Graduate Program

Fall Term Schedule

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Fall 2022

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
EESC 420-1 Geobiology Chiara Borrelli MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
This course investigates Geobiology, the study of the interactions between the biosphere (living organisms and their products) and the geosphere (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere). In the first part of the semester, the class will explore how the geosphere's chemical and physical processes influenced life and evolution and how life influenced the Earth system during roughly the last 4 billion years. This will be done mainly through the reading and discussion of seminal papers. The second part of the semester will focus on students' investigation of specific geobiology topics, like microbial weathering of minerals. biomineralization, the role of different microbial metabolisms in elemental cycling, the ocean redox history and its relationship to the origin of life itself. In addition to learning geobiology fundamentals, students will learn how to undertake a scientific literature search, read and understand scientific material, brainstorm and develop new ideas and write a final research paper. Location Lattimore Room 413 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
EESC 424-1 Sediment Transport in Fluid Flows Rachel Glade TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
Particles are transported in fluid flows in a wide variety of settings, for example: sediment moving in rivers, on the ocean floor, and through windblown sand dunes; granular-fluid mixtures in industrial settings; and dust or contaminants moving through the atmosphere. This course will cover both fluid and particle dynamics with an eye toward understanding sediment transport on Earth’s surface. The first part of the course will cover necessary fluid mechanics principles, while the second part of the course will examine how particles move in fluids. Throughout the semester we will cover both well-established principles and cutting edge sediment transport research. Classes will include physical experiments demonstrating important principles. Coursework will consist mainly of labs, problem sets, readings, and a final project. Location Hylan Building Room 306 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
EESC 424-2 Sediment Transport in Fluid Flows-Lab Rachel Glade R 2:00PM - 4:40PM
Particles are transported in fluid flows in a wide variety of settings, for example: sediment moving in rivers, on the ocean floor, and through windblown sand dunes; granular-fluid mixtures in industrial settings; and dust or contaminants moving through the atmosphere. This course will cover both fluid and particle dynamics with an eye toward understanding sediment transport on Earth’s surface. The first part of the course will cover necessary fluid mechanics principles, while the second part of the course will examine how particles move in fluids. Throughout the semester we will cover both well-established principles and cutting edge sediment transport research. Classes will include physical experiments demonstrating important principles. Coursework will consist mainly of labs, problem sets, readings, and a final project. Location Lechase Room 160 (R 2:00PM - 4:40PM)
EESC 432-1 Current Topics in Ocean Biogeochemistry Thomas Weber TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
Marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles are currently subject to unprecedented perturbations due to anthropogenic climate change and other human activities. In turn, changes in ocean biogeochemistry can feed back and amplify climate change by releasing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. This class will take a deep dive into the recent scientific literature on some key issues, including: ocean acidification; ocean oxygen loss; declining productivity of marine ecosystems; perturbation of the ocean’s biological carbon pump; and potential for destabilization of methane hydrates. We will also explore “geo-engineering” solutions to climate change, which propose deliberate perturbation of ocean biogeochemical cycles to drive greenhouse gas uptake from the atmosphere. Students will learn how to critically assess the scientific literature, compare evidence and arguments from multiple (often contradictory) papers, and how to obtain and analyze published datasets. Assessment is based on participation in discussion and debate, written summaries of the literature, and a final project that combines literature review and data analysis on a topic of interest to each student. At least one of EESC 212, 233, or 235 is a recommended pre-requisite, and students are assumed to be familiar with simple data analysis and plotting in Excel or MATLAB. Location Bausch & Lomb Room 269 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)
EESC 436-1 Physics of Climate Lee Murray TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM
PREREQUISITES: PHYS 121 or equivalent; MATH 165 or equivalent A broad and quantitative overview of the basic features of Earth's climate system and the underlying physical processes. Topics include the global energy balance, atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, cloud microphysics, atmospheric dynamics, general circulation, weather systems, surface processes, ocean circulation, and climate variability and forecasting. Students will understand what drives present-day temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns, as well as major modes of natural climate variability including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon and Ice Age cycles, and extreme weather. We will learn how the rise of human civilization has influenced the climate system, and how this legacy and our future actions can influence climate in the coming century. Location Lechase Room 181 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
