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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Content Knowledge

  • Problem Set 1

    Problem set for the course Ecology I: The Earth System.

    Read more: Problem Set 1
  • Problem Set 2

    Problem set for the course Ecology I: The Earth System.

    Read more: Problem Set 2
  • Exam #1

    The quiz will cover everything through Lecture 7 (Biogeochemical cycles) including redox, primary productivity, and the thermodynamics of life. The questions will be primarily short answer, which can be responded to with a few sentences, a sketch with a description, or a brief calculation. We could also ask you to interpret a graph/data or give you a discussion question. 

    Read more: Exam #1
  • Exam #2

    The quiz will cover everything from Lecture 8 (Global Carbon Cycle on October 6th ) through Lecture 13 (Chemostats/Life Tables on October 29th ) including Redfield ratio and limiting factors, ecosystem experiments, geoengineering, secondary productivity, food webs, population growth, chemostats, and life tables. Like Quiz 1, the questions will be primarily short answer, which can be responded to with a few sentences, a sketch with a description, or a brief calculation. We could also ask you to interpret a graph/data or give you a discussion question. Remember to bring a calculator! 

    Read more: Exam #2
  • Exam #3

    Approximately 50% of the quiz will cover new material: everything from Lecture 14 (Human Population Growth on November 3rd) through Lecture 18 (Prof. Sterman’s Lecture on November 19th) including competition and the niche, predation, and biogeography. The remaining 50% will be cumulative, and may cover anything from Lecture 1 through Lecture 13.  This includes the early earth, redox reactions, energy transformations and metabolism, biogeochemical cycles, the carbon cycle, primary and secondary productivity, Redfield ratio and limiting factors, ecosystem experiments, food webs, population growth, chemostats, and life tables.  Like Quiz 1 and 2, the questions will be primarily short answer, which can be responded to with a few sentences, a sketch with a description, or a brief calculation. We could also ask you to interpret a graph/data or give you a discussion question. Use Problem Sets 1-3, the Quiz 3 Study Questions, the Lecture Notes, and the Lecture Handouts as a top priority for studying. Make sure you are familiar with the articles that have been assigned. Remember to bring a calculator! 

    Read more: Exam #3
  • Project

    Research proposal describing a pilot project for assessing an Earth system-scale geoengineering technology

    Read more: Project
  • Lab 2: Measuring Velocity in a Channel

    Goals: Measure the mean velocity in the laboratory flume using two different methods, and determine whether these estimates agree within the uncertainty.

    Read more: Lab 2: Measuring Velocity in a Channel
  • Lab 3: Residence Time Distribution and System Circulation

    Objectives: Estimate detention time and nominal residence time in a model basin

    Read more: Lab 3: Residence Time Distribution and System Circulation
  • Lab 4: Transport in Porous Media

    Objective: Use a tracer study to estimate the dispersion coefficient, pore velocity and porosity of a sediment column. 

    Read more: Lab 4: Transport in Porous Media
  • Lab 8: Dissolution of the Gypsum and the Laminar Sub-Layer

    You will use two methods to estimate the laminar sub-layer thickness in the laboratory flume. The first method is based on the observed dissolution rate of Gypsum bars, and is described below. 

    Read more: Lab 8: Dissolution of the Gypsum and the Laminar Sub-Layer

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