Geography 204: Climatology, Spring 2004

Syllabus

Contact the Course Instructor:

Instructor

Office

Electronic Mail

Phone

Office Hours

Dr. Rob Hellström

#301, Conant Science Bldg.

rhellstrom@bridgew.edu

(508) 531-2842

MW 11 AM-12;    R 10 AM-12 or by appointment

Course Prerequisites: 

Courses at Bridgewater State College:  GE 100: Physical Geography or GE 120: The Physical World. There are no other prerequisites for this course, although you will be exposed to some simple physics and mathematics as the course progresses. If you have not taken either of the two prerequisite courses, you may enter the class under the following conditions:

·         The course is not full

·         You provide a course add/drop slip to the lecture instructor within 6 working days of the first day of regularly scheduled classes

Course Structure:

Meeting

Call #

Day, Time

Place

Lecture

10133

M 1:00-2:50 p.m.

#309 Conant Science Bldg.

Lab

10134

W 1:00-2:50 p.m.

#309 Conant Science Bldg.

 Required Text & Exercise books:

This text contains required readings from experts in climatology, helpful diagrams and tables to successfully complete GE 204. It is available at the Bridgewater State College bookstore:  

Oliver, J. E. and J. J. Hidore, 2002: Climatology: Atmospheric Science. Prentice Hall. 410 pp.

This exercise manual contains weekly activities that follow assigned text readings. Each week you will learn how to use a tool to help you understand how the atmosphere works, the importance of classifying climate and how human activity relates to climate change.

Snow, M., Snow, R., and Oliver, J.E., 2003: Exercises in Climatology. Prentice Hall. 168 pp.

Course Objectives:

This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of past, current and future climate on Earth. The main objective of this course is to introduce the principles and practical applications of climatology, particularly in relation to human and environmental interactions. Discussions will include processes governing climate, methods of measuring climate, climate interactions with the ecosystems, and the prospects of climate change. The course will include discussions of how human activities depend on weather and how they may be changing the climate of the Earth, on local and global scales.

 

 

 

 

Course Web Page:

To enhance learning and for convenient access to information, a course web site is available by connecting to the Blackboard online course system at BSC.

The course web page will provide the course requirements, special announcements, access to lecture outlines, valuable information for weekly discussions and exam review material. The page will help you to communicate and transfer of documents to the instructor and other students in the class. You will need access to a computer with and Internet connection (Internet Explorer or Netscape) to effectively use the course web site. You may print lecture outlines prior to class meetings using Microsoft PowerPoint or the PowerPoint Viewer available through Blackboard home page at:  http://plato.bridgew.edu/

You will receive instructions getting an account on Blackboard during the first class meeting.

Grading:

Your final grade is based on two (2) written examinations, eight (8) lab experiments, weekly skill exercises, and two (2) group projects with two presentations and one final paper. Examinations contain multiple choice, short answer/analysis, and essay questions. Testable material is weighted about 70% from lecture material (including book readings), 20% from lab experiments and 10% from skill exercises. No makeup exams, except under extreme circumstances: you must notify instructor prior to the exam date.

·         Mid-Term Exam (20%):  Wednesday, March 3rd, 1:00-2:50 p.m.

·         Final Exam (20%):  Wednesday, May 12th, 11:00a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Material since Mid-Term

·         Lab Experiments (20%):  You will be graded on eight (8) hands-on observation and analysis activities completed during Wednesday lab time (see outline). Labs are due one (1) week after the Wednesday lab period.

·         Skill Exercises (20%):  You will receive credit for handing in various assignments from your Exercises in Climatology lab book. These assignments will help prepare you for laboratory activities on Wednesdays. Your lab books will be collected two times during the semester, one week prior to your Mid-Term and Final Exams Review Periods (see outline). You should do all assigned exercises in the lab book, and the instructor will grade selected problems at random. They will be handed back during the Review before your Exams.

·         Group Presentations (20%):  All members of your group (2 or 3 per group) will receive the same grade for completing two (2) group presentations. A designated group leader is responsible for coordinating members of the group and ensuring that the project is presentable by the due date. Due dates for presentations are given in the course outline. You are encouraged to use the Blackboard Group email and file exchange system to share information. Each group will receive a project description during the second week of classes and each member is required to complete tasks (as provided by the course instructor).

 

 
Supplies you need to purchase:

One loose-leaf, 3-ring binder (2 inch size)

One 3.5” floppy diskette

Special needs: 

Any student eligible for and needing academic adjustments or accommodations because of a disability is requested to speak with the professor within the first week of scheduled classes.

