Environments on earth are continually changing, but do so in a connected way. Natural and anthropogenic processes can create a chain of events with far-reaching implications for the world's outer shell of air and water. In this course we will address ocean-atmosphere-biosphere-lithosphere interactions and their influence on the "livability" of the earth. In the first half of the semester we will delve into the early history of the earth, the formation of atmosphere, oceans and continents, and gain insights into geological processes over time. The second half will deal largely with exospheric processes and provides some basic insights into global climate, element cycles that relate to life, sea level variations and changes in atmospheric composition. During this second part we will also look into the human influences on the exosphere, especially the fossil fuel carbon flux, and synthetic compounds in nature (CFC's, radioactive substances).
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture
Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: NSM E&ES
Prerequisites: E&ES101 and E&ES106 and E&ES280
Last Updated on MAR-10-1997
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459