EAS 4720

Fundamentals of Glaciology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

This course is a physics-based introduction to glacier and ice sheet dynamics, with applications in understanding the response of modern terrestrial ice sheets to a changing climate. Topics covered include ice-sheet mass balance, the material properties and rheology of ice and snow, temperature and heat transport, the basic equations of ice-sheet and ice-shelf flow, basal processes, ice-sheet hydrology, fracture and calving, and ice-atmosphere and ice-ocean interactions. The course also overviews methods of observing ice sheet processes and change, including geophysical methods and satellite and airborne remote sensing.

Prerequisites MATH 1920, PHYS 1112, and CS1110/CS1112 or EAS2900

Enrollment Information Recommended prerequisite: multivariable calculus (MATH 1920 or equivalent), undergraduate mechanics (PHYS 1112 or equivalent), programming proficiency in Python (CS1110/1112 or EAS2900 plus one additional course with a significant programming component or equivalent experience recommended)

Distribution Requirements (BIO-AS, PHS-AS)

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025FA

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