EESC 456-1 Paleomag&Global Plate Techt. Rory Cottrell MWF 11:50AM - 12:40PM
The basic paleomagnetic methods used to determine absolute plate motions are reviewed. Applications include the potential cause and effect relationship between changes in absolute plate motions, mantle plume volcanism, orogeny, and climate change. Location Hutchison Hall Room 138 (MWF 11:50AM - 12:40PM)
EESC 461-1 Stable Isotope Geochemistry John Kessler TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
Most courses in stable isotopes highlight the analytical techniques and classic examples of applications of stable isotopes in the geosciences. However, the stable isotope investigations in this course will stress the fundamentals of stable isotope models, along with their underlying assumptions, guided by several classic applications. Not only will we learn the equations used in these pioneering applications, but we will set-up and derive these equations. The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge needed to both dissect as well as manipulate traditional stable isotope models so that they can analyze their data in the most appropriate and intelligent fashion. Location Lechase Room 181 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
EESC 465-1 Paleoclimate Vas Petrenko TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
The Earth's climate is changing in a potentially fundamental way because of human activity. In this course we will look into Earth's climate history in order to gain a better understanding of how the climate system works and what we can expect from Earth's climate in the future. During its history, the Earth has gone through periods that were much warmer as well as periods that were much colder than today. By examining the geological record of the environmental conditions, we can gain insights into how key parameters such as greenhouse gas concentrations, insolation and postions of the continents influence the climate system. The students will also learn how different paleoclimate indicators work and practice working with paleoclimate data Location Meliora Room 209 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
EESC 468-1 Principles of Experimental Geochemistry Dustin Trail MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
Many of the geochemical and physical processes in the solid earth occur in regions inaccessible to drilling. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to techniques that enable scientists to study the interior of our planet and other planets in the solar system through laboratory experimentation. Over the course of the semester, students will be guided though the design and execution of state-of-the-art high temperature high pressure experiments. Writing assignments and data analysis will also be a key component of the course. Students will synthesize the results of the experiments, and place them in a broader context to understand how the interiors of planets work. Location Hutchison Hall Room 138 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)
EESC 490-1 Supervised College Teaching Karen Berger –
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EESC 490-3 Supervised College Teaching Lee Murray –
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EESC 490-4 Supervised College Teaching John Kessler –
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EESC 490-5 Supervised College Teaching Erin Black –
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EESC 490-6 Supervised College Teaching Tolulope Olugboji –
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EESC 490-7 Supervised College Teaching Julia Masny –
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EESC 490-8 Supervised College Teaching Thomas Weber –
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EESC 490-9 Supervised College Teaching Vas Petrenko –
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EESC 493-1 Master's Essay John Tarduno –
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EESC 495-1 Master's Research in Geology John Tarduno –
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EESC 499-1 Research Frontiers in Geo Sc John Kessler –
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EESC 505-1 First-year PhD research in Geosciences Erin Black –
This course is for first-year PhD students in EES and encompasses the research they would be doing during one of their first-year semesters. Students should register for the section affiliated with their primary research advisor.
EESC 505-2 First-year PhD research in Geosciences Dustin Trail –
This course is for first-year PhD students in EES and encompasses the research they would be doing during one of their first-year semesters. Students should register for the section affiliated with their primary research advisor.
EESC 505-3 First-year PhD research in Geosciences Thomas Weber –
This course is for first-year PhD students in EES and encompasses the research they would be doing during one of their first-year semesters. Students should register for the section affiliated with their primary research advisor.
