GEOG 110 - Introduction to Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

Contact Information and Class Information:

Description:

Welcome to Geography 110 – Introduction to Meteorology, an introductory survey of the earth's atmosphere, weather systems, and climate. Part of the focus will be on understanding the earth and our environment as a single interconnected system driven by solar energy, since both the ocean and atmosphere play a major role in determining both weather and climate. We will cover three of the four basic earth subsytems (the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere) and their relationships and interconnections, as well as our human relationship with them. This course is a broad introduction, so we'll cover a little bit of everything, from severe weather to climate change, including many applications and tools used in modern forecasting and research. There will also be significant hands-on data analysis using live weather data and other topical events as learning tools.

Course Goals:

Our goals in this course are to encourage and enable you to:

1. define the role of meteorology as an academic discipline and identify potential career opportunities.

2. develop an elementary understanding of the complex interrelationships of the atmospheric environment and the weather-related impacts on human activities.

3. understand the mass and energy relationships between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere.

4. understand that the earth constitutes a single interconnected system of systems.

5. understand that some human-induced changes may affect the stability of the entire earth system.

6. develop methods of interpreting and using current environmental data from local and remote sources.

7. understand the limitations of observations, measurements, and model results, and how to interpret them.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, you should be able to demonstrate the ability to do the following:

1. synthesize an understanding of earth system interrelationships.

2. identify common atmospheric features and analyze how they form.

3. synthesize an understanding of atmospheric processes and their human impacts.

4. describe and define the concept of our earth environment as a system of systems, and describe the patterns of energy flow that drive it.

5. describe and evaluate the cyclical nature of water and heat energy in the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

6. evaluate our human impact on the earth environment, and identify some of the possible alternatives for avoiding calamity.

7. apply the scientific method to analyze and interpret basic atmospheric data and weather patterns using observations, measurements, maps, charts, images, graphs, and model results.

Supplies:

Lecture and Lab:

You are responsible for obtaining any handouts or other materials and any announcements you may miss. This includes announcements you miss if you come late to class. You should ask me for copies of any handouts you miss. For extra lecture notes, don't ask me - ask your fellow classmates for a copy of their notes. It's always best to get copies from at least two different classmates. Other than the handouts, my "lecture notes" are either outlines or bullet lists, and are not very helpful for students. Where possible, the lectures will be supplemented by group activities and projects.

Lecture assignments and laboratory exercises make extensive use of the Internet for both current weather data and other course materials, as well as additional references and data sources, while the online version of the course is almost exclusively done via the Internet. Whichever class you are in, you will need access to a fairly recent computer with a modern web browser (including current Java and Flash plugins, etc) and a reasonable Internet connection. Again, the LRC and ARC, as well as other places on campus, provide computers for student use.

Office Hours:

In addition to email, I am available for virtual office hours (on IRC; see below) most evenings and weekends, and by prior arrangement. If necessary, you may call me at the above numbers if you need assistance. When calling me at work, please be brief. When calling me at home, please call before 10:00 p.m. during the week, and between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm on weekends. Since I don't have a physical office on campus, I can be available by arrangement shortly before class time. However, as mentioned above, I am available via email, as well as for virtual office hours on irc.freenode.net (channel #geozone) most evenings and weekends, as well as by prior arrangement. This is the most immediate and flexible means of communication. If you are unfamiliar with IRC, now is your chance to learn :) Please visit this link.

Homework Assignments:

The exact schedule for all class assignments will be published in the class calendar shortly after the start of the semester. There will be several individual and/or group homework assignments throughout the semester, and weekly lab exercises utilizing both the investigations manual and the Online Weather Studies web site. In general, the lab exercises are to be turned in the following week after the date the assignment is handed out. Each individual exercise is worth about 50 points, while a major project assignment may be about the same as a mid-term exam (approx. 200 points). Late homework is not accepted (without a good reason). Homework must be neat, legible, and follow an orderly solution progression. All work must be shown, not just the answers.

Exams and Grades:

There will be at least two midterm exams, and one final exam. Exams are based on the material from the lectures, text, and assignments. There will be no makeup exams given, except in very specific cases (e.g., TDY). The exam dates will be published well in advance; it is your responsibility to meet your obligations in terms of preparation and attendance.

It is vital to do your own work on the assignments in order to do well on the exams. Anyone suspected of not doing his or her own work risks receiving a zero on that assignment or exam. If you find you must get outside help, be sure you do the work and that you understand the assignment. Grading for exams, homework assignments, and the final grade will be as follows:

Final grades will be an approximately equal weighting of assignments and exams.

Attendance:

If necessary, withdrawal from class prior to the appropriate deadline is your responsibility. Failure to withdraw or drop by the dates listed in the Schedule of Classes will result in a grade appropriate to the amount and quality of work submitted. If you decide you don't need to be in this class, then you should make sure you turn in the relevant paperwork to either drop or withdraw from the class. Anyone on the official roster at the end of the semester must receive a grade.

Your level of attendance contributes significantly to your overall level of success in this course. The lack of office hours further underscores the importance of attending lectures. One or two absences for illness or an emergency are acceptable; please see me or call the school counselor if you are experiencing problems that cause you to miss more than two classes in a row. Attendance is taken in order to comply with Allan Hancock's and the state's requirements. For those with borderline grades, good attendance will be enough to push them up to the higher grade, while poor attendance will have the opposite effect. A detailed outline for the rest of the semester will be available soon, as well as scores and other interesting facts, on this web site.

http://www.gentoogeek.org/geography