California State University Long Beach

GEOL 300i; Earth Systems and Global Change
Lecture 1

Dr. Rick Behl

GEOL 300I Class Requirements

Careful reading of all assigned articles

• Generally ~20-30 pages / week
• Read before or during the assigned week
• Be prepared to discuss and write short essays in class

Three exams: two midterms and one final examination (15% of grade each; 45% total)

• Mixture of short answer and short essay questions
• Will cover the preceding 1/3 of the semester  

Ten in-class essays (1% of grade each; 10% total)

• Unscheduled
• 10-15 minutes time
• Pertinent to class discussion or readings
• Designed to give ongoing practice and feedback on writing
• Designed to keep you current in understanding concepts

Two original papers (15% of grade each; 30% total)

• Well researched
• Typewritten or computer-printed
• Double-spaced
• Carefully edited and spell-checked
• ~3-4 pages in length
• Due the 5th and 10th weeks of the semester
• Topics relevant to the preceding 1/3 of the semester

Capstone project (15% of grade)

• Paper, web site, or other approved type of presentation
• Semester-long project with advise and consent of instructor
• Personalized and integrative investigation of aspect of Earth Systems/Global Change
• Connected to your major, life experiences, or goals

Earth Systems Science

• New integration of previously separate realms of study and knowledge
• Geology
• Oceanography
• Meteorology
• Biology/ecology
• Geography
• Anthropology/Political Science
• The Earth System is composed of subsystems
• Lithosphere (or Geosphere)
• Hydrosphere
• Atmosphere
• Biosphere
• Cryosphere
• Exosphere
• Anthrosphere

Course will progress from the fundamental structure and processes of each subsystem (or "sphere") to the interaction and interdependence of systems

Systematic perspective

• Exchange of energy (mostly heat and latent heat) and matter (C, P, etc.) between systems
• Traced by fractionation of elements or isotopes

• Feedback mechanisms
• Positive feedback
• E.g., Polar ice sheets and albedo

• Negative feedback
• E.g., Tectonic uplift and erosion rates
• Increased warming and increased cloudiness?

Types of Variations

• Cycles
• Periodic or rhythmic cycles
• Aperiodic or irregular cycles

• Short-lived events
• Transient perturbation
• Storms, lightning, impact, eruptions, earthquakes

• Secular steps
• Origin of photosynthesis, development of free oxygen, expansion of life onto land, mass extinctions, etc.

Time scales of cyclic and noncyclic change

• History of the Earth
• 4.6 billion years

• Tectonic (Wilson) cycles
• 100's of millions of years

• Orbitally-driven (Milankovich) cycles
• 10's to 100's of thousands of years

• Oceanic cycles
• 1000's of years

• Solar and meteoric cycles
• 10's to 100's of years

• El Nino to seasonal cycles
• <1 to several years

• Diurnal cycles or shorter
• ~ 24 hours

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written by R. Behl.
Last changes: 1 Sept 2003