The culmination of the Earth Science major. Students, while working with an advisor in their concentration, conduct research and write a thesis.

The culmination of the Earth Science major. Students, while working with an advisor in their concentration, conduct research and write a thesis.

The culmination of the Earth Science major. Students, while working with an advisor in their concentration, conduct research and write a thesis.

The culmination of the Earth Science major. Students, while working with an advisor in their concentration, conduct research and write a thesis.

The culmination of the Earth Science major. Students, while working with an advisor in their concentration, conduct research and write a thesis.

This course will cover the application of geophysical investigation techniques to problems of the earth's plantary structure, local subsurface structure and mineral prospecting. The topics will include principles of geophysical measurements and interpretation with emphasis on gravity measurement, isostasy, geomagnitism, sesmic refraction and reflection,electrical prospecting, electromagnetics and groung radar.

Soil is considered the "skin of the Earth", with interfaces between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. It is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and a myriad of organisms that can support plant life. As such, soil is a natural body that exists as part of the environment. This course will examine the nature, properties, formation and environmental functions of soil.

This course will introduce students to the principles of remote sensing, characteristics of remote sensors, and remote sensing applications. Image acquisition, data collection in the electromagnetic spectrum, and data set manipulations for earth and environmental science applications will be emphasized. We will cover fundamental knowledge of the physics of remote sensing; aerial photographic techniques; multispectral, hyperperspectral, thermal, and other image analysis. Students will pursue an independent research project using remote sensing tools, and at the end of the semester should have a good understanding and the basic skills of remote sensing.

This course deals with the study of the two main parts of Earth's climate system, the atmosphere and the ocean. It explores, qualitatively and quantitatively,the physical laws, geological and geographical processes, and mass and energy budgets that govern these two parts and their combined influence on Earth's past and present climate. Main topics covered include, but not limited to, properties of air and water; physical balances; equilibrium states; transport of heat and mass; clouds; precipitation; storms; regional and global climate; ozone layer; seasons and climate; weather forecasting; atmospheric optics; ocean currents; ocean bathymetry, salinity, and atmospheric forcing; history of Earth's changing climate in the geologic record, global warming, and how climate impacts humans and how do humans impact climate.