Introduction of Courses

Introduction to Earth and Environmental Science

The course is an introduction to how our planet works, focusing on the formation and evolution of the solar system and the earth, the dynamic nature of earth systems, and global environmental issues. It examines the fundamentals of a variety of disciplines, including astronomy, meteorology, oceanography, solid earth geophysics, and geology. Students are encouraged to think about the interconnectedness of the earth as a system, and the interdisciplinary nature of earth science is emphasized throughout the course.

Astronomy

This lecture is about astronomy and astrophysics, particularly their fundamentals. It covers various topics, including the solar system, planets, stars, galaxies, the expansion of the universe, dark matter, and dark energy. Additionally, it discusses planetary motion in the solar system (i.e., Kepler’s laws) using Newtonian classical dynamics. Gravitational force plays a crucial role in all these phenomena.

Meteorology I

The goal is to be able to understand how the distribution of solar energy, the rotation of the earth, and being a water planet are related to weather phenomena that are familiar to us. There are various meteorological phenomena; however, in this class, we mainly focus on basic weather phenomena related to human life. First, students will learn the vertical direction of the atmosphere based on basic knowledge of the thermodynamics and fluid dynamics. Second, students will learn precipitation, water circulation, and mesoscale phenomena.

Geology I

In order to predict how the global environment will change, students need to know the history of the earth. Students will find a path to figure out the history of the global environment from rocks and fossils that are familiar to us. Geology is a fundamental study to understand changes of the global environment historically. Students will learn how to decipher information about the history of the earth and changes inside of the earth from rocks and geological formation, and will also learn how an overview of the history of the earth is considered.

Seismology I

Students will learn fundamentals for seismology, including causes of earthquakes and wave propagation in the Earth, using mathematics, physics, and data science. The course consists of lectures and exercises for plate tectonics, theory of fault mechanics, distribution and statistics of seismic activity, and nature and observations of seismic waves. Various topics and methodologies in seismology will be introduced, while a more advanced curriculum will be included in Seismology II, a successor course.

Architectural Structure Study

Students will gain abilities to explain what they learn in a class with sentences and diagrams. Students will also learn about the basics of architectural structures and civil engineering structures, and how these structures are made up. Damages due to earthquakes and typhoons are often caused by the destruction of architectural structures and civil engineering structures. In order to reduce the damages, it is necessary to create structures strong enough to against strong winds and shakes caused by earthquakes. Students will learn the basic knowledge to work out countermeasures.

Experiments in Applied Physics

The goal of this course is to learn how to conduct experiments, analyze and discuss the results, and write reports through various experiments related to geophysical and physical topics.

These skills will be essential to progress in physics-related graduation research.

Practice in Geology

This course focuses on the essential practical skills that should be learned before conducting geological surveys in the field. Practices include mapreading, terrain analysis, use of a compass clinometer, creating a route map with a compass and pacing, grain size analysis, principles and calculations of radiometric dating, rock and fossil observation, stratigraphic column construction, and geologic mapping. The course also includes a one day excursion into the regional geology and environment.

Global Environmental Study Exercises I

Students will gain the latest analytical techniques and problem-solving methods related to the global environment. The global environment related problems are in various fields. Students will choose one of the faculty members who specializes in a field that students are interested in as an instructor. With the instructor, students will learn what can do to approach the problems and how to solve them.

Geological Survey Exercise

The goal is to understand the method of geological survey in the field, and to be able to get an overview of the stratigraphy of the survey area with the data obtained by students themselves. It is aimed to obtain the basics of geological surveys for obtaining geological data in the field. Students will submit the data from the geological surveys as a report. It makes this course special to go out into the fields and observe actual rocks and geological formations.

Calculus

Based on Mathematics for Science and Technology A/B lectured during the first semester in the first year, students learn mathematics as a tool for various fields of geoscience. With some rigorous mathematical backgrounds, the main goal is to be familiar with calculating and applying differential equations and linear algebra required for describing natural phenomena and analyzing their data.