EESC 595-1 PhD Research in Geology – –
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EESC 595-10 PhD Research in Geology Thomas Weber –
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EESC 595-11 PhD Research in Geology Rachel Glade –
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EESC 595-2 PhD Research in Geology John Kessler –
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EESC 595-3 PhD Research in Geology Gautam Mitra –
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EESC 595-4 PhD Research in Geology Lee Murray –
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EESC 595-5 PhD Research in Geology Miki Nakajima –
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EESC 595-6 PhD Research in Geology Tolulope Olugboji –
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EESC 595-7 PhD Research in Geology Vas Petrenko –
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EESC 595-8 PhD Research in Geology John Tarduno –
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EESC 595-9 PhD Research in Geology Dustin Trail –
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EESC 895-1 Cont of Master's Enrollment – –
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EESC 899-1 Master's Dissertation John Tarduno –
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EESC 995-1 Cont of Doctoral Enrollment – –
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EESC 997-1 Doctoral Dissertation – –
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EESC 997-10 Doctoral Dissertation Thomas Weber –
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EESC 997-11 Doctoral Dissertation Rachel Glade –
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EESC 997-2 Doctoral Dissertation John Kessler –
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EESC 997-3 Doctoral Dissertation Gautam Mitra –
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EESC 997-4 Doctoral Dissertation Lee Murray –
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EESC 997-5 Doctoral Dissertation Miki Nakajima –
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EESC 997-6 Doctoral Dissertation Tolulope Olugboji –
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EESC 997-7 Doctoral Dissertation Vas Petrenko –
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EESC 997-8 Doctoral Dissertation John Tarduno –
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EESC 997-9 Doctoral Dissertation Dustin Trail –
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EESC 999-01 Doctoral Dissertation John Tarduno –
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EESC 999-02 Doctoral Dissertation John Kessler –
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EESC 999-03 Doctoral Dissertation Gautam Mitra –
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EESC 999-04 Doctoral Dissertation Lee Murray –
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EESC 999-05 Doctoral Dissertation Miki Nakajima –
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EESC 999-06 Doctoral Dissertation Tolulope Olugboji –
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EESC 999-07 Doctoral Dissertation Vas Petrenko –
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EESC 999-09 Doctoral Dissertation Dustin Trail –
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EESC 999-10 Doctoral Dissertation Thomas Weber –
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EESC 999-11 Doctoral Dissertation Rachel Glade –
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Number	Title	Instructor	Time
Monday
Monday and Wednesday
EESC 468-1 Principles of Experimental Geochemistry Dustin Trail
Many of the geochemical and physical processes in the solid earth occur in regions inaccessible to drilling. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to techniques that enable scientists to study the interior of our planet and other planets in the solar system through laboratory experimentation. Over the course of the semester, students will be guided though the design and execution of state-of-the-art high temperature high pressure experiments. Writing assignments and data analysis will also be a key component of the course. Students will synthesize the results of the experiments, and place them in a broader context to understand how the interiors of planets work.
EESC 420-1 Geobiology Chiara Borrelli
This course investigates Geobiology, the study of the interactions between the biosphere (living organisms and their products) and the geosphere (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere). In the first part of the semester, the class will explore how the geosphere's chemical and physical processes influenced life and evolution and how life influenced the Earth system during roughly the last 4 billion years. This will be done mainly through the reading and discussion of seminal papers. The second part of the semester will focus on students' investigation of specific geobiology topics, like microbial weathering of minerals. biomineralization, the role of different microbial metabolisms in elemental cycling, the ocean redox history and its relationship to the origin of life itself. In addition to learning geobiology fundamentals, students will learn how to undertake a scientific literature search, read and understand scientific material, brainstorm and develop new ideas and write a final research paper.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
EESC 456-1 Paleomag&Global Plate Techt. Rory Cottrell
The basic paleomagnetic methods used to determine absolute plate motions are reviewed. Applications include the potential cause and effect relationship between changes in absolute plate motions, mantle plume volcanism, orogeny, and climate change.
