GRADUATE COURSES IN ESS (DESCRIPTIONS)

Course Name

Description

ESS 500

M.S. Thesis

A program of research leading to the M.S. degree is decided between the student and a faculty member. Students register to this course at all semesters starting from the beginning of their second semester while the research program or write-up of thesis is in progress.

ESS 501

The Earth System

Near Earth Space (NES): Electromagnetic and charge output of the Sun; radiation, plasma, neutral atmosphere and magnetic environment; the atmosphere, atmospheric dynamics and circulation patterns, atmospheric chemistry. Geosphere: Principals of geological processes, The Earth’s materials, deposition in the deep oceans, lakes and rivers, geologic time scales. Hydrosphere: Fresh water over and in soil, ocean water and hydrological cycle,  ocean systems, the ocean's role in the global geochemical and biogeochemical cycling and physical/climate systems, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Biosphere: Evolution of biological diversity, terrestrial and aquatic and marine ecosystems, GAIA, Geographic ecology, global ecology, biological feedback mechanisms at global scale. Climate Change-introduction: Introduction to climate variability and climate change. Future prospects for the Earth system.

ESS 502

Earth System Science: Economics and Policy

Institutional framework and issues of climate change; international context and treaties; economic concepts relevant to climate and environmental change; policy  issues and options for mitigating the impact of climate change; methods of policy analysis and evolution including modeling fundamentals; model  types and modeling issues.

ESS 503

Sustainable Development

To review core concepts and history of sustainable development; to introduce students to innovative frameworks to sustainable development, including institutional analysis, common-pool resource management, and the often overlooked cultural, and psychological underpinnings of environmental decision–making; to examine policy responses to environmental problems caused by economic development; to analyze social case studies and examples through the frameworks presented; to provide a forum for graduate students to present their own research interests and examples regarding sustainable development.

ESS  504 Environment, Society and   Technology

The identification, investigation and evaluation of how environment, energy and technology are inter-related and how these interactions influence societal policy formulation, implementation and evaluation at the local, regional, national, international in the context of industrial and organizational levels.

ESS 505

Global Biogeochemistry

The origin and history of life on Earth, life and evolution, production and fate of organic material, major biogeochemical cycles (C,N,P, O &S) & their interactions with physical, chemical and biological components of terrestrial and aquatic systems, links between local and global cycles, biogeochemical transformations and microbial loops, aerobic and anaerobic processes, climatic forcing of biogeochemical processes, anthropogenic environmental change mediated through both perturbation of biogeochemical cycles (eutrophication, ocean carbon sequestration) and through the introduction of contaminants (toxic organic compounds, heavy metals, trace elements),reconstructing the history of environmental change using chemical markers preserved in sedimentary or biological archives.

ESS 506

Nature and Human Use

Understanding of the natural environment and the environmental problems that the world faces.  fundamental ecological principles, human population dynamics, biodiversity, natural resources and their use, human interaction with the environment, and personal and civic responsibility, anthropogenic changes on earth that are inflected by human population rise, environmental awareness as a basis for policy making and ethical decisions.

 ESS 507

Climate Change and Modeling

Climate: Introduction to climate, the science of climate, elements and control of weather and climate, the nature of the atmosphere, role of oceans, the dynamics of the climate system, world pattern of climate. Climate variability: Time scales of climatic variations, long-term climate averages, annual climate variations, Earth’s evolution and paleo-climatic changes. Climate Change: the Greenhouse gases and global warming,, Human activities and the climate change, sensitivity to external forcing, the cryosphere and records of environmental changes, ocean impacts and feedbacks, oceans and CO2 sequestration, Climate modeling: Types of data, Basic laws of physics for the models, systems of differential equations, coupling atmosphere-ocean and land surface-sea icesystem, physical climate modeling, and accuracy of the models.

ESS 508 Environmental Economics

Consumption, production and cost. Competitive markets and welfare. Equilibrium and efficiency under different market structures. Market failure and the Coase theorem. Cost benefits analysis in imperfect markets. Natural and renewable resource economics. Policy alternatives to address environmental issues.

ESS 509

Energy Policy and Finance

Energy markets, game theory and strategic interaction, imperfections and regulation. World energy markets as alternative investment areas, price movements, international trade and finance, macroeconomics impacts of energy price shocks. Renewable energy policy, evaluating energy projects and energy project financing policy appraisal.        

ESS 590

Seminar I in ESS

Presentations of topics of general Program interest, current research activities and recent developments in the related fields by graduate students, staff members and invited speakers.  M.Sc. students must register for this course at least once during their M.Sc., and M.Sc. students prepare a seminar directly related to their ongoing thesis research as part of the Earth System Science Master Program.  

ESS 599              

Term Project

Project carried out under the supervision of a faculty member in a specific area of ESS. A written report is expected from students about their work.

ESS 600              

Ph.D. Thesis

Program of research leading to Ph.D. degree arranged between student and a faculty member. Students register to this course in all semesters starting from the beginning of their second semester while the research program or write-up of thesis is in progress.

ESS 690

Seminar II in ESS

Presentations of topics of general Program interest, current research activities and recent developments in the related fields by graduate students, staff members and invited speakers.  Ph.D. and Ph. D. on B.S. students must register for this course at least once during their Ph.D.  and Ph. D. on B.S. Students prepare a seminar directly related to their ongoing thesis research as part of the Earth System Science Doctorate Program.

ESS 8XX

Special Studies

M.Sc. Students choose and study a topic under the guidance of a faculty member normally his/her advisor.

ESS 9XX

Advanced Studies

PhD Students choose and study a topic under the guidance of a faculty member normally his/her advisor.