Syllabi
224.5010
Prof. Michael Lazar and Prof. Daniel Sher
This interdisciplinary course introduces the scientific foundations of global environmental and climate change, including the impacts of human activities and climate change on natural and human systems. It also explores the relationship between science, society, and public understanding of environmental issues, with a particular focus on how art can be used to communicate climate change and engage diverse audiences.
224.4092
Dr. Regina Katsman
This course provides students with the mathematical and programming foundations required for graduate studies and research in marine sciences. Topics include trigonometry, analytical geometry, vector analysis, complex numbers, ordinary and partial differential equations, as well as the fundamentals of scientific programming using MATLAB. The course also includes practical programming exercises to develop basic modelling skills for advanced coursework and research projects.
227.4068
Dr. Igal Berenstein, Dr. Yoav Lehahn
Challenges in the Mediterranean course will discuss current topics relating to the Mediterranean, from natural sciences, through the humanities and social sciences, to politics and current-day policies. We will discuss ports, marine transportation, Environmental Challenges and gas and oil exploration. Each lecture will be given by an expert in the field and will be accompanied by required reading material.
224.4993
Prof. Revital Bookman
The course will present the concept of time and dating and its use to study changes in time. We will start with an overview of the geological timetable, dating materials, and different dating approaches. We will explain the basic concepts of relative dating in the field and using archeological artifacts and will move to radioactivity and radiometric dating. Emphasis will be given to Quaternary dating methods such as Radiocarbon, OSL, and U-series. We will also explore the use of δ18O wiggle matching, dendrochronology, tephrochronology, and varve records, and discuss the use of nuclear experiments and disasters as chronological markers for environmental reconstructions.
224.4090
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
This field course uses the Dead Sea Basin as an analogue for deep marine environments to examine sedimentary processes and geological evolution. Through field observations and mapping, students investigate sedimentary structures, depositional facies, faults, salt diapirs, and other geological features, while gaining insight into the evolution of the Dead Sea Basin and its significance to the geological history of the Levant.
224.4003
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
224.4021
Dr. Mor Kanari
The course is a first-hand experience in applied marine geosciences methods, to experience the full research package. Students practice an A to Z marine applied research: ask the questions, plan the survey, collect the data, process and analyze, create results, draw conclusions, and report their findings. The course includes a 36-hour marine survey, collecting oceanographic, geologic, and geophysical data at sea.
221.4020
Prof. Nir Sapir
224.4011
Prof. Barak Herut, Dr. Guy Sisma-Ventura, Dr. Jacob Silverman
This course explores the chemical cycles of seawater and marine sediments and their interactions within marine ecosystems. Students examine key concepts in marine biogeochemistry, including mass balance, biogeochemical processes, the carbonate system, nutrient dynamics, ocean acidification, water–sediment interactions, and isotope geochemistry. The course also addresses anthropogenic impacts on marine systems and introduces analytical methods through lectures, exercises, seminars, and scientific literature discussions.
224.4015
Prof. Revital Bookman
224.4007
Prof. Yizhaq Makovsky
methods play an important role in investigating the marine environment. Moreover, the
search for marine resources and the need for geotechnical and environmental
information as a base for offshore development and conservation require the use of
geophysical methods. This course aims to provide basic intuitive familiarity with applied
geophysical methods, their possible uses for the investigation of the marine environment,
and the practical considerations related to using them effectively.
224.4039
Dr. Regina Katsman
224.4094
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
This interdisciplinary field course explores landscape evolution through the study of geological, biogenic, and archaeological stratigraphic sections in the Dead Sea region. Students examine the methods used to interpret stratigraphic records across different timescales, from deep geological history to the Anthropocene, through visits to key geological formations, fossil-bearing caves, and archaeological sites. The course provides opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration in an international setting.
224.4033
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
This course explores the relationships between lakes, their subsurface, and the surrounding environment, with a focus on lake sediments as archives of past environmental change. Students examine how sediment records provide evidence of climate variability, human activity, and natural hazards, while gaining an understanding of modern limnological processes and lake evolution. The course includes a two-day field excursion to the Dead Sea.
224.4032
Dr. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov
This course introduces the principles and applications of micropaleontology, the study of microscopic fossil remains and their significance in reconstructing past environments. Students explore the role of micropaleontological research in oceanography, geology, biology, and archaeology through lectures, readings, and an original laboratory research project. The course provides hands-on experience in micropaleontological methods and analysis.
224.4012
Dr. Regina Katsman
This course introduces numerical methods used to model physical processes in marine sciences. Students develop the mathematical foundations of continuum physics and learn numerical techniques for solving ordinary and partial differential equations relevant to ocean circulation, sediment transport, wave propagation, and other marine processes. The course combines theoretical concepts with practical approaches to scientific problem-solving.
Prof. Revital Bookman, Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa; Prof. Adi Torfstein, The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat.
A 6-day course at the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, including lectures, research cruise, student presentations, research project and lab work, group presentations.
The objectives of the course are to:
1. Study research methods in paleoceanography.
2. Study the paleoceanographic history of global oceans.
3. Study regional paleoceanography based on sediment sampling and processing
224.4998
Prof. Smadar Ben-Tabou de-Leon, Dr. Yoav Lehahn
The course physical of oceanography aims to teach advanced students about the physical properties of ocean water and the physical processes within them, emphasizing the physical aspects that influence marine organisms. The course will discuss external (e.g., sun, earth rotation, winds, etc.) and internal (e.g., temperature and density) factors that drive physical processes in the ocean (stratification, currents, waves, etc.). The common mathematical formalism used to study these processes and get predictions will be introduced and practiced. The course will also describe the connection between physical factors and processes to biological processes and ecological systems.
