Introductory Course Recommendations

Atmospheric-science principles elucidated by case studies applied to snow sports, sailing, surfing, soaring, and flying.

Earth's origin, composition, structure, and natural resources. Global and local examples of plate tectonics as the driving force for volcanism, mountain building, and earthquakes.

Introduction to Earth's climate system: radiation balance, greenhouse effect, atmosphere and ocean circulation, plate tectonics, biosphere interactions, and the carbon cycle. Applications to understand the causes of climate change, from long-term climate evolution to modern human-induced climate change.

Introduction to causes and physical characteristics of disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, storm surge, thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides, wind waves, meteor impacts, mass extinctions.

Earth's tectonics, climate, and oceans during the time of the dinosaurs. Reading the fossil record of Earth from its earliest origins up to and including the Mesozoic, 250 - 65 million years ago.

Origin, properties, valuation, prospecting and geology of gold, platinum, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious metals and gems.