Earth and Life

Academic unit or major

Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Instructor(s)

Shigeru Ida / John William Hernlund

Class Format

Lecture

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

7-8 Mon (石川台2号館, 307, Ishikawadai Bldg. 2) / 7-8 Thu (石川台2号館, 307, Ishikawadai Bldg. 2)

Class

-

Course Code

EPS.A337

Number of credits

200

Course offered

2021

Offered quarter

4Q

Syllabus updated

Jul 10, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

We discuss the formation of the Earth, the evolution of its surface environments, the origin of diversity of exoplanetary systems, and terrestrial planets in those systems. We also discuss icy moons around gas giant planets, for which habitability is actively discussed. This is a series of lectures by several researchers including non-Japanese researchers.

su's interior based on a combination of limited observations and laboratory experiments. We also discuss the formation and evolution of our planet, with its connection to the origin and evolution of life. In addition, we have to consider planet formation processes in general, in order to explain the observations of our solar system and exosolar systems and understand the ubiquity and diversity of planetary systems. Planet formation is a multi-step process involving a variety of physical phenomena. It is important to understand 1) the initial conditions of planet formation such as the dynamical / thermal structure and viscous evolution of proto-planetary disks and 2) the basis for planetary growth such as orbital evolution and coalescence growth processes of small bodies.
About half of lectures are given by non-Japanese professors in English.

Course description and aims

To understand the basic knowledge to discuss the origin of the Earth, co-evolution of the Earth and life, and life in the universe.

Keywords

Interior of the Earth, Formation and evolution of the Earth, Planet formation, Solar system, Exosolar system, organic chemistry, biochemistry

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Lectures and reports

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

None

Reference books, course materials, etc.

None in English

Evaluation methods and criteria

Evaluation based on attendance and reports

Related courses

• EPS.A418 ： Solid-Earth Science A
• EPS.A201 ： Introduction to Material Sciences of Earth and Planet
• EPS.A333 ： Planetary Astronomy
• EPS.A202 ： Introduction to Earth and Planetary Sciences

Prerequisites

already learned basic physics, introductory Earth & planetary sciences, and introduction astronomy.