Macroevolution, or evolution above the population level and on long timescales,as a field addresses fundamental questions about the origins of life, past and present.These include but are not limited to: How are highly dissimilar speciesrelated? Why are animals on distant continents so similar? How and when did major groups, like birds or mammals, originate? What drives evolutionary arms races? Why are there so many more species of beetle than crocodile? Why are there more species in the tropics than the arctic? Did dinosaursprevent the diversification of mammals? Why do some animals survive mass extinction? How can invasive species spread so rapidly? Students will learn importantconcepts underlying our understanding of modern biodiversity and the fossil record, as well as how to use different methods and lines of evidence, including evolutionary trees (phylogeny), fossil databases, past climate and global events,mathematical modeling, and even modern genomics, to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of life.

Patterns on the Earth's surface arise due to the transport of sediment by waterand wind, with energy that is supplied by climate and tectonic deformation of the solid Earth. This course presents a treatment of the processes of erosion and deposition that shape landscapes. Emphasis will be placed on using simple physical principles as a tool for (a) understanding landscape patterns including drainage networks, river channels and deltas, desert dunes, and submarine channels, (b) reconstructing past environmental conditions using the sedimentary record, and (c) the management of rivers and landscapes under present and future climate scenarios. The course will conclude with a critical assessment of landscape evolution on other planets, including Mars.

A detailed, comprehensive investigation of selected environmental sustainability problems specific to a selected region. This course aims to introduce students to myriad Earth and environmental issues (understanding how humans interact, affect and are influenced by our environment) through the analysis of several environmental case studies, as well as giving students an introduction to how complex cases are analyzed and what goes into decision-making at the individual, group, state, federal and global levels. The course includes an intensive field trip at the end of the semester - locations will vary by offering.

Origin of Earth, continents, and life. Continental movements, changing climates, and evolving life.

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.

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.

This course is designed to introduce the major definitions and concepts regarding groundwater flow and contaminant transport. The theory and underlying concepts, including mathematical derivations of governing equations used to model groundwater flow and contaminant transport, will be discussed and applications to environmental problems addressed. Upon completion of this course, students should expect to have acquired the skills necessary to pursue course work in flow and transport numerical and analytical modeling.

This course covers basic groundwater flow and solute transport modeling in one-,two- and three-dimensions. After first reviewing the principles of modeling, the student will gain hands-on experience by conducting simulations on the computer. The modeling programs used in the course are MODFLOW (USGS), MT3D, and the US Army Corps of Engineers GMS (Groundwater Modeling System).