Unit 6: Hydrologic Balance and Climate Change part of Modeling Earth Systems
Kirsten Menking, Vassar College
In this unit, students create a STELLA model of the Owens River chain of lakes in eastern California and then experiment with different climate change scenarios to simulate the Pleistocene history of lake filling ...

Unit 5: Growth and Decay of Ice Sheets part of Modeling Earth Systems
David Bice, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
Large continental ice sheets, such as the Laurentide Ice Sheet from the last glaciation, as well as Antarctica and Greenland of today, are some of the most important features of the global climate system — they ...

Unit 2: Application of Concepts to Case Studies part of Major Storms and Community Resilience
Patricia Stapleton, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Lisa Doner, Plymouth State University; Lorraine Motola, Metropolitan College of New York
In Unit 2, students apply and evaluate foundational concepts about storm hazards and risk in the context of two cases studies: Superstorm Sandy (2012) and the Storm of the Century (1993). Through different ...

Unit 3.1 - Geology and Geomorphology part of Critical Zone Science
Tim White, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
The basic concepts of geology will be considered to address the widely ranging textures and compositions of rocks and sediments formed in a wide range of environments. These variations in turn can affect soil ...

Unit 1.3 - Systems Models part of Critical Zone Science
Tim White, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
The term "Earth system science" is typically used to describe the science (especially quantitative modeling) of the interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere, and biosphere---the ...

Unit 1.2 - Role of Soil part of Critical Zone Science
Tim White, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
The focus on soil in this unit is accomplished by browsing and reading or browsing (in some detail) information from nine websites as well as a book chapter. This effort will help students to understand issues ...

Unit 3.2 - Landforms and Remote Sensing part of Critical Zone Science
Tim White, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
In this unit, geomorphic environments and the processes that can move and shape them are explored to learn about the links between landforms, soils, and the Critical Zone. The fundamentals of geomorphology are ...

Unit 1: Introduction to Soils and Society part of Soils, Systems, and Society
Kathryn Baldwin, Eastern Washington University; Jennifer Dechaine, Central Washington University; Rodger Hauge, American Geophysical Union; Gary Varrella, Washington State University-Spokane
In this unit, students engage in a scaffolded class discussion designed to encourage students to move from a broad focus on science relevancy to locally important societal issues relevant to soils. They then relate ...