Earth Sciences

The Earth Sciences encompass a broad set of disciplines that are often themselves interdisciplinary in nature and the various emphases within this degree can position the transfer student on a path toward specializations in Earth (Geologic), Atmospheric, Biologic or Environmental Science. Earth History includes the geologic, biologic, oceanographic and atmospheric history of the Earth drawing upon aspects of chemistry and physics to formulate an understanding of our planet through time. Major aspects of the Atmospheric Sciences emphasis focus on dynamic interactions of the atmosphere with Earth’s surface, especially the influence of the oceans on weather and climate, the oceans being the single most important earthly influence on our atmosphere. As a planet, the dynamic interaction of Earth’s subsystems—the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere—define the biosphere itself, the final subsystem within the Earth System emphasis, though the biosphere has as much an impact upon the other subsystems as they have on life, something that the Earth System emphasis illustrates. Examples of emphasis application in the degree include conservation sciences, environmental law and policy, general, systems ecology and marine ecology, watershed studies, evolution, archeology/anthropology, physical/environmental geography, general and environmental geology, meteorology, climate sciences, natural resource management, science education and much more.

Program learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this degree, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the interrelated aspects of our natural world through feedback loops across subsystems such as hydrosphere-atmosphere, atmosphere-biosphere, hydrosphere-atmosphere-biosphere connections or any of the planet's subsystems.
2. Explain life's connection to the abiotic world through the inclusion of evolution/natural selection and concepts in ecology/environmental quality and relate the dependence of life and the diversity of life to the abiotic world.
3. Use the intersection of the hydrosphere, atmosphere and geosphere to define how they support the biosphere noting habitat qualities reliant on each within that intersection.
4. Understand physical process that shape Earth's surface and the influence this has upon various aspects of the Earth system, including the anthrosphere.
5. Identify natural negative feedback loops in the Earth system and how one might be interrupted, or reversed to become a positive feedback loops, while including impacts to the global ecosystem.

NHIS 5+5L Natural History of the Neotropics (3) + Natural History of the Neotropics Laboratory (1) OR NHIS 15+65 Natural History of California (3) + Natural History of the Redwood Coast (1) OR AGNR 60+61 Environmental Science (3) + Environmental Science Laboratory (1) OR