printer friendly pageEESS 38N: The Worst Journey in the World: The Science, Literature, and History of Polar Exploration (GES 38N)
Preference to freshmen. The isolation of polar explorers under the harshest conditions on Earth, and the chronicles of their explorations and hardships dating to the 1500s for the Arctic and the 1700s for the Antarctic. Focus is on scientific and geographic achievements. Sources include
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard who in 1911 participated in a midwinter Antarctic sledging trip to recover emperor penguin eggs. Class jointly authors essay on themes from such literature. Optional field trip into the high Sierra in December. (Dunbar)
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
EESS 39N: The Carbon Cycle: Reducing Your Impact
Preference to freshmen. Changes in the long- and short-term carbon cycle and global climate through the burning of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution. How people can shrink their carbon footprints. Long-term sources and sinks of carbon and how they are controlled by tectonics and short-term sources and sinks and the interaction between the biosphere and ocean. How people can shrink their carbon footprints. Held at the Stanford Community Farm.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Chamberlain, P. (PI)
EESS 46N: Exploring the Critical Interface between the Land and Monterey Bay: Elkhorn Slough
Preference to freshmen. Field trips to sites in the Elkhorn Slough, a small agriculturally impacted estuary that opens into Monterey Bay, a model ecosystem for understanding the complexity of estuaries, and one of California's last remaining coastal wetlands. Readings include Jane Caffrey's
Changes in a California Estuary: A Profile of Elkhorn Slough. Basics of biogeochemistry, microbiology, oceanography, ecology, pollution, and environmental management.
Last offered: Spring 2009
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
EESS 57Q: Climate Change from the Past to the Future
Preference to sophomores. Numeric models to predict how climate responds to increase of greenhouse gases. Paleoclimate during times in Earth's history when greenhouse gas concentrations were elevated with respect to current concentrations. Predicted scenarios of climate models and how these models compare to known hyperthermal events in Earth history. Interactions and feedbacks among biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere. Topics include long- and short-term carbon cycle, coupled biogeochemical cycles affected by and controlling climate change, and how the biosphere responds to climate change. Possible remediation strategies.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
Instructors:
Chamberlain, P. (PI)
;
Mix, H. (PI)
EESS 101: Environmental and Geological Field Studies in the Rocky Mountains (GES 101)
Three-week, field-based program in the Greater Yellowstone/Teton and Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. Field-based exercises covering topics including: basics of structural geology and petrology; glacial geology; western cordillera geology; paleoclimatology; chemical weathering; aqueous geochemistry; and environmental issues such as acid mine drainage and changing land-use patterns.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Chamberlain, P. (PI)
;
Graham, S. (PI)
EESS 131: Communicating Environmental Research Using Narratives and Stories (EARTHSYS 131, EARTHSYS 231, EESS 231)
Creative strategies by which earth scientists can overcome impediments to scientific literacy. Construction of stories and narratives out of research. The role of imagination and cognitive perception in environmental issues. Barriers and problems that arise in risk and science awareness. Connections between environmentalism and environmental science. Environmental issues in fictional narratives. The responsible function for earth scientists in public debates. Reflections on the role of science in current and future issues likely to involve members outside of science. Priority given to students seeking degrees in the School of Earth Sciences.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
Instructors:
Dunbar, R. (PI)
;
Osborne, M. (PI)
EESS 134: Stable Isotopes in Biogeochemistry (EESS 234)
Light stable isotopes and their application to geological, ecological, and environmental problems. Isotopic systematics of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur; chemical and biogenic fractionation of light isotopes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and rocks and minerals.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Chamberlain, P. (PI)
EESS 141: Remote Sensing of the Oceans (EARTHSYS 141, EARTHSYS 241, EESS 241)
How to observe and interpret physical and biological changes in the oceans using satellite technologies. Topics: principles of satellite remote sensing, classes of satellite remote sensors, converting radiometric data into biological and physical quantities, sensor calibration and validation, interpreting large-scale oceanographic features.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-AQR
Instructors:
Arrigo, K. (PI)
;
Brown, Z. (TA)
EESS 143: Marine Biogeochemistry (EESS 243)
(Graduate students register for 243.) Processes that control the mean concentration and distribution of biologically utilized elements and compounds in the ocean. Processes at the air-sea interface, production of organic matter in the upper ocean, remineralization of organic matter in the water column, and processing of organic matter in the sediments. Cycles of carbon, oxygen, and nutrients; the role of the ocean carbon cycle in interannual to decadal variability, paleoclimatology, and the anthropogenic carbon budget.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Arrigo, K. (PI)
EESS 146B: Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: the OceannnCirculation (EESS 246B)
Introduction to the physics governing the circulation of the atmospherennand ocean and their control on climate with emphasis on the large-scalennocean circulation. This course will give an overview of the structurennand dynamics of the major ocean current systems that contribute to thennmeridional overturning circulation, the transport of heat, salt, andnnbiogeochemical tracers, and the regulation of climate. Topics includennthe tropical ocean circulation, the wind-driven gyres and westernnnboundary currents, the thermohaline circulation, the AntarcticnnCircumpolar Current, water mass formation, atmosphere-ocean coupling,nnand climate variability. Prerequisites:
EESS 146A/246A or
CEE 164/262D or consent of instructor.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Thomas, L. (PI)
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