A study of the universe and natural events in the environment.

Topics in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology and physics are studied. Laboratory work provides for experiments and projects.

A geophysical study o the earth with emphasis on the major scientific discoveries about the earth and its relation to the universe.

An overview of contemporary topics in science technology and environment.

This course covers major events that have shaped the Earth during the past 4.6 billion years. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic intervals are discussed. Important topics include the evolution of continents, the origin of mountain ranges, the evolution of oceans, sea-level fluctuations, variation in seawater chemistry, the evolution of atmospheric gases, and major deformation events. In the laboratory portion of the course, students are familiarized with major fossil groups and geological maps.

Sedimentary environments are areas where sediments accumulate. These include deserts, lakes, rivers, deltas, marshes, beaches, lagoons, shallow seas, and deep sea. This course discusses sediment types, hydrodynamics, and stratal packages of each of these environments. Fundamental knowledge about physical processes that operate in these areas is conveyed. Special attention is paid to sedimentary rock types and structures. Students are expected to be able to recognize and interpret the record left behind by these environments in the geological record. In the laboratory portion of the course, students are familiarized with grain size analysis, sedimentary structures, stratigraphic analysis, and depositional environments.

This course is designed to familiarize students with the characteristics of the Earth’s materials. This is accomplished by a detailed analysis of minerals and rocks through microscopic examinations. The course begins with an overview of the nature of light. This is followed by a discussion of the response of minerals to the passage of light. Then, microscopic properties of major mineral 371 groups are presented. After these, mineralogical and petrological characteristics of igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks are evaluated. In the lab segment of the course, students learn to examine microscopic properties of minerals and learn to identify major rock groups through petrographic examinations.

This course is open to any undergraduate student who have an interest in learning the basic theory of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). The course also demonstrate the application of RS and how to use GIS as an analytic tool. We will also discuss theoretical and methodological issues associated with the integration of remote sensing and geographic information systems. GIS is a specialized computer database program designed for the collection, storage, and manipulation, retrieval, and analysis of spatial data. It is a hands-on course in which students are given beginning-level opportunities to process, analyze, and visualize spatial data and information using commercially-available GIS software. In the process, they are introduced to the principles of GIS and its usefulness as an analytical tool and as an effective communication technique in addressing global, environmental, and social science questions. GIS analysis is used in public and private sectors in areas as wide-ranging as policy making, public health, community/regional/state planning, environmental science, sociology, crime analysis, terrorism, agriculture, engineering, business, and marketing. GIS is an analytic tool that many of our majors should learn how to use. One of the primary purposes of the course is to generate enthusiasm and interest in using GIS to make environmental assessments and to analyze social, political, geographic, and economic issues. In addition, in this course, we will also focus on the basic concepts of remote sensing, airborne and space borne sensors, digital image processing, and the principles and practices of remote sensing. We will survey the basic atomospheric radiation and understand imagery interpretation. The course will cover electronic-magnetic frequencies from visible to microwave, descriptions of important satellite orbits and sensors the retrieval of atmosphere variables from active and passive systems, and basic principles of interpretation.

Designed to familiarize students with materials, techniques and unifying principles of science with laboratory exercises emphasized.

Provides an opportunity for the student to discuss the most pertinent trends in the fields of science.

Curriculum materials designed to train the students in the selection, preparation and use of curriculum materials in the teaching of science at the secondary level.

This course discusses basic geochemical principles as applied to Earth Science. First, an overview of thermodynamic principles is presented. Then, geochemical aspects of the most common reactions of the atmosphere, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans are evaluated. Other 372 important issues that are discussed include geochemical reactions which occur during weathering, early diagenesis, burial diagenesis, and the formation of ore deposits. A dedicated geochemical laboratory is also associated with the class where students learn to calculate mineral solubility and perform simple experiments.

This course familiarizes students with changes that occur in Earth’s materials collectively referred to as deformation. The course is designed to present the deformation of rocks at a scale ranging from microscopic to continent-wide regions. The course begins with the introduction of stress, strain, force, and factors controlling rock behavior including an analysis of the mechanical behavior of rocks. This is followed by a discussion of folds, normal faults, thrust faults, strike-slip faults, joints, lineation, and foliation. In the laboratory portion of the course, students learn basic elements of structural geology, work with Brunton compasses, prepare structural cross-sections, and apply graphical solutions to solve structural problems.

The aim of this course is to provide basic and fundamental information about processes, which affects the environment. The course begins with elementary background on some important concepts of Earth Science including overviews and rocks and minerals, global tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes. This is followed by discussions of environmental issues produced by flooding, hurricanes, groundwater pollution, waste management, fossil fuel, climate change, global warming, and sea-level change. In the lab section of this course, students conduct hands- on projects related to our environmental projects in an urban setting.

This course emphasizes geographic information systems (GIS) applications and spatial data analysis in atmosphere-related sciences. Students learn through hands-on case studies, and in-class thinking exercises. GIS is the computerized system designed for the storage, retrieval, and analysis of geographically referenced data. GIS uses advanced analytical tools to explore spatial relationshps, patterns, and processes of cultural, biological demographic, economic, geographic, and physical phenomena. This course covers underlying geographic concepts (world coordinate system and projections, vector map topology, tled and layered maps, etc.), map design and outputs, geodatabases, attribute data, digitizing, geocoding, spatial date processing, and advanced spatial analysis in atmosphere-related sciences. This course will teach students the core functionality of ArcGIS Desktop software: how to make maps, carry out spatial analysis, and build and edit spatial databases in the context of realistic projects. The technical focus of the course includes computer lab exercises and case studies using the Desktop GIS software, ArcGIS from ESRI. The applications covered in this course include tornado density mapping, tornado siren analysis, hurrican track visualization, social vulnerability mapping for atmospheric disasters, gridded surface temperature (Net CDF) visualization, housing assessment, landuse changing, census population and demographic studies, and business applications.

This course is designed to provide students with fundamental information about fresh water on Earth. As the human population increases, so does our need for drinking water. The course provides an analysis of surface and groundwater reservoirs. An analysis of drainage basin characteristics is presented. Darcy’s Law is presented in detail. Aquifer and aquitard characteristics are covered. Water chemistry, groundwater resource evaluation, and water quality are presented.

This course is designed to familiarize students with major topics in Earth Science. Students conduct research and prepare presentations. Topics covered include plate tectonics, mountain building, mass extinction, meteoric impact, carbon cycle, ocean circulation, ocean chemistry, climate change, global warming, coastal land loss, groundwater contamination, and major environmental issues.