| Earth Sciences |
ESCI 803 - Fluvial Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Mechanics of natural open channel flows: forces, the
continuity and energy principles, velocity distributions,
flow resistance, fluvial erosion and sediment transport,
channel form, computation of flow profiles, weirs, hydraulic
jumps, and stream flow routing. Lab and field exercises.
Prereq: one year each of calculus and physics. Special fee.
ESCI 805 - Principles of Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Physical principles important in the land phase of the
hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, snow melt,
infiltration and soil physics, and surface and subsurface
flow to streams. Problems of measurement and aspects of
statistical treatment of hydrologic data. Field trips.
Transportation fee. Prereq: one semester of calculus and one
year of physics. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 810 - Groundwater Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Principles for fluid flow in porous media with emphasis on
occurrence, location, and development of groundwater, but
with consideration of groundwater as a transporting medium.
Major topics include well hydraulics, regional groundwater
flow, exploration techniques, and chemical quality.
Laboratory exercises involve use of fluid, electrical, and
digital computer models to illustrate key concepts. Prereq:
ESCI 805 or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 815 - Global Atmospheric Chemistry
Credits:
3.00
Introduction to the principles of atmospheric chemistry and
their relationship to biogeochemical cycles, climate, and
global change. Focus is on understanding the basic physical
and chemical processes that determine the trace gas
distribution in the global troposphere. An introduction to
atmospheric vertical structure and global circulation
dynamics provides the foundation. Chemical cycles of
important C, S, N molecules are examined, including their
possible perturbation by human activities. Basic
photochemical processes outlined, particularly with respect
to reactive nitrogen hydrocarbons, and the
production/destruction of ozone. Prereq: one year college
chemistry. (Also offered as EOS 815.)
ESCI 816 - Atmospheric Aerosol and Precipitation Chemistry
Credits:
3.00
Description and examination of the processes
determining the chemical and physical charateristics of
atmospheric aerosol particles and precipitation. Important
foci include the role of aerosol particles in the
long-range transport and deposition of geochemical
materials, optical properties of these particles and their
impact on the global radiative balance, cloud microphysical
processes relevant to both radiative effects and
precipitation scavenging, and heterogeneous reactions at
the solid-liquid, solid-gas, and liquid-gas interfaces in
the atmosphere. Major segments of the course are devoted to
the removal of gases and particles from the atmosphere by
wet and dry deposition processes. Most attention will be
paid to processes active in the troposphere, but important
differences between the troposphere and stratosphere,
radiative effects of stratospheric aerosol particles, and
exchange between the troposphere and stratosphere
are addressed. Prereq: one year college chemistry or
permission. (Also offered as EOS 816.)
ESCI 817 - Macro-scale Hydrology I
Credits:
4.00
Focus on the numerous roles of water in the Earth System.
Topics include the global water cycle, impacts of the
greenhouse effect and other anthropogenic disturbances,
hydrologic modeling, soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer
schemes, water quality, GIS and water-related remote sensing
tools. Based on extensive reading of current scientific
literature, the students and instructor jointly select a
research topic in macro-scale hydrology which will result in
the preparation of a manuscript for publication in a
refereed scientific journal. Course designed to be taken
two consecutive semesters (fall and spring). Prereq:
principles of hydrology or permission. (Also offered as
EOS 817.)
ESCI 818 - Macro-scale Hydrology II
Credits:
4.00
Students and instructors jointly select a research topic in
macro-scale hydrology to be analyzed in depth during the
course of the semester. A primary goal is the preparation of
a manuscript for publication in a refereed scientific
journal. Extensive library research, reading of recent and
relevant scientific literature, technical analysis, writing.
Course designed to be taken two consecutive semesters
(fall and spring). Prereq: macro-scale hydrology I. (Also
offered as EOS 818.) (Alternate years only.)
ESCI 825 - Igneous Petrology
Credits:
4.00
The evolution of igneous rocks as determined from field,
petrographic, chemical, experimental, and theoretical
studies. Application of thermodynamics to igneous
petrogenesis. Physical properties of magmas. Prereq:
mineralogy; petrography; adequate background in calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
(Offered alternate years with ESCI 826.)
ESCI 826 - Metamorphic Petrology
Credits:
4.00
The metamorphism of pelitic, mafic, and calc silicate rocks
as determined from field, petrographic, mineral chemistry,
experimental, and theoretical studies. Closed- and
open-system reactions, multisystems, reaction space.
Calculation of pressure, temperature, time paths. Prereq:
mineralogy; petrography; adequate background in calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
(Offered alternate years with ESCI 825.)
ESCI 832 - Regional Geology and Advanced Structure
Credits:
4.00
Readings, discussion, and field/lab exercises in the
tectonic analysis of mountain systems. Emphasis on the
northern Appalachian Orogen. Application of modern
structural analysis. Prereq: structural geology or
permission. Field excursion; lab fee.
