Course Offerings

Earth Science 6750

Paleoclimatology 

This is a graduate-level course but undergraduate students can take the class with permission from the instructor.

This course introduces students to the field of paleoclimatology, focusing on understanding natural climate variations and reconstructing past climates using proxy records from ice, lake, and marine cores. It addresses the impact of climate change on human societies and explores sources of climate variability, including volcanic activity, greenhouse gases, and oceanic changes.

The course covers methods of dating climate records, sources of climate change, and records from ice cores, marine and lake sediments, and tree rings. Key areas of study include the role of greenhouse gases, volcanic activity, and solar variability in climate change.

Class Time and Location: 

Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00–10:50 AM

Room 177, Scott Hall, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, West Campus.

This course fulfills a 4-credit course in the Origins & Evolution Theme of the New General Education (GEN) curriculum, and for students on the Legacy GE (GEL) this course is a GE Natural Science: Physical Science 4-credit course

Please contact Dr. Lonnie Thompson at thompson.3@osu.edu or Dr. Emilie Beaudon at beaudon.1@osu.edu  with questions.

Earth Science 8850

Seminar in Glaciology and Geomorphology

This is a graduate level course.

How Rock, Ice and Water Shaped Ohio

Think Ohio’s landscape is boring? This course will change how you see your surroundings. We
will explore the imprints of flowing ice and rushing water at some of Ohio’s classic glacial geology
sites, including Black Hand and Clifton Gorges, the ravines of Highbanks, and the sculpted
bedrock of Kelley’s Island and the Marblehead Peninsula. The course will be of interest to a wide
range of Earth scientists, including those interested in Earth history, surface dynamics, hydrology
and climate change. We’ll also have the opportunity to use GPS and remote sensing for mapping
features. Most importantly, it’s a great way to spend sunny afternoons this fall!

Class Time and Location: 

Afternoons.

Field trips will be most Monday afternoons through mid-November, plus one weekend overnight
(camping) and one full-day trip. Students will research and present on topics of their choice during
the field trips, as well as conduct a “mini” project.

Credit options: 3 Credit, Graded Graduate Seminar.

Please contact Prof. Ian Howat at howat.4@osu.edu with questions.

EARTHSC 8871

Pursuing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Earth Sciences

This is a graduate level course.

Learn your implicit biases and practice strategies to mitigate them, research a scientist you want to collaborate with in an underrepresented group, map your mentor network and learn how mentoring improves diversity and inclusion in STEM and write and practice a land acknowledgement statement for presentations.

Optional (+1 credit): pursue independent research on a topic in diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM or STEM-related environmental    justice 

Class Time and Location: 

Monday and Wednesday 1:00-1:55PM  Hagerty Hall 071) 

Credit options: 2-lecture only, 3-independent research on a topic in diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM or STEM-related environmental justice

Contact: Professors Liz Griffith (griffith.906) or Audrey Sawyer (sawyer.143)

ENR 5261

Environmental Soil Physics

This course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students.

The course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationships in basic soil physics and its applications to environment quality and sustainable use of natural resources. The syllabus meets the curriculum needs of students in Soil Science, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources, Agricultural Engineering, Horticulture and Crop Sciences, Forestry, Geology, Climatology, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Biology and others.

Instructors: Dr. Rattan Lal (lal.1@osu.edu) and Dr. N. Trivedi from the Department of Physics (Trivedi.15@osu.edu)

No Prerequisite. Grades are decided on the basis of homework and lab reports. There are no exams.

Class Time and Location: 

LECTURE: MW 10:20-11:15AM Kottman Hall 245

LAB: TH 12:45-2:45PM Kottman Hall 452

Contact Dr. Rattan Lal or Dr. N. Triveda with questions.

Micro 6155

Topics in Microbiome Science

This graduate, literature-based course will cover ecology and evolution of microbes* - essential concepts, methods, and ongoing ‘unknowns’ in the field. (*our “microbial” focus is prokaryotes + viruses with eukaryotes only briefly touched upon). The following overarching scientific themes will be covered:

Microbial ecology: What are patterns and drivers of microbial communities? How do we grapple with scale, statistical power, time series analyses, and multi-disciplinary data integration? What defines human, oceans, soil, engineered microbiomes?

