Concepts, tools and programs; early ideas

Synthesized from deliberations during summer 2020 and at Dep’t retreats of 2019 and 2020.

Contents

  1. Program learning objectives (PLOs)
  2. Concepts to be learned
  3. Course ideas
  4. Eldad’s sketch for a program
    1. General principle
    2. Goals of a QES program
    3. Major principles of the program
    4. Particular Courses
    5. Other issues to fix in existing geophysics curriculum, aligned with the above

1. Program learning objectives (PLOs):

These are “generic” since they are not about any specific degree specialization. They are meant to articulate priorities and expectations for quantitative BSc degrees in Earth Science such as geophysics, atmospheric science, physical oceanography, etc.

Students will … 

  1. … choose and apply foundational math and physics concepts (to 2nd or 3rd year level) to address problems involving the physics of Earth or planets and describe the techniques used to explain planetary physical processes.
  2. … be ready for research/industry/government positions, not limited to Earth-science related fields: transferable skill is central to what we teach (similar to physics, but more applicable)
  3. … apply physical, mathematical, computational and Earth science concepts to explain and address society’s challenges as they relate to geosciences. Examples include climate change, water & resource exploration & management, natural hazard forecasting & mitigation, and others.
  4. … gain sufficient awareness of how observational geoscience works either explicitly or by implication during QES courses, so they can contribute knowledgeably in geoscience teams.

Comment: These are on the right track, but could be refined. Consider synthesizing a broadly applicable set of PLOs based on current PLOs for ATSC, OCGY and GEOP specializations (summarized here), with additional insights from EOAS service course PLOs.

2. Concepts to be learned

The table below summarizes concepts that several faculty members listed as priorities for any quantitative Earth sciences degree. Math and geophysics were emphasized but few “geoscience” concepts were listed.

In future discussions, it should be recognized that the Earth system context is what makes a QES degree from this Department unique. Geoscientific “thinking” is as distinct as mathematical or physics-based thinking, so exposure to, and practice using, observational Earth science ways of thinking do need to be incorporated into a QES degree program. This aspect can be addressed without too many “extra” courses by carefully weaving geoscience contexts into existing courses, but that needs to be explicit, by design, and with relevant components for practice and corresponding assessment.

Many of these are already taught – see the “Current EOAS course content” page. Not all concepts would be required to complete a QES degree. Also, these are not meant to map one to one onto individual courses.

Fundamental concepts Earth-science concepts Methods, tools, strategies
  • conservation laws, mechanics, thermodynamics
  • equations of state, constitutive laws
  • waves (how? to what degree of sophistication?)
  • diffusion, damping, advection
  • signals and noise
  • forcing and feedback, stability, bifurcation
  • scientific hypothesis testing by both experimentation and observation
  • simulation and prediction using empirical / statistical models
  • continuum mechanics (plus basic classical mechanics)
  • fluids, solids, porous media
  • GFD
  • convection in a variety of settings
  • hydrology & hydrogeology
  • seismic wave propagation
  • potential fields: gravity, magnetics, EM in context
  • climate physics
  • ODEs and PDEs (initial and boundary value problems)
  • scaling & dimensional analysis
  • systematic model simplification, heuristic lumped (box) models
  • dynamical systems
  • numerical methods for deterministic models, discretization methods
  • inverse models
  • spectral analysis, signal analysis
  • data analysis, image analysis
  • statistics
  • machine learning etc.

3.Course ideas

  1. Austin: Predicts ~15 students / yr in a course that uses a text like Denis Hartmann’s Global Physical Climatology (free if you’re on our vpn). Example 3rd yr course taught at U. Washington (https://atmos.uw.edu/~dennis/321/) or grad course at https://atmos.washington.edu/~dennis/571/. Links are “old” but were valid 231006.
  2. Austin: Consider broadening topics in ATSC 409/EOSC 511 (numerical methods) and offer it every year. That way, 3rd yr students experience simulation/model building as soon as they’ve completed ODEs.
  3. A good example of a new course design can be seen for DSCI 100/ Their new, purpose built textbook and problem sets – are a good example of course design that balances fundamentals and applicability. See also a course design talk by course developer Prof. T. Timbers.
  4. Brian Rose’s SUNY climate modeling course, modeling software (docs) https://brian-rose.github.io/ClimateLaboratoryBook/courseware/models-budgets-fun.html
  5. Haber’s imaging course (proposed before 2020)
  6. Heagy’s rejuvenated applied geophysics EOSC 454 + grad version, hopefully to be taught in Jan. 2024.
  7. Climate physics – P. Austin and R. White (details?)
  8. others please …

