Earth and Environmental Sciences
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers courses in climate study, earth science, oceanography, geology, chemical geology, atmospheric science, plate tectonics, and dinosaurs and paleontology.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Please note: Some courses are held at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, NY.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Courses
Course Number
EESC1001W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 13:10-14:25We 13:10-14:25Mo 16:10-19:00Section/Call Number
001/11574Enrollment
40 of 40Instructor
Paul OlsenPrerequisites: Prerequisites: Enrollment limited. Students must also sign up for the corresponding lab course, EESC BC1011 to receive credit. Note BC1001 is not required for an environmental policy major. This class examines the basic principles of environmental science using current local and global environmental news as case studies. Issues covered are climate change, invasive species, water resources, sustainability, etc. A major goal is for students to understand the science behind environmental issues. Readings from the scientific literature, various newspaper articles, magazines and an online textbook are carefully coordinated with the topics. Because of our location, the lab curriculum features studies of the Hudson River and its forested shorelines. The lab is closely paired with the lecture and features hands-on and inquiry-based lab and field studies of statistics, data presentation, writing in the format of a scientific paper, data collection (on land and on the Hudson River), water chemistry, microbiology, microscopic and macroscopic life in the river, birds and plants in Riverside Park, biodiversity on a green roof, local geology, topographical maps, compass use, and museum studies. Students must also register for one of the eight lab sections EESCX1011. Students must take both lecture and lab.
Course Number
EESC1001X001Format
In-PersonPoints
5 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 10:10-11:25Th 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/00632Enrollment
100 of 112Instructor
Terryanne Maenza-GmelchCourse Number
EESC1011X001Format
In-PersonPoints
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 13:10-16:00Section/Call Number
001/00633Enrollment
14 of 16Instructor
Terryanne Maenza-GmelchCourse Number
EESC1011X002Points
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 13:10-16:00Section/Call Number
002/00634Enrollment
14 of 16Instructor
Terryanne Maenza-GmelchCourse Number
EESC1011X003Points
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 10:00-12:50Section/Call Number
003/00635Enrollment
16 of 16Instructor
Sedelia RodriguezCourse Number
EESC1011X004Points
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 13:10-16:10Section/Call Number
004/00636Enrollment
16 of 16Instructor
Sedelia RodriguezCourse Number
EESC1011X005Points
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 13:10-16:00Section/Call Number
005/00637Enrollment
14 of 16Instructor
Terryanne Maenza-GmelchCourse Number
EESC1011X006Points
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Fr 10:00-12:50Section/Call Number
006/00638Enrollment
16 of 16Instructor
Sedelia RodriguezCourse Number
EESC1011X007Points
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Fr 13:10-16:00Section/Call Number
007/00639Enrollment
12 of 16Instructor
Sedelia RodriguezExplore the geology of the sea floor, understand what drives ocean currents and how ocean ecosystems operate. Case studies and discussions centered on ocean-related issues facing society.
Course Number
EESC1030V001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11575Enrollment
134 of 160Instructor
Baerbel HoenischExplore the geology of the sea floor, understand what drives ocean currents and how ocean ecosystems operate. Case studies and discussions centered on ocean-related issues facing society.
Course Number
EESC1030VAU1Format
In-PersonPoints
0 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
AU1/18581Enrollment
0 of 1Instructor
Baerbel HoenischCourse Number
EESC1401W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 13:10-14:25We 13:10-14:25Section/Call Number
001/11576Enrollment
49 of 100Instructor
Paul OlsenStudents entering college usually have had little exposure to Environmental Science with few High Schools teaching an Environmental Science Class and even fewer an AP Environmental Science Class. For this reason, many students do not know that Environmental Science exists as a major nor what it means to major in Environmental Science and related fields. The goal of this class is to introduce students to Environmental Science along with the related fields of Sustainability and Environmental Justice. This introduction to Environmental Science and Sustainability will occur through a mix of talks, classic and recent journal articles, and guest speakers. Students will have weekly readings which over the course of the semester will cover a wide swath of topics. The instructors along with guest speakers who are experts in their field, will come and talk to students about their work as well as their journey through their career. The class will be discussion-driven with students expected to contribute every week. There will be a reading to prepare for class each week. Students will post responses to the readings before coming to class in order to be prepared for discussions. In addition, students will be expected to lead discussions and participate in activities during the semester. The class is limited to students participating in the Environmental Science Pathways Scholars Program.
