World Changes1960 2000

Population grew 2x (3Bil Population grew 2x (3Bil 6Bil)6Bil)$ Economies grew 5xEconomies grew 5x

Oil production up 6xOil production up 6x

Wood production up 2xWood production up 2x

2x greater difference between 20% 2x greater difference between 20% most affluent and 20% poorest nationsmost affluent and 20% poorest nations

Geosystems

An overview An overview

of the courseof the course

Systems

atmosphere

hydrosphere

“solid” earth

biota

past atmospheric & climatic changes

land area changes

sea changes

Carbon Cycle

Geosystems Technology

Stella modeling

Reflectance Spectrometer Idrisi remote sensing

Image processingCalculator/Computer ProbesArcView (GIS)Global Positioning System

Stella Modeling of Daisyworld

Stella Modeling of a Daisyworld Plague

Determination of Atmospheric Absorption Coefficient

Satellite Images

Wet = 1Dry = 0

Wet = 1Dry = 0

1988, 256 colors

1993, 256 colors

Flooded = 93-88

Sea Surface Temperatures

Current Satellite Image in Infrared Band

TS Ivan

Example of integration of sciences1. Biology of Formation

2. Geology of Discovery

3. Engineering of Extraction

4. Technology of Transport

5. Chemistry of Refining

6. Statistics of Supply/Demand

7. Economics of Pricing

8. Technology & Feasibility of Alternatives

Petroleum Petroleum StudyStudy

TJ Academic Goals

• Problem solving• Academic risk taking

Geosystems projects emphasize

Students move from unrelated facts to knowledge.

Example: A plate tectonics project where a huge data base

is available

Bottom line:

How do you substantiate your findings?

• What data are associated with a boundary?• What data are irrelevant?• What data are anomalous?

31,419 Earthquakes in 2003

Where’s the trench?

Multiple Plate Boundary Types

Ocean to Ocean?

Convergent or transform?

Relevant?

Transform Plate Boundary

Why are those intermediate depth earthquakes there?

Geosystems

An imaginative & comprehensive An imaginative & comprehensive course that continually receives course that continually receives praise from professors, praise from professors, graduates, graduates,

and students alikeand students alike

Positive UVa reviewPositive UVa review