GG101 Syllabus

GG 101, Natural Environments: The Atmosphere

Spring 1999

This course is an introduction to weather and climate. Topics to be covered include controls of weather and climate, day-to-day variations in weather, severe storms, climates of the world, and climate change. The course is comprised of three lectures and one lab per week. There are no prerequisites.

Essentials

Instructor:	Jeff Key, Dept. of Geography
Office:	441A, CAS/Stone Science Bldg., 353-2841
Office hours:	M & F,12-1; W, 1-2 (exceptions will be announced); other hours by appointment
Class time:	Lecture: Mon, Wed, Fri: 11-12 Labs on Tues: 11-1, Wed: 9-11, Th: 9-11, Fri: 9-11
Classroom:	Lectures in CAS B12; Labs in STO 453 (next to Geog. Dept. office)
Lab Instructor:	Christine Woerlen, office hours: T, 10-11; Th, 11-12
Textbook:	Strahler & Strahler, Physical Geography, Science and Systems of the Human Environment, 1997.
Lab Manual:	Purchase the GG101 Laboratory Manual in the Geography Department office.

Grading

Exam 1: 25%

Exam 2: 25%

Exam 3 (Final): 25%

Labs: 30%

The lowest of the three exam grades is worth 20% rather than 25%. Exams will be multiple choice. Late lab assignments are penalized significantly; your lab instructor will provide details. The grading in GG101 is very simple: Grades are not curved, and letter grades are related to percentages as follows:

92.5 - 100.0: A
90.0 - 92.4: A-
87.5 - 89.9: B+
82.5 - 87.4: B
80.0 - 82.4: B-
77.5 - 79.9: C+
72.5 - 77.4: C
70.0 - 72.4: C-
60.0 - 69.9: D
less than 60: F

Policies

All exams must be taken at the scheduled times. Makeup exams are only given with a doctors note or a note from the Dean. No exceptions.
Attendance is required. If you miss a class, do not ask me to repeat what was covered in the lectures during my office hours. Same policy for the labs.
No eating in class.

See the CAS Student Handbook about academic honesty and incomplete grades.

Schedule

The following schedule will be adjusted to suit needs of this particular class.

Week	Dates	Topic	Reading	Labs
1	1/11, 13, 15	Introduction. Weather analysis; Earth grid.	Introduction, Chapter 1	NO LABS
2	1/20, 22	Earth-Sun relationships, time.	Chapter 2	NO CLASS 1/18 Lab 1
3	1/25, 27, 29	Atmospheric composition. Radiation.	Chapter 2	Lab 2
4	2/1, 3, 5	Radiation, cont. Energy balance.	Chapter 2	Lab 3 (outside)
5	2/8, 10, 12	Temperature cycles. Global distribution of temperature.	Chapter 3	Lab 4
6	2/16, 17, 19	EXAM 1 (Wednesday, 2/17) Moisture, clouds, precipitation.	Chapter 4	2/15->2/16 NO LABS
7	2/22, 24, 26	Lapse rates, convection.	Chapter 4	Lab 5
8	3/1, 3, 5	Precipitation. Pressure and global circulation.	Chapter 5	Lab 6
9	3/8, 10, 12	SPRING BREAK
10	3/15, 17, 19	Oceanic circulation; local winds.	Chapter 5	NO LABS
11	3/22, 24, 26	Air masses. Midlatitude cyclones.	Chapter 6	Lab 7
12	3/29, 31, 4/2	EXAM 2 (Wednesday, 3/31) Thunderstorms.	pp. 104-107	NO LABS
13	4/5, 7, 9	Lightning. Tornadoes, Hurricanes.	Chapter 6	Lab 8
14	4/12, 14, 16	El Nino/Southern Oscillation. Basis for climate classification.	Chapter 7	Lab 9
15	4/21, 23	Soil water budget. World climates: Strahler, Koppen. Low-latitude climates.	pp. 496-498 Appendix 4 Chapters 8, 9	NO CLASS 4/19 NO LABS
16	4/26, 28, 30	Mid- and high-latitude climates. Vegetation, global ecosystems.	Chapter 21	Lab 10
17	5/3, 5, 7	Climate change. Review.	Epilogue	NO LABS
FINAL	5/14	EXAM 3 (Friday, 2:00-3:00)

Lab Topics

Lab 1: Mathematical Assessment

Lab 2: Earth-Sun Relationships

Lab 3: Earth's Radiation Balance

Hands on: Albedometers, net radiometer, sun photometer

Lab 4: Temperature Variations

Lab 5: Energy and Temperature

Hands on: Heat transfer through water and soil

Lab 6: Atmospheric Humidity and Pressure

Hands on: Sling psychrometers

Demonstration: Cloud slides

Lab 7: Atmospheric Stability and Pressure

Demonstration: Vapor pressure

Lab 8: Weather Map Analysis

Lab 9: Climate Classification

Lab 10: Paleoclimate