Habitable Planets

3 units

Why does the Earth have water oceans? Where did our atmosphere come from? Is Earth uniquely habitable among solar system bodies? This course is an exploration of the origins of volatiles such as water and carbon on planetary bodies and of the internal features that help to regulate our planet's surface conditions. The importance of magnetic fields, plate tectonics, and climate feedbacks with respect to the origins and sustenance of life on Earth will be discussed.