Earth Systems Science Minor
If we could view the earth from a spacecraft, we would see a small, rocky planet bathed in a film of white clouds, much of its surface covered by a layer of blue water. The earth is unique: it is large enough to retain an atmosphere, and it is the only planet in the solar system where water exists as solid, liquid, or gas. The earth's outer crust is active and we experience this as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere (rocks and minerals) constantly interact with each other and the biosphere. The combination of these unique characteristics allows life as we know it to exist only on the earth.
A minor in earth science reflects this present-day awareness of how the whole planet acts as a constantly changing dynamic system. Key courses in this minor are meteorology (climate and atmosphere), oceanography (oceans and currents), and physical geology (continents, ocean floor and the earth's interior). Students in this minor will come to appreciate the earth from a global perspective as they learn about its finite resources and innumerable complexities.
Contact Information
Randy McBride
Undergraduate Coordinator for Geology and Earth Science Program
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
3055 David King Hall
MSN 5F2
703-993-1642
rmcbride@gmu.edu