| Earth Sciences |
ESCI 400 - Freshman Field Seminar
Credits:
1.00
A field introduction for new or prospective majors to New
Hampshire's mountains, rivers, estuaries, and beaches.
Field excursions (approximately five) are scheduled on
Friday afternoons. Cr/F.
ESCI 401 - Principles of Geology
Credits:
4.00
The Earth, earth materials (rocks and minerals),
landforms, and the processes that form them (volcanism,
earthquakes, glaciation, etc.). Field trips. Special fee.
Lab. Students may not receive credit for both ESCI 401 and
ESCI 409.
ESCI 402 - Earth History
Credits:
4.00
Introduces basic geological principles. Uses case studies
to illustrate scientific methods used in reconstructing
Earth's evolution through time. Topics include the origin
of the Earth, the Cambrian explosion of life, building of
the Appalachians, assembly of Pangaea, the rise and fall of
dinosaurs, the formation of the Rocky Mountains, mammalian
evolution, Pleistocene glaciation, and human origins.
Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 405 - Global Environmental Change
Credits:
4.00
Human activity rivals nature as an agent of change in the
global environment. Explores evidence of environmental
degradation in Earth's crust, hydrosphere, and atmosphere;
considers prospects for future sustainable human health,
diversity, and economic development. Problem solving
through critical analysis of environmental variables.
Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 409 - Environmental Geology
Credits:
4.00
Environmental impact of geologic processes; natural
hazards, landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding,
erosion, and sedimentation; land exploitation and site
investigations; environmental considerations of
water-supply problems; the recovery of energy and mineral
resources. Special fee. Lab. Students may not receive
credit for both ESCI 401 and ESCI 409.
ESCI 420 - Our Solar System
Credits:
4.00
Exploration of the solar system with emphasis on the
physical and chemical processes relevant to planetary
formation and evolution.
ESCI 450A - Introduction to Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00
ESCI 450B - Introduction to Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00
ESCI 450C - Introduction to Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00
ESCI 450D - Introduction to Earth Sciences
Credits:
1.00
ESCI 501 - Introduction to Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes
in the sea. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 512 - Principles of Mineralogy
Credits:
4.00
Natural history of the solid state; introductory
crystallography, diffraction, and structure of minerals.
Silicate minerals; their chemical and physical properties,
origins, occurrences, and uses. Nonsilicates. Prereq: CHEM
401, 403, or 405. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 514 - Introduction to Climate
Credits:
3.00
The climate as a system controlled by the fluid, chemical,
geological, and biological dynamics of the earth.
Investigation of natural and man-made climate change over
the period of 100 to 100 million years, including the
greenhouse effects, tectonic climate forcing, astronomic
(Milankovich) cycles, deep ocean circulation, and
biological feedback. How past climate is measured. Prereq:
one introductory course in Earth Sciences or permission.
ESCI 530 - Field Methods
Credits:
4.00
Standard geological field-mapping techniques, including
pace and compass and plane table and alidade; bedrock and
surficial mapping on topographic and aerial photographic
bases in local areas; one 3- to 4-day exercise in a
selected area of the Northern Appalachian Mountains.
Prereq: ESCI 401 or 409; 402. Special fee. Writing intensive
ESCI 534 - Techniques in Environmental Sciences
Credits:
2.00
Elementary mapping and monitoring methods. Map
interpretation, preparation of maps; survey techniques
including pace and compass, leveling, and global
positioning systems; environmental monitoring. Field lab.
Cannot receive credit if taken after receiving credit for
ESCI 530 or NR 542. Special fee.
ESCI 561 - Surficial Processes
Credits:
4.00
Processes leading to the development of landforms,
chemical and mechanical weathering of earth-surface
materials and erosion and transport in colluvial, fluvial,
glacial, and coastal systems. Field trips. Prereq: ESCI 401
or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 595 - Introductory Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Special topics by means of lectures, conferences, assigned
readings, and/or field or laboratory work in the areas of
geology, hydrology, or oceanography.
ESCI 596 - Introductory Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
See description for ESCI 595.
ESCI 614 - Optical Mineralogy and Petrography
Credits:
4.00
Description and classification of igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic rocks in hand specimen and thin section;
optical mineralogy. Prereq: ESCI 512. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 631 - Structural Geology
Credits:
4.00
Structural units of the Earth's crust and mechanics of
their formation. Prereq: ESCI 530. Special fee. Lab and
fieldwork.
