Five College Consortium

An intensive survey of physical and chemical oceanography, emphasizing the role of the ocean as a system influencing the Earth's surficial processes and climate. Topics include the composition, properties and behavior of seawater, wind-driven and thermohaline ocean circulation theory, air-sea interactions, the flux of materials from the continents to the oceans, biogeochemical cycles (including the marine carbon cycle), and the role of the ocean in past, present, and future climatic change. Attendance at an accompanying weekly seminar required.