 


 
Geography 204: Climatology, Spring 2004
Lecture, Lab and Exercise Outline

 

Monday and Wednesday 1:00-2:50

 

Lec.

Day

Date

Topic

Reading/Exercises

 

1

W

Jan. 21st

Course Expectations + Introduction to Climatology

none

 

2

M

26th

The Energy Balance and Seasons

1-42

 

 

W

28th

Group project expectations and topic selection

 

 

3

M

Feb.2nd

Atmospheric Temperature, Moisture and Pressure

43-87

 

 

W

4th

Lab #1: Transformations of Energy

Exercises 1 & 2

 

4

M

9th

Winds, the Global Atmospheric Circulation and Ocean Currents

86-126

 

 

W

11th

Lab #2: Transformations of Water

Exercises 4 & 6

 

5

T

17rd

El Niño, Air Masses and Synoptic Climatology, and Atmospheric Extremes of Climate

126-177

 

 

W

18th

Lab #3: Global Weather Patterns

Exercises 7 & 8

 

 

M

23rd

Work on Presentation #1 + Hand In Exercise Books

Bring materials

 

 

W

25th

Group Presentation #1

Practice presenting

 

 

M

Mar.1st

Midterm Review

Bring Questions

 

 

W

3rd

Midterm Exam

Material through Feb. 17th

 

 

 

8-19

SPRING BREAK, ENJOY!

none

 

6

M

Mar.22nd

Scales of Climate and Classification

181-204

 

 

W

24th

Lab #4: Classifying Global Climate Distribution

Exercises 5 & 9

 

7

M

29th

Tropical, Mid-Latitude, Polar and Highland Climates

207-256

 

 

W

31st

Lab #5: Microclimate Measurement and Analysis

Exercise 10

 

8

M

Apr.5th

Natural Causes of Climate Change and “Global” Warming

261-309

 

 

W

7th

Lab #6: The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming (Computer Modules room #201)

Exercise 12

 

9

M

12th

Climate Change and Human Activity

313-356

 

 

W

14th

Lab #7: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Read IPCC Summary

 

 

M

19th

NO CLASS: Patriot’s (Boston Marathon) Day

none

 

 

W

21st

Lab#8: Applied Climatology

Exercises 13 and 14

 

10

M

26th

Acid Rain and the Ozone “hole”

358-370

 

 

W

28th

Work on Presentation #2 + Hand In Exercise Books

Bring Materials

 

 

M

May 3rd

Group Presentation #2

Practice presenting

 

 

W

5th

Review for Final Exam + Final papers due

Bring Questions

 

 

M

10th

Reading Day (no classes)

Study for Final Exam

 

 

W

12th

Final Exam (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)

Material Since Midterm

 

PRIVATEGeography 204: Climatology, Spring 2003

Skill Exercises and Lab Experiments Outline

PRIVATEW 12:00 - 1:50 PM, Conant Science Bldg. Science Lecture Hall

Lab

Date

Topic

Preparation / Due date

1

 

Jan. 18th 

Supercooled Water and Latent Heat

Pre-Lab + Lecs. 1 & 2

25th

Discussion

Jan. 30th

2

Feb. 1st 

Clouds and Precipitation

Pre-Lab + Lec. 4

8th

Discussion

Feb. 13th

3

15th

Pressure and Wind

Pre-Lab + Lec. 8, 9 & 10

22nd

Discussion

Pre-Lab + Lec. 11

4

Mar.1st

Global Circulation and Cyclones

Pre-Lab + Lecs. 12 & 13

22nd

Discussion

Pre-Lab + Lec. 14

5

29th

Microclimate Variability

Pre-Lab + Lecs. 15 & 16

Apr. 5th

Discussion

Pre-Lab + Lec. 17

6

12th

Climate Classification

Pre-Lab + Lec. 19

19th

Discussion

Pre-Lab + Lec. 19

13

26th

Global Warming and Ozone

Pre-Lab + Lec. 20

 

May 3rd

Discussion

 

                 

 

Lab Requirements:

·         Materials: 1.5 or 2 inch ring binder to organize your lab work (and lecture notes)

 

Weather Log Book:

·        Access to the American Meteorological Society Online Weather Studies web page

o       Logging on to the server to access Online Activities for labs

§         http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/online/onlinewx

§         Username:  brid057

§         Password:  

Hint: print images from web in landscape format