The University of British Columbia

Our Department offers many courses for science and arts students who are not specializing in the Earth or ocean sciences. Some are open to all students, some are specifically for students NOT in the faculty of science, and some are for science students with 1st or 2nd year standing. Please check home pages of these courses for details.

See also the separate page of overarching Learning Goals which the Department has defined for these courses.

EOSC 110 The Solid Earth: A Dynamic Planet

Earth's origin, composition, structure, and natural resources. Global and local examples of plate tectonics as the driving force for volcanism, mountain building, and earthquakes. Imaging Earth's interior and exploring its dynamic interaction with the surface. Environmental geoscience and sustainability. [Credit cannot be obtained for both EOSC 110 and GEOG 101,103]

EOSC 111 Laboratory Exploration of Planet Earth

An examination of the processes that shape and change the planet Earth. Course content may be customized at the individual student level. Note that first year courses may be taken without EOSC 111, but EOSC 111 cannot be taken without one of EOSC 110, 112, 114 or 116.

EOSC 112 The Fluid Earth: Atmosphere and Ocean

Introduction to processes in ocean and atmosphere. Heat, current, winds, clouds, marine life, resources. Effects of coupling, climate change, pollution.

EOSC 114 The Catastrophic Earth: Natural Disasters

Introduction to causes and physical characteristics of disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami, hurricanes, storm surge, thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides, wind waves, meteor impacts, mass extinctions.

EOSC 116 Mesozoic Earth: Time of the Dinosaurs

Geologic time and earth habitat of dinosaurs; tectonic, climate, and ocean changes. Reading the fossil record of dinosaurs and their environment from rise through extinction. [3-0-0]

EOSC 118 Earth's Treasures: Gold and Gems

Origin, properties, valuation, prospecting and geology. Gold, platinum, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious metals and gems. [3-0-0] Course is open to all students.

EOSC 217 The Science and Practice of Sustainability

Two week interdisciplinary field school. Earth system science, ecoliteracy, ecofootprinting, sustainability indicators, geological/climatological rates compared to human timescales.

EOSC 270 Marine Biodiversity

Introduction to diversity of marine habitats and ecosystems; hydrothermal vent, intertidal, coral reef, estuarine, deep sea, and polar ecosystems; impacts of ecosystem change; evolution of ocean plankton; invasive species; climate change; pollution.

EOSC 310 The Earth and the Solar System

The Earth as a planet: its composition, internal dynamics, and surface evolution. Rotation, magnetic field, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes. The ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere as components of a varying geo-environment. Not for credit in the Faculties of Science and Applied Science. No background in Science or Mathematics is required.

EOSC 311 The Earth and its Resources

An introduction to the Earth with emphasis on its industrial and aesthetic resources. Rocks, minerals, gold, diamonds, sediments, fossils, oil and gas, canyons, and volcanoes and the processes that create them. Not for credit in the Faculties of Science and Applied Science. No background in Science or Mathematics is required.

EOSC 312 The Earth System and Environmental Evolution

Earth's environmental history and aspects of contemporary global change. Plate tectonics, mass extinction, and the Gaia Hypothesis. Not for credit in the Faculties of Science or Applied Science.

EOSC 314 The Ocean Environment

An introduction to the oceans and processes that have shaped them, their composition and movement, waves, tides, beaches, interactions with the atmosphere and human exploitation of the non-living resources. Not for credit in the Faculties of Science or Applied Science. No background in Science or Mathematics is required.

EOSC 315 The Ocean Ecosystem

An introduction to life in the oceans, its variety and evolution; primary producers and their links to the environment, zooplankton, marine communities, living marine resources and their role in today's world. Not for credit in the Faculties of Science or Applied Science.

EOSC 326 Earth and Life Through Time

The fossil record of adaptation and extinction emphasizing the interaction of biological and geological processes. Not for credit in any Earth and Ocean Sciences program but allowable as credit towards the Earth Science component in the general science program.

EOSC 340 Global Climate Change

Mechanisms and processes of past and future global environmental and climate change.

EOSC 355 The Planets

Diversity among the planets and moons of the solar system; integrating concepts across scientific disciplines, including geology, geophysics, and atmospheric science to understand how planets evolve.

EOSC 372 Introductory Oceanography: Circulation and Plankton

Physical and chemical processes and their controls on the distribution of plankton in the ocean.

EOSC 373 Introductory Oceanography: Climate and Ecosystems

Physical, chemical, and biological processes in the ocean and their interaction with climate and marine food-webs.

• First year courses may be taken without EOSC 111
• EOSC 111 cannot be taken without one of EOSC 110, 112, 114 or 116.
• Take EOSC 111 only once.
• Arts students are "advised" to take a science course with a laboratory component to meet their science requirement.
• All EOSC students (Majors and Honors) must take the lab.