Understanding Earth’s climate system and predicting future climatic change requires both the study of the climatic processes that operate within the Earth system as well as detailed studies of climate changes in the past. Direct human observations of climate have captured only a very small fraction of the potential range of Earth’s climatic variability. In contrast, the geologic record provides a rich archive of past variations in climate. In this course, we will explore the processes that control Earth’s climate, investigate and interpret the geologic record of past climatic changes, and examine methods used to reconstruct past climates. Prerequisites: GEOL 115, 130 or 205 or written permission of the instructor. Preference given to Geology Majors, Minors and Environmental Science Minors.

Instructor: Professor Lawrence

Contact hours: 3 lecture, 3 lab

Sample Syllabus