Students will:
- be exposed to a wide swath or Environmental Science Literature
- be exposed to topics in Environmental Justice
- begin to hone skills characteristic of an Environmental Scientist
- become better prepared for Barnard and an Environmental Major
Course Number
EESC1599X001Points
1 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 16:00-17:00Section/Call Number
001/00755Enrollment
0 of 8Instructor
Brian MaillouxLogan BrennerCourse Number
EESC1600W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 13:10-14:25Th 13:10-14:25Section/Call Number
001/11577Enrollment
116 of 200Instructor
Peter KelemenCourse Number
EESC2100W001Format
In-PersonPoints
5 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Tu 16:10-19:00Section/Call Number
001/11578Enrollment
50 of 50Instructor
Galen McKinleySuzana De CamargoRecommended preparation: high school chemistry and physics; and one semester of college science. Exploration of how the solid Earth works, today and in the past, focusing on Earth in the Solar system, continents and oceans, the Earth's history, mountain systems on land and sea, minerals and rocks, weathering and erosion, glaciers and ice sheets, the hydrological cycle and rivers, geochronology, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, energy resources. Laboratory exploration of topics through examination of rock samples, experimentation, computer data analysis, field exercises, and modeling. Columbia and Barnard majors should plan to take W2200 before their senior year to avoid conflicts with the Senior Seminar.
Course Number
EESC2200W001Format
In-PersonPoints
5 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 13:10-14:25Th 13:10-14:25Th 16:10-19:00Section/Call Number
001/11579Enrollment
50 of 50Instructor
Jonathan KingslakeJohn MutterThe course provides students with the natural science basis to appreciate co-dependencies of natural and human systems, which are central to understanding sustainable development. After completing the course, students should be able to incorporate scientific approaches into their research or policy decisions and be able to use scientific methods of data analysis. The semester will highlight the climate system and solutions from both physical and ecological perspectives; water resources; food production and the cycling of nutrients; and the role of biodiversity in sustainable development. The course emphasizes key scientific concepts such as uncertainty, experimental versus observational approaches, prediction and predictability, the use of models and other essential methodological aspects.
Course Number
EESC2330W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 14:40-15:55Th 14:40-15:55Section/Call Number
001/11580Enrollment
119 of 120Instructor
John MutterJenna LawrenceCourse Number
EESC3017X001Points
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 14:10-16:00Th 14:10-16:00Section/Call Number
001/00640Enrollment
0 of 15Instructor
Mike HeCourse Number
EESC3050X001Points
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 08:40-09:55We 08:40-09:55Section/Call Number
001/00641Enrollment
3 of 20Instructor
Brian MaillouxCourse Number
EESC3050X002Points
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-11:25We 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
002/00642Enrollment
2 of 20Instructor
Brian MaillouxCourse Number
EESC3101W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11581Enrollment
26 of 35Instructor
Terry PlankCourse Number
EESC3300X001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 12:10-14:00We 12:10-14:00Section/Call Number
001/00703Enrollment
16 of 16Instructor
Logan BrennerCourse Number
EESC3800X001Points
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/00643Enrollment
42 of 50Instructor
Martin StuteLogan BrennerGuided, independent, in-depth research culminating in the senior thesis in the spring. Includes discussion about scientific presentations and posters, data analysis, library research methods and scientific writing. Students review work in progress and share results through oral reports. Weekly seminar to review work in progress and share results through oral and written reports.
