Courses

GEOG C160, The American Landscape: Place, Power, and Culture

Catalog Description: What is America as a landscape and a place, and how do we know it when we see it? This course seeks to address such questions, to introduce ways of seeing and interpreting American histories and cultures, as revealed in everyday built surroundings—homes, highways, farms, factories, stores, recreation areas, small towns, city districts, and regions. It does so through the lens of cultural geography, an interdisciplinary practice that developed, in part, here at Berkeley. Our goal in this course is thus twofold: First, to develop...

GEOG C157, Central American Peoples and Cultures

Catalog Description: A comparative survey of the peoples and cultures of the seven countries of the Central American Isthmus from a historical and contemporary perspective.

Units: 4.0

Prerequisites: None

Formats:

Fall and/or Spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Grading Basis: Letter

Final Exam Status: Final exam required

Also...

GEOG 155, Race, Space, and Inequality

Catalog Description: This course examines the the spatial configurations of inequality and poverty and their relationship to race through an analysis of the historical, theoretical and ethnographic conceptualizations, practices, and lived experiences of that relationship. The course will cover the topics of race, space, and inequality through four interwoven thematic lenses of formation, implementation, normalization, and resistances.

Units: 4.0

Prerequisites: None

Formats: ...

GEOG 143, Global Change Biogeochemistry

Catalog Description: How does the chemical makeup of Earth make it suitable for life? And how does life in turn alter the chemistry of our planet? Biogeochemistry is the field of science that explores the imprint of biota (including humans) on the chemistry of the ocean, land and atmosphere. This interdisciplinary field addresses global problems, including climate change feedbacks, air quality, land use change, and marine ecosystem health. We will provide an overview of the major biogeochemical cycles, discuss the biogeochemistry of major...

GEOG 140B, Physiography and Geomorphologic Extremes

Catalog Description: In this course we review the physical landscapes and surface processes in extreme environments: hot arid regions, glacial and periglacial landscapes, and karst terrane. Using this knowledge, plus an understanding of tectonics and temperate watersheds (gained from prerequisite courses), we explore how unique combinations of geomorphic processes acting on tectonic and structural provinces have created the spectacular and diverse landscapes of North America. Regions to be explored include the Colorado Plateau, Sierra Nevada, North...

GEOG 140A, Physical Landscapes: Process and Form

Catalog Description: Understanding the physical characteristics of the Earth's surface, and the processes active on it, is essential for maintaining the long-term health of the environment, and for appreciating the unique, defining qualities of geographic regions. In this course, we build an understanding of global tectonics, rivers, hillslopes, and coastlines and discover how these act in concert with the underlying geologic framework to produce the magnificent landscapes of our planet. Through our review of formative processes, we learn how physical...

GEOG C139, Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics

Catalog Description: This course examines the processes that determine the structure and circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. The approach is deductive rather than descriptive: to figure out the properties and behavior of the Earth's atmosphere based on the laws of physics and fluid dynamics. Topics will include interaction between radiation and atmospheric composition; the role of water in the energy and radiation balance; governing equations for atmospheric motion, mass conservation, and thermodynamic energy balance; geostrophic flow,...

GEOG 138, Global Environmental Politics

Catalog Description: Political factors affecting ecological conditions in the Third World. Topics include environmental degradation, migrations, agricultural production, role of international aid, divergence in standard of living, political power, participation and decision making, access to resources, global environmental policies and treaties, political strife and war.

Units: 4.0

Prerequisites: None

Formats:

Fall and/or Spring: 15 weeks - 3...

GEOG 98, Directed Group Study

Catalog Description: Lectures and small group discussion focusing on topics of interest that vary from semester to semester.

Units: 1.0 - 4.0

Prerequisites: None

Repeat Rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Formats:

Fall and/or Spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week

Summer...

GEOG N80, Digital Worlds: An Introduction to Geospatial Technologies

Catalog Description: An introduction to the increasingly diverse range of geospatial technologies and tools including but not limited to geographical information systems (GIS). Via a mix of lecture and lab-based instruction, students will develop knowledge and skills in web-mapping and GIS. How these tools are used to represent fundamental geographic concepts, and the wider socioeconomic context of these technologies will also be explored.

Units: 4.0

Prerequisites: None

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