Rapid changes during the 19th and 20th centuries in polar environments has sparked global concern regarding sea level rise, landscape changes, ecosystem degradation, and national security. This course is designed to introduce lower-division, non-major undergraduate students to the physical, biological, and societal importance of polar environments. The course will cover all components of the cryosphere on Earth – glaciers, ice in the ocean, permafrost, and snow. The Arctic and Antarctic are central to understanding past, present, and future climate variations, global sea level rise, biodiversity, marine resources, as well as a host of polar-related cultural and societal issues. The course is transdisciplinary spanning the fields of biology, ecology, climate sciences, glaciology, physics, oceanography, geoengineering, politics, and social sciences.
Course Code
EVSC 2850
Credits
3
Department
Lauren Miller
Assistant Professor