Earth, Ocean, & Atmospheric Sciences Community home page
A place to share course materials including videos, photos, tutorials, syllabi and other tools to assist with teaching and learning across all areas of undergraduate earth, ocean, atmospheric, and environmental sciences. Please review the license information provided for each item as usage rights vary.Collections in this community
CU-GEOL 1010: Introduction to Geology
Introductory geology for majors and non-majors. Studies Earth, its materials, its characteristics, its dynamic processes, and how it relates to people.
CU-GEOL 1020: Introduction to Earth History
Examines how Earth's interior and surface, the atmosphere and climate, the oceans, and life interact and have changed over the immensity of geologic time.
CU-GEOL 1030: Introduction to Geology Laboratory 1
Features field trips to local points of geologic interest. Studies rocks and topographic and geologic maps.
CU-GEOL 2100: Environmental Geology
Introduces the influences of geologic processes on human lives and the changes human actions cause in geologic systems. Uses examples and case studies from Colorado and the West.
CU-GEOL 3010: Introduction to Mineralogy
Covers origin, occurrence, identification, classification, and uses of minerals with emphasis on applications of mineralogy to economic geology and petrology.
CU-GEOL 3070: Introduction to Oceanography
Explores Earth's dynamic oceans. Discusses the disciplines of oceanography including marine geology, chemistry, biology and physical oceanography with emphasis on global change. Specific topics may include: tectonics, currents, biogeochemical cycles, ecology and global warming.
CU-GEOL 3120: Structural Geology
Introduces the basic principles and processes involved in deformation of natural rocks and minerals and the techniques used to analyze a variety of common geological structures (e.g., fractures, folds, fault zones).
CU-GEOL 3410: Paleobiology
Surveys morphology, ecology and evolution of ancient animal and plant life and their interactions on Earth. Fossils used to solve geological and biological problems.
CU-GEOL 4500: Critical Thinking in the Earth Sciences
Deals with controversies within the broad realm of geological sciences, including planetary geology, evolution, paleobiology, global change, environmental issues, plate tectonics, resources, other societal problems, or geologic thought in general.
UBC-EOSC 111: Laboratory Exploration of Planet Earth
An examination of the processes that shape and change the planet earth.
UBC-EOSC 114: The Catastrophic Earth: Natural Disasters
Introduction to causes and physical characteristics of disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, storm surge, thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides, wind waves, meteor impacts, mass extinctions.
UBC-EOSC 210: Earth Science for Engineers
Focus on the interaction between society and the geologic environment. Locating, assessing and developing natural resources; understanding and preparing for natural hazards, design of structures and waste disposal sites.
UBC-EOSC 332: Tectonic Evolution of North America
An overview of the geology and tectonic evolution of North America; comparisons and contrasts between Precambrian rocks of the North American craton and Phanerozoic belts of the Cordilleran, Appalachian, Ouachita and Innuitian orogens; interrelations between sedimentation, deformation, metamorphism and magmatism in a plate tectonic context.
UBC-EOSC 372: Introductory Oceanography: Circulation and Plankton
Physical and chemical processes and their controls on the distribution of plankton in the ocean.
UBC-EOSC 373: Introductory Oceanography: Climate and Ecosystems
Physical, chemical, and biological processes in the ocean and their interaction with climate and marine food-webs.
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UBC-ATSC 113: Applied Meteorology
Atmospheric-science principles elucidated by case studies applied to snow sports, sailing, surfing, soaring, and flying.
UBC-ATSC 201: Meteorology of Storms
Characteristics and physical processes of thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, hail, hurricanes, blizzards, cyclones and other storms.
UBC-ATSC 212: Earth and Atmospheric Science Introductory Computing Laboratory
Computing tools, including Unix/Linux, Web page creation, programming languages used for numerical calculation, database programs.
UBC-ATSC 301: Atmospheric Radiation and Remote Sensing
Energy transfer at infrared, visible, and microwave wavelengths. Analysis of satellite measurements of the atmosphere and surface.
UBC-ATSC 303: Methods in Atmospheric Science
An introduction to instrumentation used in monitoring the state of the atmosphere; a brief survey of methods of analysis of meteorological data.
UBC-ATSC 404: Dynamic Meteorology
Dynamic principles governing atmospheric motions on a rotating planet. Simplified mathematical models of atmospheric flow based on scale analysis. Application to synoptic-scale and general circulation of the troposphere.
UBC-ATSC 405: Cloud Physics and Chemistry
Cloud thermodynamics, chemistry and microphysics. Computer modelling of droplet growth, convection, and mixing. Application of differential equations to atmospheric problems.
UBC-ATSC 406: Operational Meteorology
Introduction to meteorological prediction, meteorological data analysis, prognosis of weather systems, motion and development, satellite imagery, Doppler radar, numerical weather prediction, synoptic and mesoscale forecasting, applied laboratory exercises.