224.4999
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
This course introduces the physical properties of seawater and the processes that govern the dynamics of the ocean. Students examine the external and internal forces driving ocean circulation, stratification, and waves, while developing the mathematical tools used to analyze and predict these processes. The course also explores the links between physical oceanographic processes and marine ecosystems.
224.4107
Dr. Regina Katsman
The objective is to gain exposure to recent advances in the computational geophysics having an importance to the studies conducted by the students. The lectures are presented by students and faculty members. The meetings are supposed to widen the students research horizons. The lectures are followed by discussions. COMSOL Multiphysics software will be presented and trained in a separate workshop.
227.4058
Dr. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov, Prof. Tali Mass, and Prof. Tali Treibitz
Course brings students through training for qualification as basic scientific divers within the AAUS system (certified to do scientific work to 12 m). The primary training will give the students the ability to perform elementary scientific field tasks.
224.4035
Dr. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov and Prof. Michael Krom
Writing and communicating your work is a central aspect of academic life. This course covers the general subject of academic study dissemination and guides the class participants through a series of writing and communication activities that will provide the opportunity to develop useful and necessary skills including how to write a formal abstract, prepare and present posters, conference talks, speed talks, understanding the peer-review process, academic papers, and writing proposals.
224.4036
The course provides an overview of the seafloor and the geological/sedimentological processes that shape its morphology, from currents to submarine landslides.
224.4022
Prof. Yizhaq Makovsky
Seismic imaging is the primary applied geophysical method used in research and industry. The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the understanding of the guiding principles and various technical applications of this technique. Practical exercises utilize MATLAB programming for simple calculations of synthetic seismograms, basic ray tracing, and more.
224.4992
Dr. Yoav Lehahn
Seismic imaging is the primary applied geophysical method used in research and industry. The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the understanding of the guiding principles and various technical applications of this technique. Practical exercises utilize MATLAB programming for simple calculations of synthetic seismograms, basic ray tracing, and more.
224.4009
Prof. Michael Lazar
The course focuses on understanding the processes effecting the coastal environment and their connection to the morphology of the beach. The course addresses such issues as waves, tides, currents and coastal construction and examines the physical and geological processes, which are involved with weathering, transportation and deposition of sediment along the coasts, as well as the role of sea level fluctuations as result of climate changes.
224.4043
Prof. Boris Katsnelson
The course is designed to introduce students to the Fourier analysis, and methods of signal processing, including practical skills within the framework of MATLAB tools. The program of the course includes forward and inverse Fourier transform (fft and ifft in MATLAB), analysis of the spectrum of the signal, windowed Fourier transform, construction and analysis of spectrogram, methods and tools of filtering. Analysis of a selection of the desired signal on the noise background, estimation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Main attention is paid to practical skills using MATLAB tools.
224.4093
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
In this course, we will learn about climate change, and understand the various factors that affect the climate, those that have occurred in the past, its current effects on the nature around us and humanity, and the predictions and models for the future. We will study these topics while taking examples from current cases, which will serve as tools for understanding what may happen in the future.
224.4097
פרופ’ רויטל בוקמן
גיאולוגיה של האוקיינוסים, גיאולוגיה ימית, היא תחום רחב ומשמעותי במדעי כדור הארץ. לאורך הקורס נלמד על יצירת והתפתחות האוקיינוסים לאורך ההיסטוריה הגיאולוגית של כדור הארץ ולאור טקטוניקת הלוחות. נדון בסוג הסלעים והמשקעים המרכיבים את הקרקעית ותת הקרקע של האוקיינוסים תוך התייחסות לתכונות הפיזיקליות והכימיות שלהם. נבין כיצד ניתן לקבוע את גיל האוקיאנוסים והסלעים שנוצרו בהם וכיצד השדה המגנטי של כדור הארץ נירשם בהם
205.5703
אליק אלמוג
סדנה להתנסות בתהליכי יזמות לפיתוח מענים לאתגרים חברתיים וסביבתיים, על פי מודל “Challenge based Innovation” ומודלים מובילים נוספים מעולם היזמות והחדשנות וכן מעולם המדיניות הציבורית. השתתפות בקורס מאפשרת למידה, הכרה ויישום של מודלים אלה. הסטודנטים, יעבדו בצוותים רב תחומיים תוך למידת האתגרים שיוצבו בקורס, הכרת מרחב הבעיה ותהליך רעיונאות להצעה לפתרון אפשרי לאתגר בסיום הקורס יציגו הסטודנטים מצגת המפרטת את מיפוי האתגר, תהליכי החשיבה והצעתם לפתרון, כולל פידבק מבעלי האתגר. בסיום הקורס יגישו הסטודטים עבודת גמר אשר מפרטת את תוצרי למידת האתגר וכן את פירוט הדרישות הרצויות להצעתם לפתרון האתגר.
224.5001
Prof. Nicolas Waldmann
This course explores the geological evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region, from the breakup of Pangea and the Tethys Sea to the present-day Mediterranean. Combining introductory lectures with a multi-day field excursion, students examine tectonic, sedimentary, and geomorphological processes while connecting outcrop observations to the geological history of the deep Levant Basin
224.4098
Prof. Michael Lazar
227.4041
Prof. Daniel Sher, Prof. Mike Krom, Prof. Nadya Teutsch
This course introduces the principles of biogeochemical oceanography, focusing on the interactions between biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes in the ocean. Students will examine major biogeochemical cycles, their expression in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, and develop skills in analyzing and interpreting oceanographic data.
224.4096
Prof. Nadya Teutsch
An overview of sources, pathways, and geochemical cycles of contaminants in the environment, including the marine environment. The course focuses on heavy metals, metal contamination, microplastics, isotopic tools for tracing contamination, and environmental pollution, using Haifa Bay as a case study.
