosphere, the cryosphere, and aquatic systems. Emphasis will be on developing a physically based understanding of global remote sensing data (e.g. from NASA's Earth Observing Systems, ESA platforms, aircraft platforms if appropriate), and on gaining experience using these data together with models and other observations to form and test hypotheses about Earth system processes. To be offered every other year.
EOS/ESCI 896 - Advanced Remote Sensing II
Instructors: Bobby Braswell, Mark Fahnestock, Mary Martin and Xiangming Xiao
This is 1-semester group project course will focus on doing original research. The class participants will work together as a team, with the instructors, to design and carry out a remote sensing related project. The ultimate objective will be to write a manuscript for submission to a peer- reviewed journal. The class format will be weekly group discussions with meeting times to be determined by the participants. Prerequisites: EOS/ESCI 895, or permission of instructors.
NR 903 - Approach to Research
Instructor: Barry Rock
Approach to Research focuses on the scientific process, hypothesis formulation, methods development and proposal writing. The meaning of science and the application of logic in the scientific method is explored, as well as the principles and techniques of scientific research. Survey of experimental design procedures. Organization of investigative work, problem analyses, working plans, and scientific writing. Prereq: permission.
EOS 995 - Modeling and Analysis of Biogeochemical Cycles (offered irregularly)
Instructor: Steve Frolking
Review and analysis of biogeochemical cycles (eg. water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur), with a focus on techniques for modeling biogeochemical and water cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Readings from the current literature; review of existing models and of methods of model evaluation. Survey of some basic quantitative techniques used in analysis and modeling of biogeochemical cycles--e.g., basic differential equations, stock and flow systems, chemical rate equations, and energy balances. Modeling exercises in laboratory sessions. Major term project in which students each develop their own model, related to a topic of their interest.
EOS 995 - Seminar in Quantitative Methods in Environmental Science
Instructors: Steve Frolking and Bobby Braswell (offered irregularly)
A 1 credit seminar-format problem solving course. COURSE OBJECTIVE: To strengthen quantitative skills and thinking, by working through a selection of exercises in Harte (2001) 'Consider a Cylindrical Cow' and Harte (1983) 'Consider a Spherical Cow'. COURSE FORMAT: One class meeting per week. No lectures. No exams. No papers. No term projects. Each week there will be a set of homework problems. In class, students lead discussions of those problems that have generated questions or difficulties, or suggested new or related avenues of analysis.
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