UBC-ATSC 409: Numerical Techniques for Ocean, Atmosphere and Earth Scientists
Web-based introduction to the practical numerical solution of ordinary and partial differential equations including considerations of stability and accuracy.
UBC-ENVR 200: Introduction to Environmental Science
Seminars and field trips introducing the major global, regional, and local environmental issues facing human societies.
UBC-ENVR 300: Introduction to Research in Environmental Science
Environmental research. Students investigate research methodologies and reporting in a range of scientific disciplines and fields.
UBC-ENVR 400: Community Project in Environmental Science
Instructor-guided collaboration between student teams and community partners on community-based environmental science projects. Teams articulate project questions and goals, devise methods, conduct research and communicate results.
UBC-ENVR 410: Energy, Environment, and Society
The role of energy in human societies throughout history and the environmental and social implications of energy use. Coverage of both the science and policy of energy use. Energy supply and demand, energy transitions, analytical tools, impacts, and alternatives.
UBC-ENVR 420: Ecohydrology of Watersheds and Water Systems
Analysis of water resources from a water-in-ecosystem perspective. Application to natural, managed, and urban systems, considering ecological interactions with hydrological processes. Exploration of biogeochemical processes related to water quality, and human impacts on water resources.
UBC-ENVR 430: Ecological Dimensions of Sustainability
Current issues. Application to agricultural, energy, and resource systems in terrestrial and aquatic contexts. Analysis of complex problems; incorporation of science into novel interdisciplinary solutions.
UBC-ENVR 440: Analytical Methods in Sustainability Science
Sustainability analysis through a series of case studies. Example approaches include cost-benefit analysis, trade-offs analysis, and life-cycle analysis. Active learning in a computer lab using real-world data.
UBC-EOSC 110: The Solid Earth: A Dynamic Planet
Earth's origin, composition, structure, and natural resources. Plate tectonics as the driving force for volcanism, mountain building, and earthquakes. Imaging Earth's interior. Environmental geoscience and sustainability.
UBC-EOSC 112: The Fluid Earth: Atmosphere and Ocean
Introduction to processes in ocean and atmosphere. Heat, current, winds, clouds, marine life, resources. Effects of coupling, climate change, pollution.
UBC-EOSC 116: Mesozoic Earth: Time of the Dinosaurs
Earth's tectonics, climate, and oceans during the time of the dinosaurs. Reading the fossil record of Earth from its earliest origins up to and including the Mesozoic, 250 - 65 million years ago.
UBC-EOSC 118: Earth's Treasures: Gold and Gems
Origin, properties, valuation, prospecting and geology of gold, platinum, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious metals and gems.
UBC-EOSC 211: Computer Methods in Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Mathematical computer-based problem solving in the physical, chemical, and biological sciences. Problems drawn from studies of the earth, the oceans and the atmosphere.
UBC-EOSC 212: Topics in the Earth and Planetary Sciences
Cutting edge problems in earth, ocean, atmospheric and planetary sciences. Topics will be introduced through discussions of the current literature.
UBC-EOSC 213: Computational Methods in Geological Engineering
Combining basic physical principles with their mathematical description and generating computational models that describe them. Introduction to basic building blocks in modeling, simulation and parameter estimation.
UBC-EOSC 220: Introductory Mineralogy
Introduction to crystallography, physical and chemical properties of minerals. Recognition and identification of common minerals.
UBC-EOSC 221: Introductory Petrology
Optical mineralogy and the classification and genesis of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
UBC-EOSC 222: Geological Time and Stratigraphy
Measuring geological time and understanding Earth history using stratigraphic principles, paleontology and radioactive decay.
UBC-EOSC 223: Field Techniques
Introduction to the techniques of geological mapping and the interpretation of field data.
UBC-EOSC 240: Site Investigation
Theory and practice of site investigation for geological engineers, including background studies, field work, remote sensing, development of ground models, importance of geological variability and uncertainty. Impacts on design, project risk and decision making.
UBC-EOSC 250: Fields and Fluxes
Application of classical theory of scalar and vector fields to geophysical sciences. Conductive, convective and radiative energy flux, gravitation, electrostatics, and magnetostatics. Gauss' and Stokes' theorems.
UBC-EOSC 256: Earthquakes
Characteristics, types, plate tectonics, faults, earth stresses and strains, seismic waves, magnitude scales, instrumentation, hazard mapping, prediction, and forecasting.
UBC-EOSC 270: Marine Ecosystems
Introduction to diversity of marine habitats and ecosystems; hydrothermal vent, intertidal, coral reef, estuarine, deep sea, and polar ecosystems; impacts of ecosystem change; evolution of ocean plankton; invasive species; climate change; pollution.
