Processes of soil development in a variety of temperate environments. Effects of lithology and climate on soil properties. Prerequisite: All day field trips.

During six Saturday field trips, students will study field methods for the collection of geologic data. Use of the Brunton compass for basic surveying and collection of rock strata orientation will be stressed. Students will have an opportunity for field study of rocks and minerals, geomorphology, and geologic structures. This course is intended for MSAG students who do not have a degree in geology or need a field methods course for PG licensure.

The oceans cover over 2/3 of the Earth's surface. This course introduces basic oceanographic concepts such as plate tectonics, marine sediments, physical and chemical properties of seawater, ocean circulation, air-sea interactions, waves, tides, nutrient cycles in the ocean, biology of the oceans, and environmental issues related to the marine environment.

An introduction to processes and forces that form the surface and the interior of the Earth. Topics include, changes in climate, the history of life, as well as earth resources and their uses. Field trips required.

This course will use the weekly EES seminar series to survey historic breakthrogh papers or topics in the earth sciences, as well as modern papers - written by the seminar speakers - that often put the classics in perspective. Graduate students (Ph.D. only) in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science will engage in the material through reading, presentation, and discussion. The course has several goals. (1.) To engender an understanding and appreciation of major breakthroughs in our field. (2.) To develop skills in presenting and discussing scientific results. And (3.) to refine students' understanding of what constitutes great science.

This course is designed to prepare Master of Science in Applied Geosciences students to undertake their Project Design exercise. In this course, we discuss how to identify an appropriate research project, how to design a research plan, and how to prepare a detailed proposal. By the end of the course, each student is expected to have completed a Project Design proposal.

Landslides are important geomorphic agents in mountainous terrain, mobilizing sediment and playing a key role in controlling relief and elevation. The work of landslides is often characterized by their magnitude-frequency, which also has direct implications for people, property, and infrastructure in mountainous terrain, and for the approaches taken to minimize the risk from landslides. This course will introduce students to a conceptual understanding of landslides at a range of spatial scales, including the mechanics of the processes governing landslides from trigger to deposition. Methods of slope monitoring and the varied approaches to landslide risk mitigation and management will be explored, with a range of geotechnical and environmental applications. This course includes lab-based sessions to demonstrate simple techniques to understand fundamental landslide processes, and applications of GIS technology to explore slope monitoring and failure prediction.

Static and Dynamic mechanical properties of fluid in earth materials, as applied to the Hydrologic Sciences; Principles of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics applied to open channel flow in earth materials; flow through gates, weirs, spillways, and culverts; Applications of Darcy's Law to subsurface flow and seepage.