EARS 6.05 Modeling the Earth
This course focuses on modeling the behavior of the Earth as a coupled system. Students will learn to represent physical, chemical, and biological processes in formal, algebraic fashion, and how to organize and create computer models that implement these expressions. Students will use the STELLA graphical modeling environment, which allows the construction of models with varying levels of complexity. Modeling skills will be developed and applied throughout the course, including lectures, homework, and exams. The modeling will focus on simulating natural processes in the Earth system, such as exchanges of mass and energy, and the course will provide the student with an understanding of how the various parts of the Earth system evolve and interact. The scientific method will be introduced, the students will learn about fundamental physical laws and principles governing the behavior of natural systems, and they will be exposed to various natural phenomena relevant to Earth-system dynamics.