Unit 10: Coupled Economic and Environmental Models part of Modeling Earth Systems
Louisa Bradtmiller, Macalester College
How do people treat commonly held resources? Ecologist Garrett Hardin suggested that, in the absence of any restrictions or incentives, rational people will tend to drastically overuse any common resource. In this ...

Unit 1: Use of Lead in the Environment and Health Impacts on Human Populations part of Lead in the Environment
Katrina Korfmacher (University of Rochester), Richard Gragg (Florida A&M University), Martha Richmond (Suffolk University), and Caryl Waggett (Allegheny College)
In Unit 1, students engage in discussion of the historical use and resulting distribution of lead throughout the human environment. Activity 1.1 introduces the systems dynamics linking geology, human use, and human ...

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 4.2 - Carbon Budgets part of Critical Zone Science
Jim Washburne, The University of Arizona
The purpose of this unit is to explore, compare, contrast, and interpret carbon fluxes from the Ameriflux network to better appreciate the critical factors that account for the different timing and magnitudes of ...

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 3.1 - 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 6.2 - Biogeochemical Examples part of Critical Zone Science
Adam Hoffman, University of Dubuque
In this week-long unit students will explore Critical Zone function and dynamics as they relate to nutrient cycling in agricultural systems and nutrient pollution into aquatic systems. This unit is generally ...

Unit 5.2 - Water Balance Impacts part of Critical Zone Science
Martha Conklin, University of California-Merced
This is the second module of a two week-long unit on hydrology in an upper-level undergraduate course on the Critical Zone. After Unit 5.1, students should have a basic understanding of the fluxes and reservoirs in ...

Unit 7.1 - Model My Watershed part of Critical Zone Science
Susan Gill, Stroud Water Research Center; Jim Washburne, The University of Arizona
Humans are agents of change in the Critical Zone. This unit focuses on the land/water connection and on how human-induced land use change affects local hydrology. Students will apply what they learned in the ...

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 ...