Instructor: Dr. Donna L. Witter
   Office McGilvrey 235C
   Phone 330-672-7002
   Fax 330-672-7949
   Email dwitter@kent.edu
    Mailbox Dept. of Geology
(McGilvrey 221)
   Web About the Instructor
Course Num: Geol 21080, Sec. 1
Lecture: Tu/Th 11 am - 12:15 pm
Classroom: Bowman 133
Office Hours: Mon 930-11am, Wed 1-230pm and by appointment
Soquel Point, California
 
Soquel Point, California.  Photo courtesy of the NOAA Photo Library (http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/index.html), Captain Albert E. Theberge photographer.

Final exam resources include:
   (a) online study questions for material following midterm 3
   (b) list of topics from earlier in the course that will be on the final exam
   (c) example final exams on vista.kent.edu
Click on each of these links to access these resources. 

Good luck with your studying.

Rationale and Objectives: 
The ocean comprises about 70% of the Earth's surface area and plays a critical role in the cycling of energy and matter between the Earth's various physical, chemical and biological systems.  Despite this, many people are unaware of how this vast body of water impacts the world around them. 

This course will emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of oceanography by exposing the student to the basic principals of geological, chemical, physical and biological oceanography.  Relationships among these systems and interrelationships between oceans and human populations will be emphasized.  Students should come away from the course with a greater understanding of how the sea "works" as a system and a more scientific view of the world around them

Text: Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science, 4th or 5th Edition (by Tom Garrison, textbook web site).
Students should choose ONE of the following versions of the text:
   4th Edition Hardbound (ISBN 053437557x)
   5th Edition Hardbound (ISBN 0534408877)
   5th Edition 3-Hole-Punched Softbound (ISBN 0534405339)
Please note that the hardbound and softbound versions of the 5th edition are identical (except for the cover).  The 4th edition may be available at a lower cost than the 5th edition; either the 4th or 5th edition is acceptable for this course.

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Announcements:
29 Nov - Final exam resources include: (a) online study questions for material following midterm 3, (b) list of topics from earlier in the course that will be on the final exam, (c) example final exams on vista.kent.edu (Click on each of these links to access these resources).  Good luck with your studying.

29 Aug - Exam grades will be available online via WebCT-Vista.  WebCT Vista requires a University computer account.  Please contact the Helpdesk (330-672-HELP) if you need to activate your account.  For security reasons, log off of WebCT Vista and exit your  browser once your are done checking your grades.

About the course web site:

This web site is maintained by the course instructor and posted on the University's web server.  Please email any comments about the web site to the instructor (dwitter@kent.edu).   Please note that online notes for each lecture are usually posted late in the afternoon the day before lecture; online study questions are usually posted the afternoon following the lecture. Unforeseen circumstances can however disrupt this schedule.  In these cases, materials will be posted as soon as possible.