UBC-EOSC 310: The Earth and the Solar System
The Earth as a planet: its composition, internal dynamics, and surface evolution. Rotation, magnetic field, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes. The ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere as components of a varying geo-environment.
UBC-EOSC 311: The Earth and its Resources
An introduction to the Earth with emphasis on its industrial and aesthetic resources. Rocks, minerals, gold, diamonds, sediments, fossils, oil and gas, canyons, and volcanoes and the processes that create them.
UBC-EOSC 314: The Ocean Environment
An introduction to the oceans and the processes that have shaped them, their composition and movement, waves, tides, beaches, interactions with the atmosphere and human exploitation of the non-living resources.
UBC-EOSC 315: The Ocean Ecosystem
An introduction to life in the oceans, its variety and evolution; primary producers and their links to the environment, zooplankton, marine communities, living marine resources and their role in today's world.
UBC-EOSC 320: Sedimentology
Origin, diagenesis and geochemistry of sediments and sedimentary rocks.
UBC-EOSC 321: Igneous Petrology
The origin and formation of igneous rocks.
UBC-EOSC 322: Metamorphic Petrology
Deciphering lithospheric processes as recorded by the mineralogy, chemistry and textures of metamorphosed rocks.
UBC-EOSC 323: Structural Geology I
Analysis and interpretation of natural deformation.
UBC-EOSC 326: Earth and Life Through Time
The fossil record of adaptation and extinction emphasizing the interaction of biological and geological processes.
UBC-EOSC 327: Geochemical Thermodynamics
Application of chemical thermodynamics to problem solving in the earth sciences. Geochemical tools are developed for: low-T aqueous geochemistry, high-T, high-P processes in the lithosphere, ore-deposit formation, and for prediction of geochemical reaction rates in all environments.
UBC-EOSC 328: Field Geology
Recording and processing geological data in the field.
UBC-EOSC 329: Groundwater Hydrology
Introduction to theory of groundwater flow; flow nets; regional groundwater resource evaluation; well hydraulics; role of groundwater in geologic processes.
UBC-EOSC 330: Principles of Geomorphology
Landform development; morphological and historical analysis of landforms; applications in engineering and resource development.
UBC-EOSC 331: Introduction to Mineral Deposits
Introduction to economic geology and models related to mineral exploration. Study includes typical deposit types and their plate tectonic setting.
UBC-EOSC 333: Elemental and Isotopic Geochemistry
Analytical methods in geochemistry, major and trace element geochemistry, radiogenic isotopes, geochemistry of seawater, the mantle, basalts, subduction zones, sedimentary rocks, continental crust.
UBC-EOSC 340: Global Climate Change
Mechanisms and processes of past and future global environmental and climate change.
UBC-EOSC 350: Environmental, Geotechnical, and Exploration Geophysics I
Principles of geophysical survey design, data acquisition, processing and interpretation with emphasis on near-surface problems. Magnetic, seismic reflection/refraction, electromagnetic and ground penetrating radar surveys. Case history analysis of environmental and geotechnical problems.
UBC-EOSC 352: Geophysical Continuum Dynamics
Introduction to tensor calculus and continuum mechanics. Stress, strain and strain-rate tensors. Mass, momentum and energy balance. Applications to problems of geophysical heat transport, elasticity and fluid dynamics illustrated using MATLAB.
UBC-EOSC 353: Seismology
Hooke's law for isotropic continua, elastic wave equation, reflection and refraction methods for imaging the Earth's internal structure, plane waves in an infinite medium and interaction with boundaries, body wave seismology, inversion of travel-time curves, generalized ray theory, crustal seismology, surface waves and earthquake source studies.
UBC-EOSC 354: Analysis of Time Series and Inverse Theory for Earth Scientists
Continuous and discrete Fourier transforms, correlation and convolution, spectral estimates, optimum least-squares filters, deconvolution and prediction, frequency-wave number filtering. A practical course on computer techniques applied to the analysis of a wide range of geophysical phenomena.
UBC-EOSC 355: The Planets
Diversity among the planets and moons of the solar system; integrating concepts across scientific disciplines, including geology, geophysics, and atmospheric science to understand how planets evolve.
UBC-EOSC 420: Volcanology
Field and lab-based studies in volcanology concentrating on physical and chemical aspects of volcanic processes.
UBC-EOSC 421: Advanced Sedimentology
Description and interpretation of ancient and modern sediments, with emphasis on the origin, composition, textures, structures, diagenesis and chemistry of biogenic sediments.
UBC-EOSC 422: Structural Geology II
Studies of natural deformation using advanced techniques.
UBC-EOSC 424: Advanced Mineral Deposits
Advanced concepts in the processes that lead to the formation of mineral deposits. Introduction to the study of ore minerals using reflected light microscopy.
