Geology 494LI - Livng on Erth:Real-world Is

In this course, students take advantage of the breadth of their shared experiences in the Geosciences Department from human dimensions to physical sciences, drawing from geography, earth systems science and geology. The platform of the course uses real-world Geoscience problems facing societies and cultures, incorporating the themes of Water, Air, Energy, Climate and Sustainability. Using readings, print and on-line media, students are encouraged to work through the ways in which integration of their diverse educational experiences leads to new levels of understanding. The semester culminates in team-based projects in which students investigate connections between current Geosciences issues, their education in their major and their experience as UMass undergraduates, with structured opportunities for reflection on both their discipline and themselves as life-long scholars. This course satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-Earth, BA-Geog, BS-Geog, BA-Geol, and BS-Geol majors, as well as a subset of BS-EnvSci majors. For Seniors and Juniors only.

Open to Seniors & Juniors only. This semester, we will focus on a topic important to each of your future careers as geoscientists and citizens of planet Earth ? Communicating the Science of Climate Change. In this course we will begin with a review of the various drivers of climate change on long (millions of years), intermediate (tens to hundreds of thousands of years) and short time scales (decades to millennia). We will investigate major changes in Earth?s climate over its history from geological records as well as from direct measurements (e.g. CO2 measurements from ice cores and instrumental records). We will learn how climate change is already affecting all of us, how different regions of Earth are currently experiencing the effects of climate change, and what changes you can expect to see during your own lives. We will build a strong knowledge of the science of climate change, with a focus on recent research developments and how to handle the media portrayal of this science. Throughout this course we will strengthen written, oral, and visual (e.g. figures, graphics, video) communication skills. Through a variety of individual, group and class assignments, we will learn how to communicate complex scientific ideas to the general public in a simplified, yet accurate manner.