New courses in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Scienceshttp://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/index.htm2008-09-04MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduen-USContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmThe interactive Earth system: biology in geologic, environmental and climate change throughout Earth history. Since life began it has continually shaped and re-shaped the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and the solid earth. Subject introduces the concept of "life as a geological agent" and examines the interaction between biology and the earth system during the roughly 4 billion years since life first appeared. Topics include the origin of the solar system and the early Earth atmosphere; the origin and evolution of life and its influence on climate up through and including the modern age and the problem of global warming; the global carbon cycle; and Astrobiology.http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-007Spring-2007/CourseHome/index.htmSummons, Roger2008-07-23T04:29:54-04:0012.007en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesEcology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Otherphylogenic treesorigin of lifecarbon datingantiquity of lifepaleoclimatemass extinctionsproterozoicmesozoicSnowball earthclimate changeisotopic analysis: climateevolutionSolar System formationgeobiochemistrycarbon cycleBig BangMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmBasic principles of planet atmospheres and interiors applied to the study of extrasolar planets (exoplanets). Focus on fundamental physical processes related to observable exoplanet properties. Quantitative overview of detection techniques. Introduction to the feasibility of the search for Earth-like planets, biosignatures and habitable conditions on exoplanets. http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-425Fall-2007/CourseHome/index.htmSeager, Sara2008-06-09T12:38:19-04:0012.425en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesPlanetary Astronomy and Sciencehabitable planetsgravitational lensingastrometryplanet albedostransiting planetsplanet interiorsplanet atmospheresextrasolar planetsMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmThis course introduces impact craters of the Earth. There are now 170 identified impact craters on the Earth, and this number is growing, ever since the well known discovery of Meteor Crater in 1920s. Currently, multi/inter disciplinary research studies of impact structures are getting conducted in fields like mineralogy, petrology, environmental geology and marine biology. This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-091January--IAP--2008/CourseHome/index.htmPillalamarri, Ila2008-06-12T03:59:13-04:0012.091en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesGeological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Otherenvironmental geochemistryINAAX-ray diffractionICPMSArgon datingterrestrial impact structuresterrestrial impact crateringMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmThis course begins with a study of the role of dynamics in the general physics of the atmosphere, the consideration of the differences between modeling and approximation, and the observed large-scale phenomenology of the atmosphere. Only then are the basic equations derived in rigorous manner. The equations are then applied to important problems and methodologies in meteorology and climate, with discussions of the history of the topics where appropriate. Problems include the Hadley circulation and its role in the general circulation, atmospheric waves including gravity and Rossby waves and their interaction with the mean flow, with specific applications to the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation, tides, the super-rotation of Venus' atmosphere, the generation of atmospheric turbulence, and stationary waves among other problems. The quasi-geostrophic approximation is derived, and the resulting equations are used to examine the hydrodynamic stability of the circulation with applications ranging from convective adjustment to climate. http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-810Spring-2008/CourseHome/index.htmLindzen, Richard2008-06-12T02:03:52-04:0012.810en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesAtmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Generalatmospheric turbulencestationary wavesRossby wavesatmospheric wavesgeneral circulationHadley circulationclimatemeteorologyatmosphereMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmThis course begins by introducing students to aspects of fluid dynamics relevant to transport and deposition of particulate sedimentary materials. Emphasis is on the structure of turbulent shear flows and the forces exerted by fluid motions on bed of loosed sediment. With fluid dynamics as background, the course deals with sediment movement as bed load and suspended load, and with the geometry, kinematics, and dynamics of ripple and dune bed forms. The course concludes with basic material on the styles of current-generated primary sedimentary structures, with emphasis on cross stratification.http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-090Fall-2006/CourseHome/index.htmSouthard, John2008-05-22T01:34:37-04:0012.090en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesSoil Chemistry and Physicsplanar laminationcross stratificationEolian duneswind ripplescombined-flowoscillatory-flowshear stressstresslaminar flowboundary layersturbulencediffusionviscositysedimentary structuressediment transportfluid motionsMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmFocuses on element distribution in rocks and minerals using data obtained from natural and experimental systems. Emphasizes models describing trace-element partitioning and applications of trace-element geochemistry to problems in igneous geology.http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-479Fall-2006/CourseHome/index.htmFrey, Frederick2008-04-03T06:03:14-04:0012.479en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesGeochemistry and Petrologysimple melt-solid systemspartition coefficientmeltmineraligneous rockstrace element geochemistryMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htmAn introduction to chemical oceanography. Reservoir models and residence time. Major ion composition of seawater. Inputs to and outputs from the ocean via rivers, the atmosphere, and the sea floor. Biogeochemical cycling within the oceanic water column and sediments, emphasizing the roles played by the formation, transport, and alteration of oceanic particles and the effects that these processes have on seawater composition. Cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur. Uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide by the ocean. Material presented through lectures and student-led presentation and discussion of recent papers.http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Earth--Atmospheric--and-Planetary-Sciences/12-742Fall-2006/CourseHome/index.htmDoney, Scott Toole, DierdreTivey, MegCasciotti, KarenMartin, William2008-03-28T01:11:37-04:0012.742en-USEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesWater, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Managementsediment chemistrycarbon dioxidesulfurphosphorusnitrogenoxygencarbonocean particle transportseawater compositionocean particleswater column processesbiogeochemical cyclingchemical oceanographyMIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.eduContent within individual OCW courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. MIT OpenCourseWare materials are licensed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). For further information see http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htm