Carlos E. Ramos Scharrón

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Analysis of geomorphic processes and their effects on landform development. 

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and credit or registration for Geography 301C or Geological Sciences 401.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Earth science processes that affect human activities: soil, erosion, flooding, slope stability, earthquakes, volcanism, and water resources and quality. 

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

MEETS WITH LAS 330.

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

The physical landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean has been shaped by natural processes that have acted over geologic time scales. While some processes, like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, originate within the Earth’s interior, others such as floods, landslides and hurricanes are constricted to the Earth’s surface. It is when these processes interact with humans that they become known as natural hazards. Recent documented worldwide increases in the toll associated to natural disasters have been related not necessarily to a higher incidence of geologic or meteorological activity but to increased vulnerability associated to population growth, inadequate development policies, and socioeconomic inequality. This course uses one of the most disaster-prone areas on Earth, Latin America and the Caribbean, as a canvas to discuss natural hazards from an interdisciplinary perspective. Course materials and lectures will expose students to the science that supports hazard risk analyses and to the temporal and geographical distribution of hazards throughout the region. The course will present humans as susceptible to hazards but also as capable of affecting the incidence and degree of damage through direct intervention of the landscape and indirectly through deficient land use planning strategies and climate change. Students will also gain perspective on hazard mitigation strategies being employed throughout the region.

Analysis of geomorphic processes and their effects on landform development. 

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and credit or registration for Geography 301C or Geological Sciences 401.

Geomorphic processes that shape the earth's surface; origin and evolution of landforms. Groundwater and water resources. Pedogenesis and soil properties. 

Designed to accommodate 100 or more students.

A one-day field trip to be arranged.

Water is a vital asset in the natural resource arsenal of any country as abundant clean water is essential for ecosystem sustenance, agricultural and industrial production, sustainable fisheries, the generation of electricity, transportation, adequate sanitation, tourism, and to fulfill many other human needs. However, the distribution of an adequate and clean water supply is very variable in place and time as it not only depends on climatic conditions, geologic substrate, land cover, and topographic controls, but also on human uses and demands. The variability of landscapes, climatic regions, and anthropogenic activities found throughout Latin America and the Insular Caribbean provide an adequate platform to explore the complex issues related to water resource accessibility and protection in light of the undeniable challenges to be faced in the upcoming decades due to continued population growth and climate change. Some of the topics to be discussed during this course will include issues related to freshwater abundance such as desertification, incidence of drought, deglaciation, and saline intrusions into groundwater resources resulting from sea level rise. The course will also cover topics associated to contamination of both fresh and ocean waters by agricultural practices, cattle ranching, mining, urban expansion, industrialization, and deforestation. Special attention will be given to the proliferation of dams and their physical, ecological, and human impacts. Case studies from various countries will be studied through mostly qualitative approaches with particular emphasis on water governance and adaptation measures at the national and community levels.

The physical landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be shaped by natural processes that have acted over geologic time scales, but when these threaten life and property they are known as natural hazards. While some processes, like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, originate within the Earth’s interior, others such as floods and hurricanes are solely controlled at the Earth’s surface. Recent documented worldwide increases in the toll associated to natural disasters are presumably related to population growth, socioeconomic inequality, and climate change. This course will cover the array of natural disasters that occur throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, one of the most natural hazard-prone areas on Earth. Discussions will expose students to the science that supports hazard risk analyses and to the temporal and geographical distribution of hazards throughout the region. The course will present humans not only as susceptible to hazards but also as capable of affecting the incidence and degree of damage through direct intervention of the landscape and indirectly through deficient land use planning strategies and climate change. Students will also gain perspective on hazard mitigation strategies being employed throughout the region.  

Even though forests presently cover only a fraction of their natural pre-settlement extension and most of our scientific knowledge base has been generated on managed systems, forested landscapes exemplify a desirable objective of many land and water conservation efforts. Amongst the most coveted services granted by forests is their ability to generate high quality surface waters distributed over a timeframe that is oftentimes essential for aquatic ecosystem functions and human uses. This seminar intends to trace the history of forest hydrology as a science that describes the natural complexities of water movement through forested headwater landscapes and the changes imposed to these processes by disturbances associated to extreme weather events, deforestation, timber harvesting, wildfires, and climate change, among others. Course participants will be exposed to a gallery of selected readings representing some of the major findings in the field over the past century, including those generated by mostly hydrometric methods to those relying on chemical analyses and sophisticated hydrologic modeling approaches. Readings will include an array of study approaches and spatiotemporal scales that will serve to put in perspective the latest trends in the field of forest hydrology and its relevance to disciplines such as geography, ecology, environmental sciences, land use planning, civil engineering, and others.

