Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Professors: Blechman, Ebert (Chair); Assistant Professors: Brunstad, Castendyk, Ellis, Fall, Godek, Growdon, Hasbargen

Objectives

The Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department has designed its undergraduate offerings to provide 1) preparation for students who are interested in careers in one of the earth and atmospheric science areas, so that they may compete effectively on the graduate and professional levels with students from other undergraduate departments nationwide; 2) terminal degree programs for students interested in the area as a liberal arts major, but not as a career; and 3) a wide variety of service courses for non-science majors who may be interested in selected topics or portions of the disciplines.

Degrees

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Majors

Earth Science

Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences

(Students interested in majoring in Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences should refer to the Environmental Sciences section.)

Geology

Meteorology (B.S. only)

Water Resources

Adolescence Education Earth Science

(Students interested in majoring in Adolescence Education Earth Science should refer to the Education section.)

Minors

Earth Science

Geology

Meteorology

Water Resources

Requirements for the Major

Earth Science: a broad program that includes seven required courses distributed in the areas of Earth Science, Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Astronomy for a total of 23 s.h. plus selections of three additional courses from these areas, for a total of 32 s.h. of credit in the major. It also requires one year each of introductory chemistry and physics, an introductory statistics course, one additional selection in mathematics, and one selection in biology, chemistry, physics, or environmental science. This major is commonly taken as a dual major with Adolescence Education Earth Science.

Geology: 44-47 s.h. of earth science courses including an introductory course, earth history, geological data and analysis, paleontology, structural geology, mineralogy, petrology, sedimentary geology, hydrology, and geomorphology. A selection of one additional geology electives for 3-4 s.h. must be taken. A capstone experience is also required. Related work requirements are one year of math, chemistry, and physics. There is a 6-7 s.h. research or field experience capstone.

Meteorology: 37 s.h. of meteorology courses, including introductory meteorology, climatology, physical meteorology, mesoscalemeteorology, atmospheric dynamics, remote sensing of the atmosphere, and weather analysis and forecasting. Related work includes 15 s.h. of mathemetics, 8 s.h. of physics, 4 s.h. of chemistry, an introductory geology course, and introduction to hydrology or oceanography.

Water Resources: 40-41 s.h. to include 34 s.h. in geology (an introductory geology course, Earth history, geologic data and analysis, environmental, introduction to meteorology, introduction to hydrology, geomorphology, fluvial geology, geochemistry of natural waters, watershed management, applied hydrology, groundwater modeling). Select two of the following: limnology, waste management, engineering geology, sedimentary geology, geophysics. Related work includes two courses each in math and physics, and three courses in chemistry. In addition to those trips involved with specific courses, all majors are required to take a one-day hydrology field trip during their junior or senior years.

Requirements for the Minors

Earth Science: 12 s.h. including an introductory geology course, introduction to meteorology, introduction to oceanography, introductory astronomy, plus 6-7 s.h. of electives selected from at least two fields, general oceanography, our solar system, stars and galaxies, climatology, environmental geology, petrology, Earth history, geologic data and analysis, mineralogy, hydrology.

Geology: 7 s.h. including an introductory geology course, and earth history, plus 11-14 s.h. of electives selected from environmental geology, petrology, geologic data and analysis, engineering geology, mineralogy, paleontology, structural geology, sedimentary geology, geomorphology.

Meteorology: 6 s.h. namely introduction to meteorology and introduction to climatology, plus 12 s.h. of electives selected from lightning and thunderstorms, the atmospheric environment, physical meteorology, atmospheric dynamics, introduction to oceanography, general oceanography, introduction to hydrology, C programming, FORTRAN programming, environmental chemistry, environment and man, pollution in our world.

Water Resources: 12 s.h. including an introductory geology course, introduction to hydrology, watershed management, applied hydrology, plus 6 s.h. of electives not in student’s major selected from general oceanography, introduction to meteorology, environmental geology, geomorphology, waste management, environmental chemistry, environmental health chemistry, geochemistry of natural waters, groundwater modeling.

Supplemental Information

The Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department is housed in a 65,000 square foot building shared with Biology. The department has exclusive use of five laboratories, three classrooms, and two student computer clusters. Holdings include maps, aerial photos, minerals, rocks, fossils, and weather data.

Geological equipment includes an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, Raman spectrophotometer, petrographic microscopes, hydrologic laboratory and field equipment, geophysical instruments, electromagnetic induction instrument, gravimeter, ground penetrating radar (GPR), surveying equipment, total station, differential GPS, hand-held GPS units, as well as standard thin-section equipment.

Meteorological equipment includes a rooftop weather station that relays weather data to the meteorology laboratory and a computer room for observations, forecasts, and satellite pictures of national and worldwide cloud patterns. A new broadcast studio/lab for televised weather forecasts, a spin tank for modeling global atmospheric circulation and a unique "skylab" augment traditional instruction.