Tuesday
Tuesday and Thursday
EESC 432-1 Current Topics in Ocean Biogeochemistry Thomas Weber
Marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles are currently subject to unprecedented perturbations due to anthropogenic climate change and other human activities. In turn, changes in ocean biogeochemistry can feed back and amplify climate change by releasing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. This class will take a deep dive into the recent scientific literature on some key issues, including: ocean acidification; ocean oxygen loss; declining productivity of marine ecosystems; perturbation of the ocean’s biological carbon pump; and potential for destabilization of methane hydrates. We will also explore “geo-engineering” solutions to climate change, which propose deliberate perturbation of ocean biogeochemical cycles to drive greenhouse gas uptake from the atmosphere. Students will learn how to critically assess the scientific literature, compare evidence and arguments from multiple (often contradictory) papers, and how to obtain and analyze published datasets. Assessment is based on participation in discussion and debate, written summaries of the literature, and a final project that combines literature review and data analysis on a topic of interest to each student. At least one of EESC 212, 233, or 235 is a recommended pre-requisite, and students are assumed to be familiar with simple data analysis and plotting in Excel or MATLAB.
EESC 424-1 Sediment Transport in Fluid Flows Rachel Glade
Particles are transported in fluid flows in a wide variety of settings, for example: sediment moving in rivers, on the ocean floor, and through windblown sand dunes; granular-fluid mixtures in industrial settings; and dust or contaminants moving through the atmosphere. This course will cover both fluid and particle dynamics with an eye toward understanding sediment transport on Earth’s surface. The first part of the course will cover necessary fluid mechanics principles, while the second part of the course will examine how particles move in fluids. Throughout the semester we will cover both well-established principles and cutting edge sediment transport research. Classes will include physical experiments demonstrating important principles. Coursework will consist mainly of labs, problem sets, readings, and a final project.
EESC 465-1 Paleoclimate Vas Petrenko
The Earth's climate is changing in a potentially fundamental way because of human activity. In this course we will look into Earth's climate history in order to gain a better understanding of how the climate system works and what we can expect from Earth's climate in the future. During its history, the Earth has gone through periods that were much warmer as well as periods that were much colder than today. By examining the geological record of the environmental conditions, we can gain insights into how key parameters such as greenhouse gas concentrations, insolation and postions of the continents influence the climate system. The students will also learn how different paleoclimate indicators work and practice working with paleoclimate data
EESC 461-1 Stable Isotope Geochemistry John Kessler
Most courses in stable isotopes highlight the analytical techniques and classic examples of applications of stable isotopes in the geosciences. However, the stable isotope investigations in this course will stress the fundamentals of stable isotope models, along with their underlying assumptions, guided by several classic applications. Not only will we learn the equations used in these pioneering applications, but we will set-up and derive these equations. The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge needed to both dissect as well as manipulate traditional stable isotope models so that they can analyze their data in the most appropriate and intelligent fashion.
EESC 436-1 Physics of Climate Lee Murray
PREREQUISITES: PHYS 121 or equivalent; MATH 165 or equivalent A broad and quantitative overview of the basic features of Earth's climate system and the underlying physical processes. Topics include the global energy balance, atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, cloud microphysics, atmospheric dynamics, general circulation, weather systems, surface processes, ocean circulation, and climate variability and forecasting. Students will understand what drives present-day temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns, as well as major modes of natural climate variability including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon and Ice Age cycles, and extreme weather. We will learn how the rise of human civilization has influenced the climate system, and how this legacy and our future actions can influence climate in the coming century.
Wednesday
Thursday
EESC 424-2 Sediment Transport in Fluid Flows-Lab Rachel Glade
Particles are transported in fluid flows in a wide variety of settings, for example: sediment moving in rivers, on the ocean floor, and through windblown sand dunes; granular-fluid mixtures in industrial settings; and dust or contaminants moving through the atmosphere. This course will cover both fluid and particle dynamics with an eye toward understanding sediment transport on Earth’s surface. The first part of the course will cover necessary fluid mechanics principles, while the second part of the course will examine how particles move in fluids. Throughout the semester we will cover both well-established principles and cutting edge sediment transport research. Classes will include physical experiments demonstrating important principles. Coursework will consist mainly of labs, problem sets, readings, and a final project.
Friday