Credits:  3

Prerequisites:  Physics and calculus; senior or graduate standing in the Earth or environmental sciences or related fields.

Class time:  2:00 - 3:15 Tuesday and Thursday

Instructor:  David Furbish

Text:  Furbish, D. J. 1997. Fluid Physics in Geology: An Introduction to Fluid Motions on Earth's Surface and Within its Crust. New York: Oxford University Press, 476 pp.

Content:  This spring semester Earth Fluids will involve an introductory, quantitative examination of the mechanical behavior of fluids involving both low and high Reynolds numbers. We will focus on select phenomena that are common to many geological and environmental settings, including boundary-layer flows and buoyancy driven phenomena.. As you look at the course topics, note that geological and environmental terms have purposefully been avoided. Part of our task is to understand the general behavior of fluids as an enlightening lens for focusing on more specific Earth fluid processes.

Grading:  Course grades will be based on scores earned for problem sets (60%) and a research project with presentation (5%) and report (35%).  Problem sets may include in-class quizzes.