UBC-EOSC 425: Paleontology
Paleobiogeography in the context of plate tectonics. Mass extinction events. Fossilization and biases in the fossil record. Species concepts in paleontology. Biostratigraphy. Paleontological evidence for early life; the colonization of oceanic and terrestrial environments and; the evolution of the primates.
UBC-EOSC 426: Fundamentals of Geomicrobiology
Foundational knowledge of the interactions between microorganisms and Earth's surface chemistry.
UBC-EOSC 428: Field Techniques in Groundwater Hydrology
Hydraulic head measurements, water-quality sampling, pump and slug testing, infiltration measurements, profiling techniques.
UBC-EOSC 429: Groundwater Contamination
Contaminant transport processes in groundwater flow systems; aqueous and multiphase transport; mathematical models describing migration and chemical evolution of contaminant plumes; case studies.
UBC-EOSC 430: Aqueous Geochemistry
Quantitative approaches to practical aqueous geochemistry problems. Equilibrium thermodynamics, kinetics, complexation, oxidation reduction, cation exchange, sorption and partitioning of organics. Case Studies.
UBC-EOSC 431: Groundwater Remediation
Methods for containment and remediation of subsurface contaminants; including groundwater control, groundwater extraction, and in situ treatment. Experience with common design approaches.
UBC-EOSC 432: Fossil Fuels
Origin, geochemistry and distribution of petroleum and coal in the stratigraphic record. Sedimentation of organic matter, organic diagenesis, migration and accumulation of hydrocarbons. Principles of exploration and development. Techniques for measurement of organic maturation and source rock analyses.
UBC-EOSC 433: Geological Engineering Practice I - Rock Engineering
Application of rock mechanics, hydrogeology, and engineering design tools in realistically complex geological environments. Influence and treatment of geological uncertainty, and use of field data, geotechnical monitoring, and numerical analyses for tunnelling, mining and rock slope engineering projects. Case histories.
UBC-EOSC 434: Geological Engineering Practice II - Soil Engineering
Application of geomorphology, hydrogeology, and soil mechanics to geotechnical design. Influence and treatment of geological uncertainty in geotechnical hazard and risk assessments; multi-disciplinary approaches to geotechnical engineering problems in realistically complex geological environments. Case histories.
UBC-EOSC 442: Climate Measurement and Analysis
Local climate time series collection and analysis. Retrieval and analysis of on-line climate data and model output.
UBC-EOSC 445: Engineering Design Project
Geological engineering design project from scope definition to final design. Based on a problem from industry.
UBC-EOSC 450: Potential Fields in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Theory, application and quantitative interpretation of potential field methods in Earth and planetary sciences. Topics drawn from problems in geophysical exploration, geodesy, geodynamics of the planets, geomagnetism, planetary magnetic fields, heat flow and fluid flow.
UBC-EOSC 453: Physics of the Earth and Other Planets
Identification and quantitative analysis of diverse physical problems in the earth, ocean, atmospheric, and planetary sciences.
UBC-EOSC 454: Applied Geophysics
Using geophysics to characterize the Earth's subsurface for resource exploration, engineering, or environmental applications. Data acquisition, processing, and interpretation of geophysical surveys. Inversion examples drawn from potential (electrical, magnetic, gravity) or wave field (seismic, ground penetrating radar) surveys.
UBC-EOSC 470: Biological Oceanography
A quantitative examination of processes regulating the abundance, distribution and production of phytoplankton, zooplankton, microbes and fish. Controls of primary and secondary production, ecosystem dynamics and foodwebs.
UBC-EOSC 471: Waves, Currents and Ocean Mixing
Use of observations, theory and model results to solve physical oceanographic problems including applications to transport and mixing of pollutants or nutrients.
UBC-EOSC 472: Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geochemistry
Controls on chemical composition and elemental distributions in seawater and marine sediments (including nutrient elements, dissolved gases, the carbonate system, marine organic matter, and trace metals); solution chemistry of seawater; isotopic tracers of rates and dates in marine systems; geochemical balance in the oceans.
UBC-EOSC 473: Methods in Oceanography
Methods of data acquisition, study and analysis required in solving oceanographic problems.
UBC-EOSC 474: Marine Pollution
An interdisciplinary study of pollution, with examples drawn from coastal and oceanic environments, including areas of local interest.
UBC-EOSC 475: Marine Microbiology
Advanced biology, ecology and diversity of marine microbes. Emphasis on the roles of bacteria and viruses in marine foodwebs and geochemical cycles.
UBC-EOSC 478: Introduction to Fisheries Science
An introduction to the ecology and management of freshwater and marine fisheries. Topics include: population dynamics, species interactions, communities, environmental influences, stock assessment, economics and sociology of fisheries. Laboratories will consist of numerical analyses and simulations. [2-0-3]