EPS 150 Case Studies in Earth Systems consists of analysis and discussion of  research problems on the interactions of planet interior, tectonic, hydrologic, chemical, and atmospheric processes. Emphasis is on the synthesis and application of the students' disciplinary knowledge to a new integrative problem in the Earth and Planetary Sciences.

The course is a senior level undergraduate class designed to give students in the earth sciences (EPS majors only) an in-depth and critical appreciation of the multi-faceted interactions and linkages of the Earth System via several case studies. The course also aims to develop integrative thinking and critical analysis in students so that they are prepared to deal with out-of-textbook problems in the Earth Sciences. Readings are drawn from journal publications. The course demands that the students learn to assimilate, summarize, integrate, critically evaluate, present, and write about the course material.

This course is designed for undergraduate students majoring in one of the tracks of Earth and Planetary Science with a solid background in the Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Students are expected to draw on their previous undergraduate training for an in-depth and critical analysis of the case studies presented in this course. In addition to your knowledge about the science, this course requires you to use your skills in reading, writing and communicating about science. We aim to help you further develop those important skills.

The success of this course lies in the student’s active participation. Most of the papers are relatively short. However, this does not make them easy reading as they are consequently rather concise, lacking much background introduction. Thus, presenters are expected to include background information from additional sources such as those cited in the papers list of references, or derived from books or the internet.

We will organize, facilitate and act as general resource; however, each student needs to actively read, synthesize and discuss the course material.

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Page last updated August 4, 2016