GEOL 291: The Anthropocene, New Special Topics Course
This fall, Dr. Tracy Frank, Schultz Professor of Stratigraphy, will be offering GEOL 291: The Anthropocene, a new special topics course. This course will be 3 credit hours, and the course has no prerequisites.
Course Description:
Geologists measure time in eons, eras, periods, and epochs: the Phanerozoic, the Cenozoic, the Neogene, the Holocene. Many scholars argue that we have entered into a new epoch, the Anthropocene (the human epoch). They argue that human activity has been so impactful as to leave a permanent mark in Earth's geological record, which will be permanently visible for millennia to come.
The concept of the Anthropocene demands that we think about ourselves as a geological force that determines the physical conditions on our planet. This class will examine issues of society, climate change, and humankind's changing relationship with the planet in a context of Earth history.
Course Details:
GEOL 291 Section 001 (#18965) is currently scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 - 1:45 pm in 104 Bessey Hall for the Fall 2021 semester. For Geology majors, the GEOL 291 course will the 12 hours of Additional Geology Courses required for the major. For non-Geology majors, GEOL 291 will count as a CDR: Science course in the College of Arts and Sciences, but it is NOT currently certified for ACE 4: Science requirement.
Questions:
Please contact Dr. Frank at tfrank2@unl.edu.