CGS comment: Climate science is a great objective here. This is a relatively new, unique strength in EOAS, with faculty from multiple disciplines. In EOAS, “climate” is not the purview of atmospheric science, or even seen predominantly through that lens. EOAS faculty include Rachel White, Anais Orsi, Mitch Darcy, Stephanie Waterman, Valentina Radic, Mark Johnson, Christian Schoof, Mark Jellinek, Phil Austin, Susan Allen and others, making for an excellent QES climate core.

FJ comments: Agreed. “Climate science” or “climate physics” (or similar) represents a timely and appropriate opportunity for defining a QES domain to focus upon. In addition, consider developing creative ways of incorporating the Department’s solid and fluid QES expertise into these courses. Also – avoid fixating on “physics” to the total exclusion of “Earth”. QES is the focus but context must be included or this is not an Earth sciences degree. This may seem obvious and well understood, but it is mentioned here so the issue is visible.

4. Eldad’s sketch for a program

(This outline may date from ~2018 and some aspects may already be incorporated into the current 2023 Geophysics curriculum.)

General principle

Geophysics is the physics of the earth and planets. The main disciplines are solid earth geophysics, physical oceanography, atmospheric science, hydrology.
FJ comment: agreed, except to recognize that words matter – and “geophysics” (although correct) may be understood by others more narrowly, resulting in misconceptions about what can be involved and what opportunities there are for future occupations.

Goals of a QES program

  1. The main goal of any QES program would be for students to learn and practice the mathematical and scientific techniques needed to (a) understand the dynamic Earth, oceans & atmosphere, and (b) address corresponding societal priorities.
  2. Students should also be able to explain to society and discuss common problems in the physical geosciences, including (but not limited to) climate change, water management, resource exploration & stewardship, and others.

The common thread in these disciplines are

  1. Math: calculus, linear algebra and O/PDEs
  2. Physics: mechanics, electrodynamics, waves, some thermodynamics, emphasis on continuum mechanics, fluid flow, elasticity.
  3. Statistics: basic probability and statistical thinking
  4. Computing: programming, signal processing, image processing, data science, AI / ML. (As mentioned above, choice of terminology matters. The term “computer science” implies – to some people – details about how computers work, databases, algorithms, etc. That is the domain of Dep’t Computer Science, and they don’t like others treading on their turf.)
  5. Field & measurement techniques: data collection, wrangling and processing.

Missing from this list is recognition that an Earth science degree (as opposed to a math or physics degree) should include exposure to the unique styles of thinking necessary for tackling pressing problems related to how Earth works, including geology, hydrogeology, climate science and so on. This does not mean students qualifying with a QES degree should be able to compete with geologists or geography majors. But geoscience thinking has unique aspects that QES specialists should encounter so they can contribute effectively in the teams they will work with.

Major principles of the program

  1. Let lowest level courses be taught at their home departments.
  2. Get the students as early as possible for science courses that are not basic.
  3. Go hard in first/second year on basic science and prepare students to a serious discussion about geoscience in third/forth year.
  4. FJ comment: OK, and motivation also matters. Students learn better when context is meaningful. Early learning activities related to “why we’re learning this” are well worth while. And as many learning activities (lessons, activities, assignments, projects, etc) as possible should be carried out within an explicit, concrete context. Some creativity may be needed, but including context is always feasible without compromising fundamentals. Students will learn and retain new concepts better, and they will be more highly motivated when they can personally relate to the “point” of gaining those skills.

Particular Courses

NOTE the geophysics curriculum was updated recently (2018?) and the following outline is essentially the same as current geophysics requirements. See https://vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca/faculties-colleges-and-schools/faculty-science/bachelor-science/geophysics

Courses should include settings that involve “thinking about the physical Earth”. Focus is to be on specific skills (like ODEs etc.), but they are tools to address meaningful situations, not only abstract notions. Take-home messages for students are about “transferable skills” (i.e. methods), but capabilities fostered by learning in context will include >motivation to learn at the time, >deeper understanding, >better retention, and >abilities to apply “methods” in novel settings. These “benefits” need to be clearly and repeatedly emphasized for students in the courses they take (as per recommendations regarding “transparency in learning and teaching”, Winkelmes, 2023).

