A Brief History of the Earth
E-PSCI 10
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
This is an introduction to Earth and planetary science for EPS concentrators and an overview, for those outside the field, of the critical events and processes that have shaped the Earth’s evolution and its place in the Solar System. The course is designed to highlight the processes, from the scale of microbes to that of tectonic plates, that drive the Earth’s response to internal and external perturbations, and we will explore both the timescale of those perturbations and the limits of the Earth’s resilience. By considering the full sweep of geologic time, from the Earth’s formation to our modern world, the course will take advantage of a series of natural experiments to compare the Earth system during periods with and without atmospheric oxygen, animals, land plants, and polar ice sheets, and to compare it, on occasion, with other terrestrial planets.
Course Notes
This course includes a mandatory lab component. There will be one field trip as part of this course, a one-day, local, in-person field trip.
Class Notes
Section times will be determined after enrollment.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
NOTE: This course requires additional sections; you will be prompted to choose secondary components during the Add to Cart process
