HR: 0830h
AN: ED31C-1176    [PDF]
TI: Creation of a Course in Computer Methods and Modeling for Undergraduate Earth Science Programs
AU: * Menking, K M
EM: kimenking@vassar.edu
AF: Vassar College, Department of Geology and Geography, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
AU: Dashnaw, J M
EM: jodashnaw@vassar.edu
AF: Vassar College, Department of Geology and Geography, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
AB: In recent years computer modeling has gained importance in geological research as a means to generate and test hypotheses and to allow simulation of processes in places inaccessible to humans (e.g., outer core fluid dynamics), too slow to permit observation (e.g., erosionally-induced uplift of topography), or too large to facilitate construction of physical models (e.g., faulting on the San Andreas). Entire fields within the Earth sciences now exist in which computer modeling has become the core work of the discipline. Undergraduate geology/Earth science programs have been slow to adapt to this change, and computer science curricular offerings often do not meet geology students' needs. To address these problems, a course in Computer Methods and Modeling in the Earth Sciences is being developed at Vassar College. The course uses the STELLA iconographical box modeling software developed by High Performance Systems, Inc. to teach students the fundamentals of dynamical systems modeling and then builds on the knowledge students have constructed with STELLA to teach introductory computer programming in Fortran. Fully documented and debugged STELLA and Fortran models along with reading lists, answer keys, and course notes are being developed for distribution to anyone interested in teaching a course such as this. Modeling topics include U-Pb concordia/discordia dating techniques, the global phosphorus cycle, Earth's energy balance and temperature, the impact of climate change on a chain of lakes in eastern California, heat flow in permafrost, and flow of ice in glaciers by plastic deformation. The course has been taught twice at Vassar and has been enthusiastically received by students who reported not only that they enjoyed learning the process of modeling, but also that they had a newfound appreciation for the role of mathematics in geology and intended to enroll in more math courses in the future.
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting