This course is a global treatment of environmental history and the science of natural and man-made disasters. The class presents basic science, along with case studies of past and present events and examines a range of disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, tsunami, landslides, hurricanes, pandemic diseases, meteorite impacts, and climate change. Class lectures and discussions will highlight the role of science in studying natural disasters and will describe the mechanisms responsible for these phenomena. Trace the transition of our understanding of disasters from religious and superstitious explanations to contemporary scientific accounts.

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