The purpose of this resource is to identify a region for study as a system, and to establish a list of characteristics and features useful for determining the boundaries of regional systems. Students discuss their current understanding of what Earth systems are and how they work, and consider how to identify the boundaries of a region for Earth system study. In small groups, they select a region for recommendation to the class, and they make a list of characteristics and features that can mark the boundaries of regional systems. After presentations by each group, the class chooses one region for study as an Earth system. Then they mark the boundaries of their chosen region on their Landsat image, topographic map, or other map.

Dr. Joseph Bookstein argues that the real cause of global warming is not the burning of fossil fuels but rather the needs and wants of the global human population, now over 6.6 billion. He discusses methods, feasibility, and implementation strategies for voluntary population reduction. (52 minutes)

This image from GRID-Arendal depicts the major circulation pattern of the ocean, illustrating interactions between temperature, salinity, and depth.

A substantial increase in freshwater running into the northern Atlantic Ocean could dramatically affect climate and global ocean currents. This audio segment from National Public Radio presents viewpoints from scientists studying changes in ocean circulation.

Planet Earth’s ocean covers over seventy percent of its surface, yet oceanographic research has only recently come to its full potential with the advent of new technologies. This course in Introductory Oceanography emphasizes the need to understand geologic, chemical, physical, and biologic processes or features that occur in ocean environments. It is designed to be thorough enough to prepare you for more advance work, while presenting the concepts to non-majors in a way that is meaningful and not overwhelming.

Login: guest_ocl
Password: ocl

Geology is a core science, along with physics, chemistry, and biology. It uses rigorous methods of inquiry that illuminate the history of the earth and its present-day geological activity. Geology allows us to discover how earth’s history and activity determine the state of the planet and its life forms. The study of geology also shows us how human behavior affects the earth. Topics we will cover include plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, rocks, minerals, geologic time, glaciers, rivers, geologic structures, layers of the earth, and reading maps. This course includes laboratory work and lab credit.

Login: guest_ocl
Password: ocl

Summary: Students make observations and write poetry about nature, including clouds and weather. Student Learning Outcomes: Students make observations of clouds and weather Students describe the appearance of different cloud types and weather events through poetry. Students explore different types of poetry and write poems about nature, including clouds and weather. Lesson format: Class presentation and discussion, poetry activity, cloud identification.

Clouds have a major impact on how Earth absorbs and retains heat. How cloudiness will change in response to global warming is the largest uncertainty in scientists' understanding of climate change. Join Dr. Joel Norris as he reviews what scientists know about connections between cloudiness and global warming based on observed changes in clouds over the last several decades. (53 minutes)

Polar ice sheets are sensitive indicators of current climate and also preserve evidence of past climate conditions. Scientists studying Earth's climate history core thousands of meters deep into ancient ice to retrieve gas bubbles trapped in ice sheets. Ice cores help reconstruct climatic conditions from hundreds of thousands of years ago. Join Dr. Jeff Severinghaus as he explains how gas bubbles are trapped, how they provide detailed chemical clues to the past and how they are helping to shape future climate scenarios. (45 minutes)

Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been a world leader in climate research since the 1950s, when Charles Keeling began his pioneering measurements of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Join Scripps Director Tony Haymet for an exciting overview of the diverse array of groundbreaking climate research ongoing at Scripps. Learn how Scripps's earth, ocean, and atmospheric scientists are making critical contributions to our understanding of Earth's complex climate system. (54 minutes)

Just as there are fronts in the atmosphere there are fronts in the ocean. Ocean fronts separate regions of warm and cool water, as well as salt and fresh water. and are often sites of robust biological productivity. Join Scripps Institutions' Dan Rudnick on an exploration of what observations teach us about the weather of the ocean. (39 minutes)

The rate of global sea level rise and its causes has been debated for a century.Ę Despite 100 years of scientific scrutiny, no definitive conclusion has been reached.Ę Join Dr. Walter Munk as he describes why 20th century sea level rise remains an enigma, and why scientists still grapple with whether seawater warming or continental ice melting had the greatest influence. (53 minutes)

Join climate modeling expert Guillermo Auad as he explains the various kinds of models that researchers use to understand and forecast climate scenarios and how this science has impacts well outside of the research community. (46 minutes)

The growth of Chinese and Indian economies is improving their well being, but at a very high environmental cost. Widespread air pollution and greenhouse gases are having a range of complex effects on both regional and global climate. Join Scripps Oceanography atmospheric science researcher V. Ramanathan as he explains that while science can offer practical solutions, the effectiveness of these strategies will hinge on global cooperation and immediate implementation. (54 minutes)

Climate researchers have long understood that human induced changes to Earth's atmosphere should impact climate in the polar regions earlier and more dramatically than in most other places. Explore the unique meteorology, oceanography, and ecology of both the Arctic and Antarctic with Dr. Dan Lubin as he describes observations that indicate unmistakable signs of anthropogenic climate change in both the Arctic and Antarctic. (46 minutes)

Join Scripps Institution of OceanographyŐs Robert Pinkel as he provides a window into the cold world of Arctic oceanography and illustrates how the interplay between sea ice and ocean circulation impacts Earth's climate. (51 minutes)

Join Scripps' Institutions Neal Driscoll as he presents new high-resolution images of landscapes and seascapes providing clearer understandings of the link between formative processes and their signatures in the geologic record. (52 minutes)

As part of an NSF-funded collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and science centers across the country to increase awareness of polar research and Earth's polar regions, join Donna Blackman, chair of the National Science Foundation's Ridge 2000 program, for an exciting excursion to the worldŐs mid-ocean ridge volcanic system. Learn how these oceanic spreading centers shape our Planet and support an amazing abundance of life in an otherwise inhospitable environment. (29 minutes)

Polls show that between one-third and one-half of Americans still believe that there is "no solid" evidence of global warming, or that if warming is happening it can be attributed to natural variability. Others believe that scientists are still debating the point. Join scientist and renowned historian Naomi Oreskes as she describes her investigation into the reasons for such widespread mistrust and misunderstanding of scientific consensus and probes the history of organized campaigns designed to create public doubt and confusion about science. (58 minutes)