Geology 103 - Oceanography
Spring
2018
01
4.00
Alan Werner;Penny Taylor
TTH 11:30AM-12:45PM
Mount Holyoke College
102872
Clapp Laboratory 016
awerner@mtholyoke.edu;pmtaylor@mtholyoke.edu
Because more than seventy percent of our planet is covered by oceans, the study of marine systems is crucial to our understanding of Earth History and life on the planet. We will examine chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes in the oceans at a variety of scales in time and space. We will explore how the Earth's oceans formed, how they provided the foundations for life, and how they continue to affect weather and climate, stabilize global chemical cycles, erode coastlines and provide access to resources. We will conclude the semester with a discussion of the human impact on the ocean environment including sea level rise, acidification, coral bleaching and over-fishing.