Practical Models for Environmental Systems

Humans are increasingly affecting environmental systems throughout the world. To understand the environmental impacts, quantitative modeling tools are needed. This course introduces quantitative modeling approaches for environmental systems, including global models for carbon cycling; local and regional models for water, soil, and vegetation interactions; models for transport of pollutants in both water and air; and models for population dynamics and the spread of infectious disease. Students will develop simple models for all of these systems and apply the models to a set of practical problems.