Year 1

  • Calculus 1 & 2 (MATH 100/102/104 & MATH 101/103/105 & MATH 200)
  • EM and waves (PHYS 107 & 108. These provide crucial introductory exposure. Students do not yet have multivariable / vector calculus)
  • Data science (DSCI 100 represents first exposure to stats & programming. EOSC211 is in 2nd yr)
  • A new first year course? “the quantitative Earth”, “climate physics” or equivalent. (is this to be a “required elective”?)

Year 2

  • Statistics may be managed on “as needed” basis. (DSCI100 is req’d) (Stats 200 may not be very helpful for us; mainly pvalues / type I / type II errors, etc.)
  • Linear algebra (MATH 221/223) (Be careful to not students to progress too quickly. Gaining mathematical “maturity” takes time, although a few can advance quickly.)
  • Mechanics (CGS PHYS 107)
  • Programming (EOSC 211)
  • Intro physics of earth and planets (EOSC 212) (212 has little “physics” – it is more like a first exposure to scientific earth and planetary science literature.).
  • Vector calculus and intro to differential equations / math modelling in context (EOSC 250)

Year 3

  • ODEs, PDE’s (MATH 215 & MATH 316/PHYS 312)
  • Continuum mechanics (EOSC 352 [“cont. dynamics”],
  • Fluid dynamics (EOSC 352)
  • Signal processing (EOSC 354)
  • Image processing / remote sensing (Currently no requirement, Eldad has interest in developing) (Is this the right level? Maybe an elective?)
  • Data science: AI/ML (EOSC 410)

Year 4

Many of these should be considered “technical electives”. Students should seek advice to identify choices consistent with their interests and abilities. Based on student feedback, they need to be able to meet professional requirements if they want to go that route.

  • Elasticity via seismology (EOSC 353)
  • Geophysical fluid dynamics (potentially EOSC 477 / ATSC 414 – currently dormant, not required, potential for co-listing with EOSC 512)
  • Physical oceanography? (EOSC 471)
  • Upper level ATSC?
  • Geophysical solid mechanics (no obvious course – probably rely on 353 to cover this)
  • Hydrology and fluids in the earth – EOSC329 Groundwater.
  • Climate change or physics (Phil & Rachel working on EOSC595, and a split of 340 into quantitative / non-quantiatitve is on the cards, we’d use the quantitative version here)
  • Will most likely retain EOSC450 (currently essentially “potential fields”, which is fine).
  • Retain EOSC453 (Physics of the Earth and other planets) as a common capstone across the program?
  • May need to align multiple options with corresponding grad course and run in alternate years to make viable.
  • EOAS-based courses:
    • Likely core pathway 211,212,250,352,354,410,453
    • Options out of 353,450,477,329, Climate
  • Note: 353,329 are 3rd year, others are 4th year / undefined. This is apparently not a UBC graduation requirements issue.

Other issues to adjust in existing geophysics curriculum, aligned with the above

Note at 2023, these points may be out of date.

  • Stratigraphy course requirement EOSC222 redundant if broadening scope of GEOP degree as advertised; drop and free up this space? Or make it 222 or EOSC2xxx / Other Subject 2xx?
  • EOSC211 – scope for making optional with other computing offerings across campus? Not a priority, and may not be popular in EOAS as an idea
  • Thermodynamics course (currently PHYS203) – make this PHYS203 or CHEM205; absolutely needed in program?
  • EM PHYS301 already not widely taken – not sure I really see the rationale but there is precedent. In the context of broadening geophysics, we could make this one of PHYS301, EOSC350 (applied geophysics), MATH345 (applied nonlinear dynamics and chaos, MATH215 is a prerequisite but included in GEOP curriculum, must score 68% or higher – this covers the dynamical systems tools area). The proposed set of options covers a greater range of future specializations. Can add (i) ATSC specialized option if available and (ii) Catherine’s planned global geophysics class here too.