ESCI 652 - Paleontology
Credits:
4.00
Use of the fossil record to address current problems in
Earth history, paleoecology, and evolutionary biology.
Examples are drawn from both vertebrates and invertebrates.
Lab combines analytical paleontological methods with a
systematic survey of important fossil groups. Prereq: ESCI
402 or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI #653 - Estuaries and Coasts
Credits:
4.00
Examines physical and biological aspects of estuaries and
coasts with special regard to sediment transport. Includes
field trips and cruises to the coastal environments of New
Hampshire and Maine, with follow-up laboratory analyses. A
student project involving field sampling and oceanographic
equipment design, fabrication, and testing is required.
Prereq: ESCI 501;/or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 654 - Fate and Transport in the Environment
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the basic processes controlling the migration
and transformation of chemicals in surface water,
groundwater, and the atmosphere; basic models of advection,
dispersion, retardation, and attenuation. Prereq: CHEM 404,
MATH 426.
ESCI 658 - Principles of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Dynamics
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the basic elements of kinematics and dynamics,
relevant to processes important in earth, ocean, and
atmospheric sciences. Reviews particle dynamics and
introduces continuum mechanics of the solid earth,
hydrologic, and environmental fluid systems. Includes
biweekly laboratories and homework problem recitation
sessions. Prereq: MATH 426, PHYS 407.
ESCI 703 - Fluvial Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Mechanics of natural open-channel flows: forces, the
continuity and energy principles, velocity distributions,
flow resistance, fluvial erosion and sediment transport,
channel form, computation of flow profiles, weirs,
hydraulic jumps, and stream-flow routing. Lab and field
exercises. Prereq: one year each of calculus and physics.
Special fee.
ESCI 705 - Principles of Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Basic physical principles important in the land phase of
the hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, snowmelt,
infiltration and soil physics, evapotransportation, and
surface and subsurface flow to streams. Problems of
measurement and aspects of statistical treatment of
hydrologic data. Field trips. Prereq: MATH 425 (or MATH
424) and PHYS 402. Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
ESCI 710 - Groundwater Hydrology
Credits:
4.00
Principles for fluid flow in porous media with emphasis on
occurrence, location, and development of groundwater but
with consideration of groundwater as a transporting medium.
Major topics include well hydraulics, regional groundwater
flow, exploration techniques, and chemical quality.
Laboratory exercises involve use of fluid, electrical, and
digital computer models to illustrate key concepts. Prereq:
ESCI 705 or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 715 - Global Atmospheric Chemistry
Credits:
3.00
Introduction to the principles of atmospheric chemistry
and their relationship to biogeochemical cycles, climate,
and global change. Focus is on understanding the basic
physical and chemical processes that determine the trace
gas distribution in the global troposphere. An introduction
to atmospheric vertical structure and global circulation
dynamics provides the foundation. Then chemical cycles of
important C, S, N molecules are examined, including their
possible perturbation by human activities. Basic
photochemical processes are outlined, particularly with
respect to reactive nitrogen, hydrocarbons, and the
production/destruction of ozone. Prereq: one year chemistry.
ESCI 716 - Atmospheric Aerosol and Precipitation Chemistry
Credits:
3.00
Describes and examines the processes determining the
chemical and physical characteristics of atmospheric
aerosol particles and precipitation. Important foci include
the role of aerosol particles in the long-range transport
and deposition of geochemical materials, optical properties
of these particles and their impact on the global radiative
balance, cloud mircophysical processes relevant to both
radiative effects and precipitation scavenging, and
heterogeneous reactions at the solid-liquid, solid-gas, and
liquid-gas interfaces in the atmosphere. Major segments of
the course are devoted to the removal of gases and
particles from the atmosphere by wet and dry deposition
processes. Focuses on processes active in the troposphere,
but important differences between the troposphere and
stratosphere, radiative effects of stratospheric aerosol
particles, and exchange between the troposphere and
stratosphere are addressed. Prereq: one year college
chemistry or permission.
ESCI 717 - Macro-scale Hydrology I
Credits:
4.00
Focus on the numerous roles of water in the Earth system.