Microbial evolution: How is selection examined in microbes, and what is known about microbial evolutionary rates and processes? How are lineages traced, and their relationships examined?

Microbial evolution in an ecological context: How can the above concepts be applied in unified systems frameworks, such as for understanding symbioses, co-evolution of viruses and microbes, microbial metabolic hand-offs and their evolution, or disease?

Instructors: Profs. Virginia Rich (Co-Director of EMERGE Biology Integration Institute) and Matthew Sullivan (Founding Director of OSU’s Center of Microbiome Science)

Class Time and Location: Fridays 9:30am-12:15pm, Location TBD

Contact Dr. Virginia Rich or Dr. Matthew Sullivan with questions.

GEOG 5194 

Lecture: Group Studies in Geography

Drought is a complex climate hazard at the intersection of the atmospheric and terrestrial components of the hydrologic cycle. Precipitation deficits and subsequent drought conditions can occur in any climate type and during any season. Drought poses a significant risk for society because it results in agricultural losses, reduced water resources, negative economic impacts, and human health concerns. To compound this risk, drought impacts tend to persist longer than other natural climate hazards. This course will provide students with an introduction to drought and highlight key research questions in hydroclimatology. This course will introduce different types of droughts and their definitions, examine the physical processes that lead to drought, and explore methods of monitoring drought. Students will be introduced to critical research questions within the drought community through in-class discussions, practical applications of hydroclimatic data, and a final research paper.

Class Time and Location: Mondays and Wednesdays 11:10 AM – 12:30 PM Derby Hall 1116

Instructor: Dr. Zack Leasor (leasor.4@osu.edu)

3 Credit Hours: Elective for Atmospheric Sciences, GEOG-BS (Physical Geography and Spatial Analysis) and GEOG-BA (Environment and Society) Majors

Contact Dr. Leasor with questions regarding GEOG 5194.

PUBHEHS 6325

Lecture: CLimate change and human health

Some people may be skeptical about global warming. However, there seems no doubt that the global climate has been changing. The environmental and climate change challenges the world is facing have never been greater or more complex. Recent US events and disasters indicate that domestic and global actions are needed even we may face stronger political headwinds in the years ahead.  Global climate change may have considerable direct and indirect impacts on human health. These impacts could include excessive heat-related illnesses, vector- and waterborne diseases, increased exposure to environmental toxicants, and exacerbation of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to declining air quality. This course will be based on scientific facts, focusing on both natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities, with emphasis on associations between disease initiation and progression in humans. It will also serve as a platform for the students to participate in discussion and debate on these issues.

Class Time and Location: 100% distance learning

Credits: 3 credit hours

Contact Qinghua Sun with questions regarding PUBHEHS 4325.

EARTHSC 5650

Lecture: Glaciology

A lot of ice is predicted for this winter ..... 
in EarthSc 5650 Glaciology!

Here's some of the questions we'll tackle: Why does it snow? Where and why do glaciers form?
What makes ice flow? How does ice impact the landscape? How have ice sheets responded to climate in the past and how will they change in the future?

While the focus is on glaciers, the course will be useful for anyone wanting some experience with remote sensing, data analysis and basic numerical modeling.

And yes, there will be lots of pretty pictures of glaciers.

Class period is Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:10AM-12:30PM in Hayes Hall 005  (Remote optional).

Contact Ian Howat with questions regarding EarthSc 5650.

GEOG 8901

Seminar: Problems in Climatology

Climatology seminar (GEOG 8901). Graduate students will help to select the topic. It will focus on one or more current issues in climatology and the topics could include: floods and droughts in a changing climate, land-atmosphere interactions, urban climates, climate and health, seasonal climate forecasting, or contemporary research and debates in climatology. This class will be taught using a mixture of lecture and discussion (seminar style). Each topic will be introduced through a lecture given by the instructor that will cover core concepts and relevant theories. This introduction will be followed by student-led discussions of relevant peer-reviewed papers. The research project will provide students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge that they have gained over the semester to focus on a topic of their choosing. It is expected that students will have a basic understanding of climatology prior to taking this class.

Contact Dr. Quiring for more information.