GEOL 430 - Seminar on Acid Rain

Acid rain — more properly termed acid deposition — is a worldwide environmental problem that adversely affects lakes and streams, forest ecosystems, plants and animals, and human health. The course examines this environmental issue from the beginning of the industrial revolution to the present. The science of acid rain — from why and how it forms to what we know about its effects on ecosystems, earth materials, and people — is explored and discussed in detail. For decades, New York State received some of the most acidic deposition in the United States; therefore a portion of course time is spent examining the effects of acid deposition in central New York and the Adirondack Mountains, and the potential for recovery of ecosystems to pre-acid rain conditions. Finally, links between science and policy are explored through examination of the Clean Air Act and events leading up to this and subsequent landmark environmental enactments by Congress.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: GEOL 201 and at least three additional geology courses
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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