Topics include the global water cycle, impacts of the
greenhouse effect and other anthropogenic disturbances,
hydrologic modeling, soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer
schemes, water quality, GIS and water-related remote
sensing tools, global freshwater resources. Course is
organized around formal lectures, in-class discussion,
student presentations, class projects. Prereq: ESCI 705 or
permission. (Offered alternate years.)
ESCI 718 - Macro-Scale Hydrology II
Credits:
4.00
A continuation of ESCI 717. Students and instructor
jointly select a research topic in macro-scale hydrology
to be analyzed in-depth during the course of the semester.
A primary goal is the preparation of a manuscript for
publication in a refereed scientific journal. Extensive
library research, reading of recent and relevant scientific
literature, technical analysis and writing. Prereq: ESCI
717. (Offered alternate years.)
ESCI 725 - Igneous Petrology
Credits:
4.00
The evolution of igneous rocks as determined from field,
petrographic, chemical, experimental, and theoretical
studies. Application of thermodynamics to igneous
petrogenesis. Physical properties of magmas. Prereq:
mineralogy; petrography; adequate background in calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
(Offered in alternate years with ESCI 726.) Writing intensiv
ESCI 726 - Metamorphic Petrology
Credits:
4.00
The metamorphism of pelitic, mafic, and calc silicate
rocks as determined from field, petrographic, mineral
chemistry, experimental, and theoretical studies. Closed-
and open-system reactions, multisystems, reaction space.
Calculation of pressure-temperature time paths. Prereq:
mineralogy; petrography; adequate background in calculus,
chemistry, and physics. Field trips. Special fee. Lab.
(Offered in alternate years with ESCI 725.) Writing intensiv
ESCI 732 - Regional Geology and Advanced Structure
Credits:
4.00
Readings, discussion, and field/lab exercises in the
tectonic analysis of mountain systems. Emphasis on the
northern Appalachian Orogen. Application of modern
structural analysis. Field excursion. Prereq: ESCI 631 or
permission. Special fee.
ESCI 734 - Applied Geophysics
Credits:
4.00
Gravity, magnetic, seismic, and electrical methods of
investigating subsurface geology. Fieldwork and use of
computers in data analysis. Prereq: ESCI 401; one year of
calculus; one year of college physics;/or permission.
Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
ESCI 741 - Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Thermodynamics applied to geological processes;
geochemical differentiation of the earth; the principles
and processes that control the distribution and migration
of elements in geological environments; stable and
radiogenic isotopes in geologic processes. Prereq: ESCI 512
or permission. Writing intensive.
ESCI 745 - Isotope Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Discussion of element abundance and isotope formation;
radioactive decay as applied to geologic systems, detailed
investigation of K-Ar, Rb-Sr, U-Pb, and Sm-Nd systems, and
geologic-oceanographic applications of stable isotopes. Lab
involves mass spectrometric and chemical techniques of
isotopic analysis. Course includes the completion of a
laboratory project. Prereq: ESCI 741;/or permission.
Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 746 - Analytical Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Theory, instrumentation, and applications of analytical
methods in geochemistry. Prereq: one year of chemistry or
geochemistry;/or permission. Special fee. Lab.
ESCI 747 - Aqueous Geochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Processes that determine the geochemical characteristics
of water bodies. Emphasis on the geochemical continuum of
terrestrial water and its geochemical evolution. Topics
include the influence of cyclic salts, the nature of
weathering reactions, the CO2-CaCo3 system, the formation
and dissolution of salts and authigenic mineral
formulation. Prereq: one year of chemistry or
geochemistry;/or permission. Lab.
ESCI 750 - Biological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Biological processes of the oceans, including primary and
secondary production, trophodynamics, plankton diversity,
zooplankton ecology, ecosystems and global ocean dynamics.
Field trips on R/V Gulf Challenger and to the Jackson
Estuarine Laboratory. Prereq: one year of biology or
permission of the instructor. (Also offered as ZOOL 750.)
Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ESCI 752 - Chemical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
Water structure, chemical composition and equilibrium
models, gas exchange, biological effects on chemistry,
trace metals, and analytical methods. Prereq: permission.
Optional 1 credit lab (see ESCI 752L).
ESCI 752L - Chemical Oceanography Lab
Credits:
1.00
Optional lab for ESCI 752. Includes short cruise aboard
R/V Gulf Challenger. Special fee.
