ESCI - Environmental Sciences

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ESCI 30 Biological Principles of Environmental Sciences

Introduction to biology and ecology for environmental sciences, focusing on the role of biological organisms within the Earth system. Topics span molecular/organismal interactions, such as photosynthesis and respiration, to global biogeochemical cycles including the role of microbes, net community production, and contaminant distributions.

Credits

5

General Education Code

PE-E

ESCI 100A Fundamentals of Environmental Sciences

Introduces fundamental concepts for quantitative analysis of environmental problems and their application to complex systems focusing on algebraic tools. Key concepts include box models, mass and energy balances (including chemical processes), turning word problems into mathematical statements, and estimation. (Formerly offered as Introduction to Environmental Sciences.)

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 11A or MATH 19A, CHEM 3B or CHEM 4B or CHEM 1A, and PHYS 6A or PHYS 5A. Enrollment is restricted to environmental sciences majors.

ESCI 100B Fundamentals of Environmental Processes

Quantitative exploration of physical and chemical processes relevant to the environment and their applications to complex environmental systems. Focuses on calculus-based tools. Key concepts include fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, particle mechanics, turbulence, and physicochemical processes. (Formerly offered as Introduction to Environmental Processes.)

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): ESCI 100A, and MATH 11B or MATH 19B, and CHEM 3C or CHEM 4B or CHEM 1C, and PHYS 6B or PHYS 5B. Enrollment is restricted to declared environmental sciences majors.

ESCI 122 Air Pollution

Introduces students to the chemistry and physics of air pollution with primary emphasis on understanding the main types of air pollutants, from where they originate, how they are removed, how to control their sources, measurement techniques, and their health effects.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): ESCI 100A or EART 110A.

ESCI 150 Field and Laboratory Methods in Coastal and Aquatic Science

Students become familiar with some of the core measurement and sampling techniques routinely employed by working aquatic scientists. In keeping with the multi-disciplinary nature of aquatic science, these techniques and measurements include those taken from biology, geology, chemistry and physics. The overarching goal of is having students become deeply familiar with a field site and observing it over an extended period of time while working collaboratively to accomplish all the measurements. The field component of the work is conducted at UCSC's Younger Lagoon Research Reserve, located adjacent to the Long Marine Lab on the coastal campus. Taught in conjunction with OCEA 250; students cannot receive credit for this course and OCEA 250.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 3C, CHEM 4B, or CHEM 1C, and PHYS 5B or PHYS 6B, and MATH 11B or MATH 19B, and ESCI 30 or BIOE 20C.

General Education Code

PR-E

ESCI 160 Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences

Introduces data-analysis methods regularly encountered within environmental sciences. Students learn how to think about data, its uncertainty, how models and data are related and depend on underlying assumptions, and how to synthesize information contained in data.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 11B or MATH 19B or equivalent. Enrollment is restricted to declared environmental sciences majors.

General Education Code

SR

ESCI 167 Applied Environmental Time Series Analysis

Explores empirical approach to quantify and explain changes in the Earth system over time. With the complexity of the Earth system, and the challenge of making accurate and numerous observations, simple methods can be of limited usefulness. Course covers more advanced methods that are typically not included in introductory-level statistical courses. Students learn how to analyze time-series data and answer questions about the Earth system and acquire the theoretical basis of the statistical approaches, the experience at conducting analyses, and practice interpreting and discussing the results. This class is hands-on and utilizes a suite of observational datasets and outputs from Earth system models. Students cannot receive credit for this course and OCEA 267.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): ESCI 160, EART 125, or OCEA 260/EART 260.

ESCI 191 Capstone Seminar

In-depth exploration of a topic within the environmental sciences. Involves at least one research paper. Topics vary quarterly; consult the current course listings. Prerequisite(s): Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements; ESCI 100A and previous or concurrent enrollment in ESCI 100B. Enrollment is restricted to senior environmental sciences majors. Enrollment is by application with selection based on appropriate background and academic performance and by consent of the instructor. Satisfies the senior comprehensive requirement.

Credits

5

ESCI 195 Senior Thesis

Students complete their senior thesis research projects and submit their thesis in the form of a research paper that is appropriate for submission to a relevant journal or conference. Prerequisite(s): Entry Level Writing and Composition requirement. Enrollment is restricted to environmental sciences majors.Satisfies the senior comprehensive requirement. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5