MS IN EARTH SCIENCES:
OCEANOGRAPHY OPTION
This option is for students who want to obtain a broad background in oceanography and also for those who wish to study one area in more depth. These goals are accomplished through a set of common requirements, core courses and electives for a total of at least 30 credits (34 for non-thesis option). You may specialize in chemical, geological or physical oceanography. Most students with undergraduate degrees in geology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering or biology are ready for this major. Those with interests in marine biology or biological oceanography may want to contact the Zoology Department.
Core Curriculum for all Oceanography Students:
ESCI 852: Chemical Oceanography: Chemical composition, processes and models, biological effects, gases, trace metals (3 or 4 credits, Fall).
ESCI 858: Introduction to Physical Oceanography: Ocean-air interactions, currents, waves and tides (3 credits, Fall).
ESCI 859: Geological Oceanography: Major tectonic, volcanic and sedimentary features of the deep ocean; marine geophysics; plate tectonics (4 credits, Spring).
ESCI 850/ZOOL 850: Biological Oceanography: Primary and secondary production, plankton diversity and ecology, microbial ecology, global ocean dynamics (4 credits, when offered). This course may be substituted for ESCI 859.
In addition, ESCI 997(Seminar in Earth Sciences, 1 cr.) and ESCI 998 (Proposal Development, 1 cr.) are required each semester of the first year, and ESCI 899 (Thesis, 6 cr. ) for those students pursuing the thesis option.
Some Suggested Electives Grouped by Area (see the Graduate School catalog page for others):
ESCI 834: Applied Geophysics (4 credits, Fall).
ESCI 841: Geochemistry (4 credits, Fall).
ESCI 934: Advanced Applied Geophysics (4 credits, Spring).
ESCI 895, 896: Independent Study (variable credit, Fall, Spring, Summer)
ESCI 846: Analytical Geochemistry (4 credits, Fall).
ESCI 847: Aqueous Geochemistry (4 credits, Spring).
ESCI 864/EOS 864: Data Analysis in Earth System Science (4 credits).
ESCI 952: Advanced Chemical Oceanography (3 or 4 credits, Spring).
EOS 813: Biogeochemical Dynamics (3 credits).
EOS 815: Atmospheric and Precipitation Chemistry (3 credits, Fall).
EOS 901: Seminar (1 credit, fall, spring, may be repeated for credit).
EOS 854/OE 854: Ocean Waves and Tides (4 credits).
EOS 860: Introductory Dynamic Oceanography (3 credits).
EOS 901: Seminar (1 credit, fall, spring, may be repeated for credit).
ESCI 958: Dynamical Oceanography (3 credits).
ESCI 959: Data Analysis Methods in Ocean and Earth Sciences (3 credits).
EOS 955: Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics (3 credits).
OE 810: Ocean Measurements Laboratory (4 credits).
ME 807: Analytical Fluid Dynamics (4 credits).
MATH 846: Foundations of Applied Mathematics (3 credits, Fall).
MATH 845: Foundations of Applied Mathematics (3 credits, Spring).
EOS 824: Introduction to Ocean Remote Sensing (3 credits).
EOS 895: Systems Approach to Biological Ocean Topics (variable credit)
Students and faculty are engaged in a large variety of research projects ranging from sediments of the intertidal zone to satellite studies of global distributions of plankton . The accompanying faculty booklet presents brief accounts of faculty research interests and activities. The department has a wide range of modern research instrumentation and excellent computer facilities. The R/V Gulf Challenger, a fifty-foot, twin-screw, aluminum research vessel built in 1993 is available for student and faculty use. Durham, where the university is located, is situated where the Oyster River enters Great Bay, one of the most important estuaries on the Gulf of Maine. Only ten miles away are the Atlantic beaches and Portsmouth, a deep water harbor.
Prospective students are urged to contact the graduate program director (Robert Griffin) or individual professors to learn more about activities, opportunities and financial aid (teaching assistantships, research assistantships, scholarships) at the University of New Hampshire. Additional information may be obtained:
By e-mail: rob.griffin@unh.edu
By telephone: 603-862-2021
By snail-mail:Department of Earth Sciences
56 College Road, 121 James Hall
Durham, NH 03824-3589
Faculty with Oceanography interests:
Francis S. Birch, geophysics, geological oceanography (fsb@cisunix.unh.edu).
Joel E. Johnson, marine geology, sedimentology (joel.johnson@unh.edu).
Larry Mayer, hydrography, marine geology (larry.mayer@unh.edu)
Larry G. Ward, sedimentology, coastal processes. (larry.ward@unh.edu).
Karen L. Von Damm, marine geochemistry (kvd@eos.sr.unh.edu ).
Janet W. Campbell, satellite oceanography (janet.campbell@unh.edu).
James M. Pringle, physical oceanography, (jpringle@cisunix.unh.edu