Syllabus

Course Description:

Principles of Earth and Environmental Systems is a two semester sequence which uses a systems approach to investigate and understand the relationships between the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Principles of Earth and Environmental Systems I deals with the origin of the universe, solar system and planet earth, the solid earth and processes at the earth’s surface, geological hazards, coastal processes, deep sea sediments and the climate record, and contamination of water and soil.

Communication:

For all class-related e-mails I will use your UMass Lowell Student e-mail account. Such e-mails may include, but are not limited to, change in homework assignments and due dates, changes in exam dates, changes in class schedule, etc. It is your responsibility to monitor your UMass Lowell Student e-mail account on a regular basis. “I didn’t know because I don’t ever look at my student account” is NOT an acceptable excuse for not knowing about important changes in the course.

General Course Information:

Attendance is mandatory for all exams. Except in the case of personal illness or a death in the immediate family, both of which must be substantiated, the student MUST seek prior approval from the instructor for an exam absence. Ski trips, hunting, extended weekends, two exams on the same day, etc. are NOT legitimate excuses for missing an exam. Any special pleading must be done before the exam, not after. Any un-excused absence will result in a grade of zero for the exam which is missed.

A number of question/problem sets will be assigned. These will be collected and will constitute a portion of your grade. Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, question/problem sets are to be turned in the class period that corresponds to the Due Date on the Course Schedule. Similar questions/problems can be expected on exams. The laboratory is not a co-requisite for the course, but students are encouraged to take the laboratory because it enriches the learning experience. If you are a major in any of the programs in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences you MUST take the laboratory.

Academic Integrity: The student's attention is called to the definitions and regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism. The instructor shall assign a grade of zero to any portion of an exam on which he determines cheating has occurred. Likewise a grade of zero will be assigned to any portion of a laboratory exercise or homework problem that has been plagiarized.

Cell phones and other mobile devices cannot be used during class time. If you do use a device during class time it is subject to confiscation.

Specific Course Goals:

At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to show that they have realized the following course goals:

• An understanding of the inter-relationship between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere and a basic understanding of steady-state processes and cycles
• An understanding of the origin of the universe and the solar system
• An understanding of plate tectonics (the dynamic Earth) and the role that plate tectonics plays in shaping the Earth, its surface, and the distribution and evolution of biological organisms
• The origin, characterization, and effects of earthquakes on the Earth’s surface and built environments
• A basic understanding of the structure of minerals, the basic building blocks of the Earth
• An understanding of the rock cycle and the interplay between igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary processes
• An understanding of coastal processes
• An understanding of volcanic hazards and the mitigation of these hazards
• An understanding of the hydrologic cycle and human impacts on this cycle (including climate change)
• An understanding of past and present climatic conditions (glacial geology)
• An understanding of deep ocean sedimentation and paleoclimatology
• An understanding of mass movements and the mitigation of mass movements
• An understanding of the origin of Earth resources (energy, metals, nonmetals) both from a geological and an economic perspective

Course Topics:

The Earth System

The Universe, Stars, and Planets:

     Observing the universe

     Origin of the universe and stars

     Origin of the solar system   

     Origin of the planetary atmospheres

Planet Earth:

     The dynamic earth – plate tectonics

     Earthquakes

     Earth materials – minerals and rocks

     The rock cycle

     Weathering of rock material

     Sedimentary rocks, stratigraphy and geologic time

     Metamorphism

     Igneous rocks

     Volcanic hazards

     The Earth’s evolving crust

     Surface and groundwater

     Coastal processes

     Glaciers

     Deep ocean sediments and paleoclimatology

     Mass movement and wind

     Earth Resources and Energy

Textbook:

Skinner and Murck (2011) The Blue Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science, 3rd Edition. John Wiley & Sons.

Grading Policy:

Your grade will be determined as follows:

    Two Hour Exams @ 22.5% each = 45%

    Homework Assignments = 20%

    Final Exam = 35%

Your grade is solely determined on the basis of the above evaluations. There is no opportunity to do "extra work" in order to improve your grade.

The Hour Exams are scheduled for October 6 and November 15. The Hour Exams will not be cumulative but the Final Exam will be inclusive.

My grading rubric is as follows:

Contacting the Instructor:

The instructor's Office Hours are W 1:00 PM, Th 2:00 PM, and Th 300 PM. The instructor's office is OLN 302b (or OLN 201). Additional hours are available by appointment. If you have problems, or want to make an appointment, you can reach me either by telephone, 978-934-3907 (I have voice mail) or better yet by e-mail, Nelson_Eby@uml.edu. I log on to my e-mail account when I come in each day and thus will get your message first thing in the morning.