Planet Earth: Evolution of a Habitable World (3)
NATS 101 emphasizes our own planet and the special conditions that it provides for life. NATS 101 reviews how the evolution of primitive life dramatically changed the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere, and it explores humanity’s role in further altering our planetary environment.

NATS 101 is a Tier I Natural Science course in the University’s general education curriculum.

Section 20 homepage

Malhotra
Greenberg

The Universe and Humanity: Origin and Destiny (3)
The Universe And Humanity: Origin And Destiny places Earth and humanity in a broad cosmic context. Topics range from the Big Bang cosmology to human consciousness with emphasis on the events and evolutionary processes that define the physical universe and our place in it.

NATS 102 is a Tier I Natural Science course in the University’s general education curriculum.

Section 12 homepage (Griffith)

Griffith
Holberg

First Year Colloquium (1)
This first-year colloquium will investigate the science done in Antarctica, and the ways it has been done, ranging from the early days of "heroic" exploration to modern, aircraft-supported astronomy, biology, climate studies, geology, and other science.

Swindle

The Golden Age of Planetary Exploration (3)
PTYS 206 emphasizes the part of the universe that is within reach of direct human experience and exploration.

We will review current understanding of the contents of our Solar System and emphasize the processes that unite all of the planets and smaller bodies, such as tectonics, weathering, cratering, differentiation, and the evolution of oceans and atmospheres. The course will build on this knowledge to understand humankind’s motivation to explore beyond our Solar System, especially to search for planets around distant stars and to look or listen for evidence of life elsewhere in the Universe.

PTYS 206 is a Tier II Natural Science course in the University’s general education curriculum.

Section 1 homepage
Section 2 homepage

Giacalone
Yelle

The Science and Politics of Global Warming (3)
The course is devoted to the concepts and principles required for understanding the Greenhouse Effect. It will then cover the effects of global warming on our climate both for past warming and cooling episodes (ice ages) and future predicted effects on our lives and the environment. The last third will deal with the present and future political and commercial issues of global warming. A research paper and a class presentation on a selected topic of global warming will be required.

PTYS 212/212H is a Tier II Natural Science course in the University’s general education curriculum.

Class homepage

Fink

Mercury: Open Questions and Data (1)
This colloquium class will focus on reviewing the scientific literature on research of Mercury and discussion of new Messenger data in that context.

All aspects of Mercury’s geology and geophysics are open for discussion, although the arrival of the Messenger data during the semester is expected to strongly affect what topics are given most weight.
Class homepage

Byrne

Physics of the Solar System (3)
Survey of planetary physics, planetary motions, planetary interiors, geophysics, planetary atmospheres, asteroids, comets, origin of the solar system.

Prerequisites: PHYS 142 or 251.

PTYS 403 is a required course for the PTYS Minor.

PTYS 403 is identical with ASTR 403 and GEOS 403.

Class homepage

Jokipii

Mars (3)
In-depth class about the planet Mars, including origin and evolution, geophysics, geology, atmospheric science, climate change, the search for life, and the history and future of Mars exploration.

There will be guest lectures from professors and research scientists with expertise about aspects of Mars. The course will include visits to Mars exploration centers at the UA and ASU, including the operations center for the Gamma Ray Spectrometer on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, currently orbiting Mars, and an all-day trip to the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University, operations center for experiments on the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Exploration Rovers.

McEwen