ERTH 40:  The Biosphere – Life on earth and its relationship to the environment     
Fall Quarter '06    MWF 1-1:50 p.m., WLH 2111

Instructor: Kathy Barbeau (SIO, Office: 1232 Sverdrup Hall; 822-4339, kbarbeau@ucsd.edu)

Weekly problem session/discussion: 2:00 – 2:50 pm, Mondays in WLH 2111
Semi-weekly problem session: 3-3:50 pm, Mondays in WLH 2111
Office hours by appointment at SIO

Grades will be based on: Homework assignments (30%), Mid-Term Exam (30%) and Final Exam (40%)

see Syllabus

Lectures will eventually be available on UCSD electronic reserves here
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Lectures
They will be posted here as they become available:

Sept 22nd F - Introduction: Introduction to our biosphere  
Sept 25th M - Basics: Elements and elemental transformations
Sept 27th W - Life’s Beginnings: Planetary Evolution
Sept 29th F - Life’s Beginnings: Biological Evolution           
Oct 2nd M - Life’s Beginnings: How the planet changed with life - part I
Oct 4th W - Life’s Beginnings: How the planet changed with life - part II
Oct 6th F - Atmosphere: Structure, composition, radiation balance
Oct 9th M - Lithosphere: Rock cycle, erosion               
Oct 11th W - Hydrosphere: Water properties, hydrological structure            
Oct 13th F - Life on Earth: Terrestrial biosphere
Oct 16th M - Life on Earth: Maintaining the terrestrial biosphere            
Oct 18th W - Life on Earth: Marine biosphere   
Oct 20th F - Life on Earth: Maintaining the marine biosphere            
Oct 23rd M - Life on Earth: Life in extreme environments (vents, hot springs, acid mines)        
Oct 25th W - Review/Re-cap                     
                            
Oct 27th F - Mid - Term Exam Answers

note: order of lectures are slightly rearranged from original syllabus!                                      
Oct 30th M - Climate Change: Modern climate; regulation                
Nov 1st W - Climate Change: Climate history I
Nov 3rd F - Climate Change: Climate history II
Nov 6th M - Climate Change: Natural factors in climate change    
Nov 8th W - Climate Change: Humans and climate change       
Nov 10th F - HOLIDAY: VETERAN'S DAY                        
Nov 13th M - Climate Change: Consequences of climate change I     
Nov 15th W - Climate Change: Consequences of climate change II           
Nov 17th F - Climate Change: Consequences of climate change III             
Nov 20th M - Human Impacts: Eutrophication
Nov 22nd W - Human Impacts: Ozone            
Nov 24th F - HOLIDAY: (THANKSGIVING VACATION)                    
Nov 27th M - Human Impacts: Acidification
Nov 29th W - Greenhouse extinction!                 
Dec 1st F - Concluding Remarks/Review Session                

Homeworks and Answers
They will be posted here as they become available:

Homework 1 due 10/11/2006 Homework 1 answers
Homework 2 due 10/18/2006 Homework 2 answers
Homework 3 due 10/25/2006 Homework 3 answers
Homework 4 due 11/15/2006 Homework 4 answers
Homework 5 due 11/22/2006 Homework 5 answers
Homework 6 due 12/01/2006 Homework 6 answers

Supplemental Reading Material
They will be posted here as they become available:
Economist Climate Change special report
Scientific American Dead Zone article
Ozone web reading(s)
Scientific American Ocean Acidification article
Scientific American Greenhouse Extinction article