Geomorphic processes that shape the earth's surface; origin and evolution of landforms. Groundwater and water resources. Pedogenesis and soil properties. 

Designed to accommodate 100 or more students.

A one-day field trip to be arranged.

The variability of landscapes, climatic regions, and anthropogenic activities found throughout Latin America and the Insular Caribbean provide an adequate platform to explore the complex issues related to water resource accessibility and protection in light of the undeniable challenges to be faced in the upcoming decades due to climate change. Some of the topics to be discussed during this course will include issues related to water abundance such as desertification, incidence of drought, deglaciation, and saline intrusions into groundwater resources resulting from sea level rise. The course will also cover topics associated to contamination of both fresh and ocean waters by agricultural practices, cattle ranching, mining, urban expansion, and deforestation. Special attention will be given to the proliferation of dams and their physical, ecological, and human impacts. Case studies from various countries will be studied through qualitative and quantitative approaches with particular emphasis on water governance and adaptation measures at the national and community levels.   

 The physical landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be formed and reshaped by natural processes that have acted over geologic time scales. When these processes threaten life and property they are called natural hazards. Recent documented worldwide increases in the human and economic toll associated to natural disasters are presumably related to population growth, socioeconomic factors, and climate change. This course will cover some of the types of natural disasters that occur throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, one of the most natural hazard-prone areas on Earth.

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

This course deals with the Natural Environment, and focuses on the Geological Materials, Soils,
and Landforms at the Earth's surface, with emphasis on the various processes that create and modify the
landscapes of continental areas.

Water is a vital asset in the natural resource arsenal of any country as abundant clean water is essential for ecosystem sustenance, agricultural and industrial production, sustainable fisheries, the generation of electricity, transportation, adequate sanitation, tourism, and to fulfill many other human needs. However, the distribution of an adequate and clean water supply is very variable in place and time as it not only depends on climatic conditions, geologic substrate, land cover, and topographic controls, but also on human uses and demands.  The variability of landscapes, climatic regions, and anthropogenic activities found throughout Latin America and the Insular Caribbean provide an adequate platform to explore the complex issues related to water resource accessibility and protection in light of the undeniable challenges to be faced in the upcoming decades due to climate change. Some of the topics to be discussed during this course will include issues related to water abundance such as desertification, incidence of drought, deglaciation, and saline intrusions into groundwater resources resulting from sea level rise. The course will also cover topics associated to contamination of both fresh and ocean waters by agricultural practices, cattle ranching, mining, urban expansion, and deforestation. Special attention will be given to the proliferation of dams and their physical, ecological, and human impacts. Case studies from various countries will be studied through qualitative and quantitative approaches with particular emphasis on water governance and adaptation measures at the national and community levels

Topics include environmental assessment methods and techniques, the conservation movement, and climate and people.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Course number may be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

MEETS WITH LAS 330.

The physical landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be formed and reshaped by natural processes that have acted over geologic time scales. When these processes threaten life and property they are called natural hazards. Recent documented worldwide increases in the human and economic toll associated to natural disasters are presumably related to population growth, socioeconomic factors, and climate change. This course will cover some of the natural disasters that occur throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, one of the most natural hazard-prone areas on Earth. Through readings and in class discussions students will learn about the physical phenomena that incites natural hazards, while also emerging with a comprehensive view of the temporal and geographical distribution of hazards throughout the region. The course will present humans as susceptible to hazards but also as capable of affecting the incidence and degree of damage through direct intervention of the landscape and through deficient land use planning strategies, socioeconomic inequality, and climate change. Students will also gain a well-informed perspective on risk evaluation, short-term emergency response challenges, and hazard mitigation strategies employed throughout the region.

Geomorphic processes that shape the earth's surface; origin and evolution of landforms. Groundwater and water resources. Pedogenesis and soil properties. 

Designed to accommodate 100 or more students.

A one-day field trip to be arranged.

Geomorphic processes that shape the earth's surface; origin and evolution of landforms. Groundwater and water resources. Pedogenesis and soil properties. 

Designed to accommodate 100 or more students.

A one-day field trip to be arranged.