BS in Geography: Earth & Atmospheric Science Track
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Why specialize in Earth & Atmospheric Science?
Earth scientists study the earth to understand how it
was formed, determine its current state and predict its
future. Earth scientists seek to understand the four
major spheres of the Earth's system, namely the
hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
Examples of questions that earth scientists try to
answer are:
- What are rocks and minerals? Where
do they originate?
- Why do physical landscapes vary
across the United States and the world?
- How can we predict when and where
volcanoes will erupt and the extent of damage?
- How are mountains built and what are
the origins of oceans?
- How old is earth and how has it
changed over time? Future changes?
- Why are oceans salty? Where do the
waves with the best break occur?
- Where does the water found in water wells come
from?
Atmospheric scientists study the atmosphere, its
processes, the effects other systems have on the
atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these
other systems. The two primary sub-disciplines in
atmospheric science are meteorology and climatology.
Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and
atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather
forecasting. Climatology is the study of atmospheric
changes (both long and short-term) that define average
climates and their change over time, due to both natural
climate variability and anthropogenic climate
variability or global warming. Examples of questions
that atmospheric scientists try to answer are:
- Why do some thunderstorms produce tornadoes?
- What keeps mesoscale convective
systems going?
- Why are some
summers/winters hotter/colder and drier/wetter than
others?
- How can numerical weather
prediction models be improved?
- How
can we improve forecasting flash floods?
-
What constitutes a drought?
- Is global
warming real?
- Is there a relationship
between global warming and hurricane intensities?
Our Alumni
Our graduates can be found working for the United
States Geologic Survey, Maryland Department of
Environment, engineering firms throughout the
Mid-Atlantic, and in private industry as environmental
consultants. Graduates have been slowing the erosion of
coastal beaches along the US Gulf, and cleaning up the
environment of Aberdeen Proving Ground. Our graduates
have attended and received degrees from some of the
finest graduate schools in North America, including
Johns Hopkins School of Engineering, McGill's Geography
Department and many major State Universities, including
the University of Delaware, University of Maryland,
College Park, and Mississippi State University
In recent years, many majors within this track have
gone on to pursue professional careers in meteorology
and climatology. Some of our alumni enjoy careers as
successful broadcast meteorologists across the country.
For example:
Former majors also enjoy employment as research
scientists and university faculty. For example:
- Jeff Dorman - NASA, Wallops Island,
Virginia
- Dr. Chad Kauffman - Associate
professor, California University of Pennsylvania
-
Dr. Karen Patterson - Staff Scientist, Naval
Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANA), Stennis Space
Center, Mississippi
- Dr. Brent Skeeter - Professor and
Chair, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland
- Dr. Peter Soule - Professor,
Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina
- Dr. Kay Williams - Associate
Professor, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg,
Pennsylvania
Currently, approximately one-half of the department's
majors focus primarily on earth and atmospheric
sciences. Each semester faculty, students, alumni, and
local television meteorologists participate in the
department's popular weather forecasting contest.
What is the Program of Study?
Our program stresses the interaction between Earth
Science and Atmospheric Science and their applications
to solving environmental problems. Thus, students
complete courses in both earth science as well as
meteorology and climatology, as well as a common
geography major core. The coursework required for
this track provides a solid undergraduate knowledge of
geography with an earth and atmospheric science focus
which serves as a strong foundation for students
continuing on to graduate studies or onto a career in
earth/atmospheric science.
One key feature of our coursework in earth and
atmospheric science track is our commitment to field
work and experiential studies. Our physical
geography instructors take students to local farms to
study soils and hydrology, Pennsylvania and New York to
study the remnants of glaciation, and Assateague Island
National Seashore to study coastal processes.
Additional, it is important to note that our department
has the largest selection of undergraduate atmospheric
science (meteorology, climatology) courses in the state
of Maryland.
Coursework Required:
General Education
Requirements
Geography Core Requirements
Track Requirements
Required courses:
Complete at least three courses from the
following:
Other recommended electives:
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