ESS205H1 F LEC5101 20239:Confronting Global Chang
(Some UofT ESS445--Global Tectonics students heading up Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand)
Confronting Global Change
The emergence of society as a major geological force is considered in terms of the evolving debate
about the consequences of human activity for the habitability of our planet. Major issues such as climate
change, environmental pollution, and depletion of natural resources are examined. The course content
include three primary modules:
A The Active Earth
1. Introduction to the Earth system (Sept. 7)
• interior of the Earth−→lithosphere, crust, mantle, core
2. Geologic time (Sept. 14)
• the major events in Earth’s history
3. Geodynamics (Sept. 21)
• the tectonically active lithosphere, thermal engine, and magnetic core
4. Test One (Sept. 28)
B The Changing Earth and Us
5. Hazards! (Oct. 5)
• earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes
6. Earth Resources (Oct. 12)
• what do we take from the solid Earth?
Assignment One: Poster/Podcast (Due: Oct. 15)
7. Engineering the Earth (Oct. 19)
• soil, mass wasting, landslides
8. Test Two (Oct. 26)
C Are We Changing the Earth?
9. Climate Change (Nov. 2)
• earthquakes, volcanism
10. Rising Sea Level (Nov. 16)
• melting glaciers, sea-level rise, shape of the Earth
11. The Anthropocene (Nov. 23)
• earthquakes, volcanism
12. Review and summary (Nov. 30)
• human-planet connections
Assignment Two: Written article (Due: Dec. 6)
Final Exam during December Exam Period
Course Format and Grading Scheme
We will meet for class on Thursdays from 6-8 pm. There will be two assignments and two tests given
during the term (details will be given on these in the first week of class), in addition to the final exam
during the formal December Exam Period.
The grading scheme will be as follows:
Assignment One 10%
Assignment Two 15%
Test One 15%
Test Two 20%
Final Exam 40%
The course will use Quercus for administration. Check there for marks, handouts, etc.
Course learning outcomes
At the end of this course students will be able to:
1. define the Earth system and its components
2. explain key concepts in Earth science (e.g., plate tectonics, climate change, Anthropocene)
and how they can impact humans
3. connect scientific thought to issues of climate change, sea-level change and other
human-induced changes to the Earth system
4. understand changes to the solid Earth over geologic and human timescales
5. read scientific graphs
6. produce a logically written piece to explain a specific topic to peers
Resources
Instead of a required textbook, readings will be taken from the internet and from selected journals. I will
direct you to these sources as they come up during the course. If you’re interested in having a reference
textbook, there are many introductory Earth Science text books that are excellent and would be useful
for supplementing material covered during the course (and available from the various libraries here). For
example: Physical Geology and the Environment by Plummer, McGeary, Carlson, Eyles and Eyles;
Environmental Geology by Montgomery; The Blue Planet, An Introduction to Earth System Science by
Skinner and Murck; and Canada Rocks by Eyles and Miall. How to Build a Habitable Planet by Broecker
is a very interesting book that reads almost as a novel, rather than a text book.
Instructor
Russ Pysklywec (Pes-klev-its)
Room 3124 Earth Sciences Centre
tel: (416) 978-4852 (I never get to phone messages...better to e-mail)
e-mail:
[email protected] (Please include ESS205 in the subject line of your messages)
Office hours: Thursdays 16:30-17:30 in person and online and Tuesdays 11 am-noon
(online only):
• for in-person office hour come to my office, room ES3124
• for the online office hours, link at: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/89094596381 (Meeting
ID: 890 9459 6381; Passcode: earth)