Course Number
EESC3901W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/11582Enrollment
4 of 50Instructor
Jacqueline AustermannSidney HemmingCourse Number
EESC4008W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 16:10-18:40Section/Call Number
001/11583Enrollment
24 of 30Instructor
Lorenzo PolvaniPrerequisites: Course Cap 20 students. Priority given to graduate students in the natural sciences and engineering. Advanced level undergraduates may be admitted with the instructors permission. Calculus I and Physics I & II are required for undergraduates who wish to take this course. General introduction to fundamentals of remote sensing; electromagnetic radiation, sensors, interpretation, quantitative image analysis and modeling. Example applications in the Earth and environmental sciences are explored through the analysis of remote sensing imagery in a state-or-the-art visualization laboratory.
Course Number
EESC4050W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 17:40-18:55Fr 09:00-10:45Section/Call Number
001/11584Enrollment
0 of 20Instructor
Christopher SmallPrerequisites: introductory geology or the equivalent, elementary college physics and chemistry, or the instructors permission. Minerals come in dazzling colors, amazing shapes and with interesting optical effects. But mineralogy is also an essential tool for the understanding of Earth evolution. Minerals represent fundamental building blocks of the Earth system and planetary bodies. Minerals form through geological and biological processes such as igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary from high to low temperatures, from the deep interior to the Earth’s surface and related to volcanism, tectonics, weathering, climate and life. Minerals are one of our most important sources of information on such processes through Earth’s history. Minerals also represent important natural resources and are fundamental to the global economy and modern technology as we know it. The goal of this class is to (1) understand the physical and chemical properties of minerals, (2) learn techniques of mineral identification with an emphasis on optical mineralogy, (3) understand the relationship between minerals and the broader geological context.
Course Number
EESC4113W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 08:40-09:55Th 08:40-09:55Tu 14:40-16:40Section/Call Number
001/11586Enrollment
11 of 12Instructor
Yves MoussallamPrerequisites: Introductory geology and one year of calculus. Recommended preparation: One semester of college physics. Introduction to the fundamental concepts of structure and deformation processes in the Earth's crust. Fundamental theories of stress and strain, rock behavior in both brittle and ductile fields, large-scale crustal contractional and extensional structures with focus on their geometries and mechanics of formation. Introduction to the principles of earthquake mechanics with emphasis on physical processes. Laboratory sessions (part of the lecture) will cover techniques of structural analysis, recognition and interpretation of structures on geologic maps, and construction of interpretive cross sections.
Course Number
EESC4230W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/12996Enrollment
5 of 15Instructor
Folarin KolawoleUnderstanding the fundamental processes driving our Climate System is more important than ever. In this course, I will give an overview of the archives in which evidence of terrestrial paleoclimate is preserved, the approaches to developing and applying proxies of climate from these archives, approaches for constraining the time represented by the information, and interpretations that have been developed from such archives. Important archives to be included are ice cores, caves, wetlands, lakes, trees, and moraines. The time interval covered will be mostly the last few tens of thousands of years, and chronometers based on radiocarbon, U-series and cosmogenic nuclide dating will be presented. A particular emphasis will be put on natural climate processes and interactions that are relevant for the ongoing climate crisis and potential solutions. The course will consist of formal lectures that alternate with recitation and discussing examples and problem solving.
Course Number
EESC4330W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11587Enrollment
10 of 35Instructor
Jorg SchaeferCourse Number
EESC4600W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 13:10-14:25Th 13:10-14:25Section/Call Number
001/11588Enrollment
16 of 30Instructor
Peter KelemenPrerequisites: For graduate students, basic background in chemistry, physics and earth science. For undergraduates, basic background in chemistry and physics, plus EESC UN2200 Solid Earth and EESC UN3101 Geochemistry for a Habitable Planet, or permission from the instructor.
An introduction to the processes that drive the universe, the formation of our solar system, and the history and evolution of our planet. Topics include stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis (origin of the elements), principles of radioactive decay and geochronology, composition of the solar system and the Earth, evolution of the mantle and crust, and using isotopes to trace to geological processes.
