About the Course

Earth System Science is the study of interactions between the physical climate – i.e. the circulation of the atmosphere and ocean, the marine and terrestrial life, and the solid Earth. We will explore these linkages, using system analysis tools. In particular, we will address how climate, the carbon cycle, and nutrient dynamics interact in shaping global scale temperature, hydrology, and the viability of vegetation. An integral part will be to investigate how the Earth System responses to perturbation, such as the current global change from large injections of fossil CO₂. Throughout the course, we will make use of simple mathematical - modeling concepts. The course is a co-taught graduate/undergraduate course and is offered both online and on campus.