Global Arc

Fundamentals of biological oceanography, with an emphasis on the ecosystem level. The course will examine organisms in the context of their chemical and physical environment; properties of seawater and atmosphere that affect life in the ocean; primary production and marine food webs; and global cycles of carbon and other elements. Students will read the current and classic literature of oceanography. Prerequisites: college-level chemistry, biology, and physics. Two 90-minute classes.

This course explores the interaction between ocean physics and fluid dynamics and biological processes from global ocean scale (>1000 km) to submeso-scale (<1km). Questions that we will address are: How is the ocean ecosystem shaped by the ocean circulation? What is the impact of ubiquitous mesoscale eddies and submesoscale fronts on ecosystems? How is this response modulated by climate natural variations and climate change? Does biological activity impact the ocean circulation in return? Addressing these issues requires an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together the ocean physical, chemical and biological dynamics.

An introduction to weak numerical methods used in computational geophysics. Finite- and spectral-elements, representation of fields, quadrature, assembly, local versus global meshes, domain decomposition, time marching and stability, parallel implementation and message-passing, and load-balancing. Parameter estimation and "imaging" using data assimilation techniques and related "adjoint" methods. Labs provide experience in meshing complicated surfaces and volumes as well as solving partial differential equations relevant to geophysics. Prerequisites: MAT 201; partial differential equations and basic programming skills. Two 90-minute lectures.

An advanced introduction to setting up and solving boundary value problems relevant to the solid Earth sciences. Topics include heat flow, fluid flow, elasticity and plate flexure, and rock rheology, with applications to mantle convection, magma transport, lithospheric deformation, structural geology, and fault mechanics. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or 202. Two 90-minute lectures.

This course explores the theory and application of the different ways that the vastness of geologic time is quantified and applied to understanding the rates and sequences of events in Earth history. It focuses on radiogenic isotope geochemistry and geochronology but also will cover other methods such as astrochronology and the geomagnetic polarity timescale. We apply these methods to understanding processes such as the origins of Earth and the Solar System; the causes of mass extinctions and climate change; plate tectonics, magmatism, and super eruptions; animal evolution; and archeology. Two 90-minute lectures.

Focuses on the inorganic and organic constituents of soils (aqueous, solid, and gaseous phases), and chemical principles and processes governing the reactions between different soil constituents and water. The role of soil chemical processes in the major and trace element cycles, and the biogeochemical transformation of different contaminants will be discussed in the second half of the course. Prerequisites: CHM 202. Two 90-minute lectures.

This course lays the foundation for functional acquisition of German language, with attention to interpretation (listening/reading), production (speaking/writing) and cultural understanding. Class time is devoted to interactive language tasks that foster comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and fluency. Five hours per week.

Continuation of GER 101, with added emphasis on reading, communicative writing strategies, listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and cultural analysis through film. Five hours per week.

The course provides students who have some background in German a brief review of material covered in 101, and then works on speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills at the level of 102. Five hours. Prerequisite: scores from placement/proficiency test administered during fall orientation and consultation with instructor.

The course aims to solidify previously acquired German, while expanding the range of usable vocabulary and syntax. Emphasis in class on task-based approaches to grammar, writing, listening comprehension and cultural understanding, using texts and film. Prerequisite: demonstrated competence via placement test or successful completion of GER 102. To be followed by GER 107 to satisfy the A.B. language requirement. Four hours per week.