Courses Taught at Dartmouth:

NEW! Check out the 2010 student Environmental Websites from EARS 18!

EARS 14: Meteorology

This course introduces students to the science of weather and the atmosphere, focusing on understanding weather on a day-to-day basis through observations, and on the collection and analysis of meteorological data. We begin with first principles of atmospheric composition, the Earth’s heat engine, and fundamental atmospheric properties like temperature and moisture. These topics lead to more in-depth discussions of atmospheric circulation, weather patterns, weather forecasting, thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes, and how weather is related to Earth’s changing climate. Vew syllabus. Sp10

EARS 18: Environmental Geology

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach toward understanding Earth’s terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and biological environments. We learn about the dynamic natural processes that are important in each  environment, as well as the impact of past and present human activities. Students gain skills in collecting, interpreting, and reporting scientific data through field trips and laboratory sessions. Environmental issues such as ozone depletion, acid rain, climate change, and air and water pollution are key topics of focus. Selected case studies will allow students to gain appreciation of the complexity of scientific, social, cultural and political interactions that surround many environmental issues. Vew syllabus. F10

EARS 33: Earth's Surface Processes and Landforms

The primary objective of the course is to explore the processes occurring on the surface of the Earth that shape the landscape. This is an interesting topic because the landscape is the part of geology that is most readily accessible to the public; the geology that most people see every day. Students never look at a landscape the same way again! A major part of this course is the lab exercises, where we learn some geology/geography field techniques and work with data to understand various surface processes. The highlight is a weekend field trip to Cape Cod to investigate glacial and coastal processes, landforms, and interactions. Vew syllabus. F09

EARS 37: Marine Geology

This intermediate-level course investigates the geology, processes, and paleoarchives hidden beneath the world’s oceans. Major topics include the morphology and history of the sea floor (plate tectonics), marine geology field and remote sensing techniques, the origin and evolution of ocean crust and sediments, dynamics at marine crustal margins, hydrothermal vents and ecosystems, coastal processes including catastrophic events (hurricanes, tsunamis), and marine records of past climate conditions and sea level. Students use the scientific literature to delve into case studies on sea-level rise, the 2004 tsunami, and Mississippi Delta erosion and subsidence. View Syllabus W08, W10

EARS 46: "STRETCH" Field Methods in Banff and Glacier National Parks

Professor Bob Hawley and I lead a 2-week field course section to teach undergraduate majors about polar and alpine glacier-related research in Banff (Alberta, Canada) and Glacier (Montana, USA) National Parks. We visit 2 glaciers (Peyto and Athabasca) along with many other stops, covering topics including glaciology, glacier travel and safety, ice coring, glacial geology, remote sensing, glacial sedimentology, and climate change. This section is just the first part of the STRETCH, which spans the American West from Yellowstone to the Sierras over a period of 3 months, with Dartmouth professors taking turns teaching sections related to their research. Check out some pictures from 2008 and 2009 from our section! F08, F09, F10

EARS 86: Earth's Past, Present and Future Climate

This upper level undergraduate and graduate course investigates the characteristics and causes of short- (1 yr) to long-term (>1 million yrs) climate change over the past ~400 million years and ~1000 years into the future. In order to make informed predictions about Earth’s climate and informed decisions about our society’s response, it is essential to understand how and why Earth’s climate has changed in the past. We see that the climate has always been changing due to processes such as plate tectonics, variations in the energy balance, and complex interactions and feedbacks between the ocean, atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere. We then use this understanding to make reasonable predictions of future climate under various scenarios. View Syllabus W09

Upcoming Courses

EARS 2: Evolution of Earth and Life, Winter Term 2011

This introductory course explores the geological evolution of the Earth, and the importance of the atmosphere and lithosphere in the origin and evolution of life on the planet. Topics include the origin of the Earth, Moon, oceans, continents, atmosphere, biosphere, and the importance of catastrophic events in the destruction and evolution of species. Syllabus coming soon!

EARS 1: How the Earth Works, Spring Term 2011

In this introductory course, we explore what has gone into making our planet - from the Big Bang to the formation and evolution of Earth.  We learn how to decode Earth’s dynamic history by reading the record preserved in rocks, oceans and glaciers.  We also see that life is not only at the mercy of our planet’s natural forces, but also an important agent of change.

Teaching Modules

As graduate students, Leigh Stearns and I developed a website on using "Flubber" to model the flow of the Malaspina Glacier. Check out our website here.

Leigh has incorporated this into a site on Glacier Education complete with K-12 lesson plans here.