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Oct 07, 2025
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ESSC 104 - Earth Hazards [GEGA]
Earth is a slowly-changing planet, but every so often, Earth changes rapidly and catastrophically: earthquakes shake, volcanoes erupt, tsunamis surge, avalanches slide, and wildfires rage. This course explores these and other Earth Hazards to teach students how Earth works, providing them with an understanding of where hazards occur and knowledge to make well-informed decisions that could save lives.
Credit 3 hrs May not be repeated for additional credit
Grade Mode Normal (A-F) Course Rotation Winter
Prerequisites -
Other Restrictions -
Restriction by Major -
Restriction by Class - Undergraduate standing
Rationale for Perspectives on a Diverse World - Our planet, Earth, is a dynamic and ever-changing planet, but these changes typically occur slowly and go unnoticed in our daily lives. Every once in a while, however, Earth changes rapidly and catastrophically: volcanoes erupt, rivers flood, tsunamis surge, wildfires rage, and sometimes meteors strike. These Earth Hazards, and many others know no political boundaries. They directly or indirectly affect all people in all societies one way or another. While Earth Hazards have always occurred, they now frequently garner more widespread public attention thanks to the fact that most people around the world have cameras in their pockets and can transmit photos and videos of Earth Hazards around the world in a matter of seconds. These photos and videos may then be picked up by 24-hour news cycles and redistributed through social media. Thus, it is important for students to understand what causes these hazards, why these hazards occur where they occur, how these hazards affect global communities, how the science of these hazards is portrayed to the public through news, social, and entertainment media, and how societies have learned to prepare for, live with, and recover from these hazards. This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to how Earth works by exploring these large-magnitude, hazardous events with the overall goal of improving Earth Science literacy among students. Students may be employed by non-profits, media, government, or research organizations and being aware of the risks posed by Earth Hazards may help them make informed decisions, which could evade or prevent loss of property or business and could even save lives.
Keywords: Earth Science , Earth Systems , Global Awareness (GEGA)
Updates: Approved for GEGA 6/2019, New Course 2/2019, effective Fall 2019
Winter 2025 Course Sections
Summer 2025 Course Sections
Fall 2025 Course Sections
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