GEOL503 - EARTH SYSTEMS & HAZARDS

This course will examine the hazards that arise from living on an active planet from a large-scale systems standpoint. We will briefly survey the Earth's major systems, emphasizing energy generation, storage, and flow within the Earth, and then proceed to an examination of the hazards that result. This will include earthquakes and tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, river and coastal flooding, and hurricanes, tornadoes, and other major storms. We will touch briefly on global warming and other current topics.