ESCI 834 - Applied Geophysics
Credits:
4.00
Gravity, magnetic, seismic, and electrical methods of
investigating subsurface geology. Fieldwork and use of
computers in data analysis. Prereq: one year of calculus;
introductory geology; one year of college physics;/ or
permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 841 - Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Thermodynamics applied to geologic processes; geochemical
differentiation of the earth; the principles and processes
that control the distribution and migration of elements in
geological environments; stable and radiogenic isotopes in
geologic processes. Prereq: one year of mineralogy or
permission.
ESCI 845 - Isotope Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Discussion of element abundance and isotope formation;
radioactive decay as applied to geologic systems, detailed
investigation of K-Ar, Rb-Sr, U-Pb, and Sm-Nd systems, and
geologic-oceanographic applications of stable isotopes. Lab
involves mass spectrometric and chemical techniques of
isotopic analysis. Course includes the completion of a
laboratory project. Prereq: ESCI 841 or permission. Special
fee. Lab.
ESCI 846 - Analytical Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the theory, instrumentation, and
applications of analytical methods in geochemistry. Prereq:
one year of chemistry or geochemistry;/ or permission.
Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 847 - Aqueous Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Processes that determine the geochemical characteristics of
water bodies. Emphasis on the geochemical continuum of
terrestrial water and its geochemical evolution. Topics
include the influence of cyclic salts, the nature of
weathering reactions, the CO2-CACO3 system, the
formation and dissolution of salts and authigenic mineral
formation. Prereq: one year of chemistry or geochemistry;/
or permission. Lab.
ESCI 850 - Biological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Biological processes of the oceans, including primary and
secondary production, trophodynamics, plankton diversity,
zooplankton ecology, ecosystems and global ocean dynamics.
Field trips on R/V Gulf Challenger and to the Jackson
Estuarine Laboratory. Prereq: one year of biology or
permission of instructor. (Also offered as ZOOL 850,
EOS 850.) Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ESCI 852 - Chemical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
Water structure, chemical composition, and equilibrium
models; gas exchange; biological effects on chemistry;
trace metals; and analytical methods. Prereq: permission.
Optional 1 credit lab (see ESCI 852L).
ESCI #852L - Chemical Oceanography Lab
Credits:
1.00
Optional lab for ESCI 852. Includes short cruise aboard
R/V Gulf Challenger. Special fee.
Co-requisites:
ESCI 852
ESCI 854 - Sedimentary Rocks and Stratigraphy
Credits:
4.00
Examine observational and interpretative techniques to
evaluate sedimentary rocks in their stratigraphic context.
The relationship between time, space, and deposition is
assessed using a problem solving approach based on real
geological examples. Topics such as facies analysis,
stratigraphic correlation, and basin analysis provide the
framework to interpret the stratigraphic record of earth
history. Prereq: optical mineralogy and petrography or
permission. Special fee. Lab and field trip.
ESCI 855 - Analytical Techniques for Sediments
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
A laboratory course focusing on applied analytical
techniques geoscientists use in sediment sampling;
coarse- and fine-grained textural analysis, and some
aspects of mineralogical composition. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 858 - Introduction to Physical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
A descriptive treatment of atmosphere-ocean interaction;
general wind-driven and thermohaline ocean circulation;
waves and tides; continental shelf and near-shore processes;
instrumentation and methods used in ocean research.
Simplified conceptual models demonstrate the important
principles. Prereq: college physics; introduction to
oceanography;/ or permission.
ESCI 859 - Geological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Major geological features and processes of the ocean floor;
geological and geophysical methods; plate tectonics. Prereq:
permission. Lab.
ESCI 862 - Glacial Geology
Credits:
4.00
Survey of glacial processes and glacier dynamics with
emphasis on understanding the physics of glaciers, glacial
geologic processes, and interpretation of glacial deposits
and landscapes. The course includes discussion of the role
of glaciers and ice sheets in the Earth's climate system,
analysis of glaciological and glacial-geologic data,
short field exercises, and one mandatory field trip that
explores the glacial landscape of New England. Prereq:
ESCI 561 or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 864 - Introductory Paleoclimate Analysis
Credits:
4.00
An overview of paleoclimate indicators for the last one
million years in the context of global teleconnections
(atmosphere-lithosphere-hydrosphere-cryosphere) and
mathematical tools developed to interpret and link the
different records of climate change. Prereq: one year
calculus; one year chemistry; basic statistics;/ or
permission. (Also offered as EOS 864.)
ESCI 865 - Paleoclimatology
Credits:
3.00
Review of past changes in Earth's climate system with
emphasis on the nature and causes of climate
variability during the Quaternary period (the last
~1.8 million years -- a time interval dominated by cycles
of global glaciation). Topics include evidence for climate
change, techniques used to reconstruct paleoclimate records,
and proposed mechanisms of global climate change. Course
incorporates discussion of recent scientific papers from the
primary literature.
ESCI 870 - Introduction to Ocean Mapping
Credits:
4.00
An introduction to the principles and practice of
hydrography and ocean mapping. Methods for the
measurement and definition of the configuration of the
bottoms and adjacent land areas of oceans, lakes, rivers,
estuaries, harbors and other water areas, and the tides or
water levels and currents that occur in those bodies of
water. (Also listed as OE 870.) Prereq: college physics.