Course Number
EESC4887W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 13:10-14:25Th 13:10-14:25Section/Call Number
001/11589Enrollment
9 of 25Instructor
Steven GoldsteinCourse Number
EESC4923W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 13:10-14:25Th 13:10-14:25Section/Call Number
001/11590Enrollment
14 of 30Instructor
Andrew JuhlCourse Number
EESC4925W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 08:40-09:55Th 08:40-09:55Section/Call Number
001/11591Enrollment
8 of 25Instructor
Andreas ThurnherrCourse Number
EESC4949W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
001/11592Enrollment
4 of 40Instructor
Felix WaldhauserCourse Number
EESC6001G001Format
In-PersonPoints
1 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Fr 15:30-16:30Section/Call Number
001/12238Enrollment
15 of 80Instructor
Kaleigh MatthewsCourse Number
EESC6003G001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
001/14906Enrollment
1 of 5Instructor
Kaleigh MatthewsCourse Number
EESC6901G001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/15139Enrollment
1 of 30Prerequisites: calculus. Recommended preparation: linear algebra, statistics, computer programming. Introduction to the fundamentals of quantitative data analysis in Earth and environmental sciences. Topics: review of relevant probability, statistics and linear algebra; linear models and generalized least squares; Fourier analysis and introduction to spectral analysis; filtering time series (convolution,deconvolution,smoothing); factor analysis and empirical orthogonal functions; covariance and correlation; methods of interpolation; statistical significance and hypothesis testing; introduction to Monte Carlo methods for data analysis. Problem sets and term project require use of MATLAB or Python.
Course Number
EESC6908G001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-11:25We 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/11593Enrollment
5 of 40Instructor
William MenkeThis course provides a basic quantitative introduction to (electromagnetic) radiation in the climate system, focusing on the atmosphere. We will establish the language used to describe radiation and describe how sources of radiation are related to temperature and to the physical properties and chemical composition of the atmosphere. We’ll learn how radiation emitted by the earth and atmosphere is transported between elements of the climate system and the rest of the universe, combining this with information about how the optical properties vary with wavelength to understand phenomena as varied as the cooling rate of the atmosphere, how “radiative forcing” arises from compositional changes and how this varies in space, and why the amount of rain increases more slowly than the amount of water in the atmosphere. We’ll then consider light from the sun, which arrives as a collimated beam that’s diffused in the atmosphere. We’ll consider methods for computing the fate of incoming sunlight and explore how this depends on the distribution of the gasses, aerosols, and clouds that make up the atmosphere.
Course Number
EESC6922G001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 14:40-15:55Th 14:40-15:55Section/Call Number
001/18135Enrollment
1 of 20Instructor
Robert PincusCourse Number
EESC8884G001Format
In-PersonPoints
2 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 16:00-17:50Section/Call Number
001/18515Enrollment
0 of 20Instructor
Albrecht HofmannCourse Number
EESC9001G001Format
In-PersonPoints
12 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
001/17109Enrollment
0 of 90Instructor
Kaleigh MatthewsCourse Number
EESC9802G001Format
In-PersonPoints
2 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
001/18296Enrollment
0 of 20Instructor
Albrecht HofmannClimate change, racial injustice, and inequities are deeply intertwined. Colonialism, slavery, and the genocide of indigenous peoples are directly linked to natural resource exploitation, environmental degradation, and global warming. Our seminar aims to focus on placing race, gender, and class at the center of discussions of the environment, climate, and equity. Our goal is to create an academic space which enables collaborative dialogue, action, and insight for systemic change towards racial equity and understanding within a climate and environment context.
Course Number
EESC9810G001Format
In-PersonPoints
2 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 11:40-12:55Th 11:40-12:55Section/Call Number
001/18416Enrollment
0 of 30Instructor
Hadeel AssaliSeismology Seminar: Topics in Global and Regional Seismology , Earth structure at global and regional scales; earthquake source analysis; seismotectonics; current topics in the geophysical literature.
Course Number
EESC9945G001Format
In-PersonPoints
1 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 13:30-15:00Section/Call Number
001/11594Enrollment
2 of 25Instructor
Meredith NettlesGoran EkstromSpahr WebbSeismology Seminar: Topics in Global and Regional Seismology , Earth structure at global and regional scales; earthquake source analysis; seismotectonics; current topics in the geophysical literature.