Co-requisites:
ESCI 752
ESCI 754 - Sedimentary Rocks and Stratigraphy
Credits:
4.00
Examines observational and interpretative techniques to
evaluate sedimentary rocks in their stratigraphic context.
The relationship between time, space, and deposition is
assessed using a problem-solving approach based on real
geological examples. Topics such as facies analysis,
stratigraphic correlation, and basin analysis provide the
framework to interpret the stratigraphic record of earth
history. Prereq: ESCI 614 or permission. Special fee. Lab
and field trip.
ESCI 758 - Introductory Physical Oceanography
Credits:
3.00
Descriptive treatment of atmosphere-ocean interaction;
general wind-driven and thermo-haline ocean circulation;
waves and tides; continental shelf and nearshore processes;
instrumentation and methods used in ocean research.
Simplified conceptual models demonstrate the important
principles. Prereq: college physics; ESCI 501;/or permission
ESCI 759 - Geological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Major geological features and processes of the ocean
floor; geological and geophysical methods; plate
tectonics. Prereq: two semesters each of calculus, physics,
and geology;/or permission. Lab. Writing intensive.
ESCI 762 - Glacial Geology
Credits:
4.00
Survey of glacial processes and glacier dynamics with
emphasis on understanding the physics of glaciers, glacial
geologic processes, and interpretation of glacial deposits
and landscapes. The course includes discussion of the role
of glaciers and ice sheets in the Earth's climate system,
analysis of glaciological and glacial-geologic data, short
field exercises, and one mandatory field trip that explores
the glacial landscapes of New England. Prereq: ESCI 561 or
permission. Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
ESCI 764 - Introductory Paleoclimate Analysis
Credits:
4.00
An overview of paleoclimate indicators for the last one
million years in the context of global teleconnections
(atmosphere-lithosphere-hydrosphere-cryosphere) and
mathematical tools developed to interpret and link the
different records of climate change. Prereq: one year
calculus, one year chemistry, basic statistics;/or permissio
ESCI 765 - Paleoclimatology
Credits:
3.00
Review of past changes in Earth's climate system with
emphasis on the nature and causes of climate variability
during the Quaternary period (the last ~1.8 million years,
a time interval dominated by cycles of global glaciation).
Includes evidence for climate change, techniques used to
reconstruct paleoclimate records, and proposed mechanisms
of global climate change. Course incorporates discussion of
recent scientific papers from the primary literature.
Writing intensive.
ESCI 770 - Introduction to Ocean Mapping
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the principles and practice of hydrography and
ocean mapping. Methods for the measurement and definition
of the configuration of the bottoms and adjacent land areas
of oceans, lakes, rivers, estuaries, harbors and other
water areas, and the tides or water levels and currents
that occur in those bodies of water. Prereq: PHYS 407-408.
(Also listed as OE 770.) Lab.
ESCI 771 - Geodesy and Positioning for Ocean Mapping
Credits:
3.00
The science and technology of acquiring, managing, and
displaying geographically-referenced information; the size
and shape of the earth, datums and projections;
determination of precise positioning of points on the earth
and the sea, including classical terrestrial-based methods
and satellite-based methods; shoreline mapping, nautical
charting and electronic charts. Prereq: MATH 426, PHYS 408.
(Also listed as OE 771.)
ESCI 795 - Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Geologic, hydrologic, and oceanographic problems and
independent studies by means of conferences, assigned
readings, and field or laboratory work fitted by ESCI
faculty to individual student needs; or new or specialized
courses. Topics include geochemistry; geomorphology;
geophysics; glaciology; groundwater; structural and
regional geology; crystallography; mineralogy; petrology;
thermodynamics; ore deposits; earth resource policy;
paleontology; sedimentation; stratigraphy; water resources
management; chemical, physical, and geological
oceanography; earth systems. Also, senior synthesis and
earth science teaching methods.
ESCI 796 - Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
See description for ESCI 795.
ESCI 797 - Colloquium
Credits:
Presentation of recent research in the earth sciences by
guest speakers and department faculty. May be taken four
times. Cr/F.
ESCI 799 - Senior Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Students work under the direction of a faculty sponsor to
plan and carry out independent research resulting in an
oral presentation and a written thesis. Two-semester
sequence; IA (continuous course) grade given at end of
first semester. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 credits.
Cr/F.