EES 717 -
Spring 2012
Instructors: Frank Buonaiuto
Email: fsbuonaiuto@optonline.net
Phone: (212) 650-3092
Instructors: Haydee Salmun
Email: hsalmun@hunter.cuny.edu
Phone: (212) 772-5224
The earth sciences provide a framework to understand Earth and Earth’s systems evolution. Earth sciences investigate the chemical and mineralogical evolution of rocks (mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry), planetary structures and Earth’s interior (geophysics, stratigraphy, tectonics) and the evolution and dynamics of oceans and atmospheres (oceanography, paleontology, meteorology). Many aspects of these sub-disciplines converge into studying the Earth’s climate evolution and dynamics (global climate change, climatology, paleoclimate, paleoceanography). The study of the Earth’s climate is a synonym with “systems interactions”. These are the interactions that take place on all time and space scales among the subcomponents of the Earth’s systems. The means of these interactions is the flow of materials and energy through the system’s components. For example differential heating of the Earth’s surface gives rise to the forcing that in turn leads to the meridional redistribution of heat by the ocean. These ocean currents also transport other oceanic constituents around the globe. These systems interactions play an increasingly central role in any predictions of global climate change, as well as being used to understand the ever-increasing number of environmental issues.
Second Semester of ESS
This second semester stresses the physical aspects of earth system science. In
particular this course focuses on the movement (flow) and transfer of materials
and energy (heat) through the earth system. General topics to be covered
include
1. The interior of the Earth.
2. The atmosphere.
3. The oceans.
4. The interactions: climate.
5. Potential Special Topics.
a. The
Southern Ocean.
b. ENSO (El
Nino-Southern Oscillation): air-sea interactions.
There is NO required text for this course - Required readings will be assigned and provided in pdf format
Evaluations in this course are based on performance in the usual academic endeavors: seminar discussions, reports and examinations and research. Therefore, grading will be as follows:
Class
Participation
20%
Evaluations - 2
40%
Class
Project
40%
An overall evaluation of 90% or more results in a grade of A, 80-89% results in a grade of B, 70-79% results in a grade of C. Students unable to accumulate these percentages throughout the semester fail the course.
As mentioned above, for class participation students will have to read in detail the assigned related research articles and will be responsible for initiating a discussion of the material with colleagues. These supplemental articles are designed to provide the current state of research in various sub-disciplines of Earth science.
Class
Project: It is anticipated that students enrolled in
this course and pursuing a doctorate degree within the EES Department have an
active area of research focused on some aspect of Earth science or are in the
process of developing a research area/topic. Students therefore will be given
the option of selecting their own topic for the class final project, and it is
recommended that they choose a topic directly related to their research to
present to the class. The outcome of the research for the final project will be
in the form of 20-30 minutes overview presentation to the class which will
include discussion of two recent papers, announced prior to the discussion, and
a report on your project (5 - 7 pages).