Courses

• CAS ES 492: Directed Study in Earth Sciences
  Individual instruction and directed research of a selected topic.
• CAS ES 505: Plate Tectonics and Kinematics
  Structure and geometry of lithospheric plates and plate boundaries; mechanisms of divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries; orthogonal and oblique subduction; triple junctions; mantle plumes, nature and origin of large igneous provinces and sedimentary basin, Phanerozoic orogenic belts.
• CAS ES 514: Dynamic Landsurface Hydrology
  Land surface hydrology with emphasis on the unsaturated zone. Development and applications of physics governing transport of water, vapor, and heat in soils and the near surface atmosphere. Effects of vegetation, topography, and water table on runoff, evapotranspiration, and recharge. (Offered alternate years.)
• CAS ES 515: Transport Processes in Soils
  Focus on understanding the basic mechanisms by which gas, water, and solutes are transported in soils. Students learn how to quantify soil transport processes using mathematical models that have important applications to a wide array of environmental and hydrological problems.
• CAS ES 533: Quantitative Geomorphology
  Quantitative analyses of surface processes that lead to landform evolution and landscape change. Emphasizes study of analytical techniques in understanding specific depositional and erosional processes; models of global landscape change; tectonic and climatic geomorphology.
• CAS ES 534: Ice-Age Systems
  Paleo-evironmental analyses of global climate change during cold-Earth periods, from Pre-Cambrian Snowball Earth to the last deglacial cycle; discussion of geochemical and geophysical proxies used in climate reconstructions. Readings from primary literature; occasional field trips. (Offered alternate years.)
• CAS ES 539: Coral Reef Dynamics: Shallow Waters, Deep Time
  Tropical reefs-- diverse, complex, and ancient-- exhibit lawful cycles of growth, degradation, and regeneration. Explore these through observations on the Belize Barrier Reef in fossil reef environments and through laboratory experiments. Insights are applied to reef conservation in today's changing world. Also offered as CAS BI 539.
• CAS ES 543: Estuaries and Nearshore Systems
  Physical and ecological processes interacting in estuarine and nearshore environments, including salt marshes, beaches, lagoons, deltas, and in wave- and tide-dominated regimes. Lectures complemented by extensive field work oriented toward individual and group research projects.
• CAS ES 545: Tropical Oceanography of the Caribbean Sea
  In-depth treatment of physical, biogeochemical, geological, and biological oceanography of the Caribbean, oriented toward development of research project to be fulfilled during ES 546. BU and SEA faculty jointly teach. Taught in Woods Hole as part of BUMP Marine Semester.
• CAS ES 546: Tropical Oceanography of the Caribbean Sea: Applications and Research
  Participation on oceanographic research expedition to pursue research developed as part of ES 545. Nearshore and open ocean research in geological, chemical, physical, and biological oceanography. BU and SEA faculty jointly teach. Taught at sea on research vessel operated by Sea Education Association.
• CAS ES 557: Oceanography of Stellwagen Bank and Surrounding Waters
  Nutrient distribution and physical oceanography of Stellwagen Bank and adjacent waters. Bathymetric influences and effects of ocean currents of biogeochemical parameters. Includes day-long cruises on NOAA research vessel. Taught as part of the BU Marine Program Semester.
• CAS ES 558: Coastal Biogeochemistry
  Examines coastal energy flow and nutrient cycling in the context of human impacts. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Course is part of the Marine Semester and involves field and laboratory work. Also offered as CAS BI 558.
• CAS ES 561: Mechanics of Earthquakes
  Explores current understanding of many aspects of earthquake phenomena, including where and when earthquakes occur, how an earthquake begins, and the likelihood of reliable earthquake prediction. Multidisciplinary techniques used to study earthquakes are introduced, including geologic, geodetic, and seismological methods.
• CAS ES 571: Geochemical Modeling
  Quantitative techniques used to interpret chemical variations in earth materials. Principles of chemical equilibrium, mass transport, and kinetics applied to aqueous, igneous, and metamorphic systems. Focus on geological processes of melting, crystallization, mixing, reaction, weathering, and diagenesis. (Offered alternate years.)
• CAS ES 576: Aquatic Geochemistry
  Fundamentals of water chemistry as applied to the evolution of surface, soil, and ground waters. Emphasis is on chemical equilibrium and kinetics, pH as a master variable, carbonate chemistry, mineral solubility, aqueous complexes, ion exchange, redox, and weathering reactions.
• CAS ES 581: Solid Earth Geophysics
  Explores the methods and results of geophysical exploration into the solid earth. Topics include crustal and whole-earth seismology, the Earth's gravitational and magnetic fields, earthquake source phenomena, and structure of the planet.
• CAS ES 587: Seminar in Earth Sciences
  Discussion of current topics in earth sciences with assigned readings and lecture seminars.
• CAS ES 588: Seminar in Earth Sciences
  Discussion of current topics in earth sciences with assigned readings and lecture seminars.
• CAS FY 101: First Year Experience
  A continuation of the orientation process, FY 101 focuses on the individual student's connection to the College and the University. Through discussions, assignments, class activities and some large group activities, students engage with the academic, social and cultural dimensions of the University while examining their own development as students and individuals.
• CAS GE 100: Introduction to Environmental Science
  Introduction to basic physical, ecological, and environmental concepts underlying the relationship between human society and the natural environment. Evaluation of problems and options available in dealing with the areas of natural resources, pollution, environmental degradation, and population growth. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.

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