Lab.
ESCI 871 - Geodesy and Positioning for Ocean Mapping
Credits:
3.00
The science and technology of acquiring, managing, and
displaying geographically-referenced information; the size
and shape of the earth, datums and projections;
determination of precise positioning of points on the earth
and the sea , including classical terrestrial-based methods
and satellite-based methods; shoreline mapping, nautical
charting and electronic charts. Prereq: one year of calculus
and one year of college physics. (Also offered as OE 871.)
ESCI 895 - Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Study on an individual or group basis in geologic,
hydrologic, or oceanographic problems, under members of the
graduate staff. Topics include: geochemistry, geomorphology,
geophysics; glaciology; groundwater, structural, and
regional geology; crystallography, mineralogy; petrology;
thermodynamics; ore deposits; earth resource policy;
paleontology; sedimentation; stratigraphy; water resources
management; chemical, physical, and geological oceanography;
earth systems; earth science teaching methods. Prereq:
permission of staff concerned. May be repeated.
ESCI 896 - Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
See description for ESCI 895.
ESCI 897 - Colloquium
Credits:
Presentation of recent research in the earth sciences by
guest speakers and department faculty. May be taken four
times. Cr/F.
ESCI 898 - Directed Research
Credits:
2.00
Research project on a specified topic in the Earth Sciences,
guided by a faculty member. Cr/F.
ESCI 899 - Master's Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 6.00
Cr/F.
ESCI 903 - Advanced Hydrology
Credits:
3.00
Application of quantitative methods to selected hydrologic
problems. Critical examination of deterministic and
stochastic models with emphasis on conceptualizing the
hydrologic problem, developing appropriate models, obtaining
solutions, and evaluating models and solutions in terms of
basic assumptions, data requirements, and verification of
results. Prereq: ESCI 805; computer methods; basic
statistics.
ESCI #904 - Contaminant Hydrology
Credits:
3.00
Physical mechanisms of the migration and dispersion of
miscible and immiscible contaminants through the saturated
and unsaturated zone. Deterministic and stochastic models of
transport phenomena including both analytical and numerical
solutions. Term project. Prereq: groundwater hydrology;
college chemistry; and computer methods. (Offered alternate
years.)
ESCI 906 - Statistical Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Application of statistical principles to hydrologic
problems. Covers laws of probability; parameter estimation;
discrete and continuous distributions of importance in
hydrology, inference, regression and multivariate analysis,
and elementary time series analysis. Prereq: ESCI 805; basic
statistics;/or permission. (Offered alternate years with
ESCI 803.)
ESCI 907 - Geostatistics
Credits:
3.00
Introduction to statistical methods of quantifying spatial
variability with emphasis on the application of these
methods to the earth and environmental sciences. Topics
including sampling strategy; variography; kriging;
simulation; and Monte Carlo techniques. Prereq: basic
statistics or permission. (Offered alternate years.)
ESCI 952 - Advanced Chemical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00 or 4.00
Readings on physical, chemical, and biological processes
that affect the distribution of chemical components in
estuaries and the open ocean. Lab includes projects
investigating selected processes. Prereq: ESCI 852 or
permission.
ESCI 972 - Hydrographic Field Course
Credits:
4.00
A lecture, lab, and field course on the methods and
procedures for the acquisition and processing of
hydrographic and ocean mapping data. Practical
experience in planning and conducting hydrographic
surveys. Includes significant time underway (day trips
and possible multi-day cruises) aboard survey vessel(s).
Prereq: Introduction to Ocean Mapping; Geodesy and
Positioning for Ocean Mapping; or permission. Special fee.
(Also listed as OE 972.)
ESCI 973 - Seafloor Characterization
Credits:
3.00
Remote characterization of seafloor properties using
acoustic (echo sounders, sub-bottom profilers, side-scan,
multibeam and interferometric sonars) and optical (video and
laser linescanner) methods. Models of sound interaction with
the seafloor will be explored as well as a range of possible
geologic, geotechnical, morphologic, acoustic, and biologic
descriptors. Prereq: permission. (Also listed as OE 973.)
ESCI 993 - Advanced Seminar
Credits:
1.00
Focused seminar in a discipline of earth sciences: earth,
ocean, atmosphere, or hydrology. May be repeated.
ESCI 994 - Advanced Seminar
Credits:
1.00
See description for ESCI 993.
ESCI 995 - Advanced Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced work on an individual or group basis. Prereq:
permission. May be repeated.
ESCI 996 - Advanced Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced work on an individual or group basis. Prereq:
permission. May be repeated.
ESCI 997 - Seminar in Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00
Readings, discussion, and presentation of recent
investigations in the earth sciences. Required of all M.S.
students in Earth Sciences. Cr/F.
ESCI 998 - Proposal Development
Credits:
1.00
Introduction to research in the earth sciences and
development of thesis and directed research proposals.
Required of all M.S. students in Earth Sciences.
ESCI 999 - Doctoral Research
Credits:
Cr/F.