Geography 040: Weather, Climate and Landscapes Spring 2013

Geography 040: Weather, Climate and Landscapes
Spring 2013
Instructor
Teaching Assistants
Professor Shelly A. Rayback. Ph.D.
Office: 213 Old Mill
Phone: 802.656.3019
Email:[email protected]
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays
11:30-1:00, or by appointment
Shad Payne-Meyer
Brendan Hennessey
Office: 220 Old Mill
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
Weather, Climate and Landscapes is an introduction to physical geography, the study of the
earth’s atmosphere, weather and climate, water resources, landforms and ecosystems. In this
course, we will explore the composition and function of the atmosphere, the flow of energy and
mass between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and lithosphere, and the
resulting climate patterns. We will also examine how weather and climate influence those
processes which shape the surface of the earth and influence ecosystems. In addition, we will
seek to understand how these processes affect and are affected by human activity. There are no
prerequisites for this course. This course fulfills a three credit science distribution requirement
(no lab) in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Goals of Course
1. Based on an understanding of weather factors (temperature, precipitation, pressure, etc.),
students will be able to analyze and interpret observational meteorological data to predict a
region’s weather.
2. Students will be able to synthesize weather data and other physical geographical phenomena
to interpret a region’s climate.
3. Students will be able to develop models showing the flow of energy and mass within and
between the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere and predict outcomes based on different
starting points and disturbances within and between systems.
4. Students will be able to interpret an unfamiliar image/map/landscape and assess what
physical or biological processes might have created, modified or maintained it.
5. Students will be able to evaluate information pertaining to environmental and global climate
change and distinguish whether natural processes or anthropogenic ones are the cause of change.
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Course Format
We will meet twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00-9:15 am in Williams 301.
To prepare for class, you should review the assigned readings prior to each class session.
Lectures will be used to introduce and reinforce fundamental concepts. In-class exercises will be
used to develop data interpretation skills and to evaluate conceptual understanding. Weekly online quizzes and periodic homework exercises provide an opportunity for you to test your
understanding. Exams will be drawn from lectures, readings, quizzes, in-class and homework
exercises.
Course Resources
Text, reading, and electronics
Alan F. Arbogast. 2011. Discovering Physical Geography. (2nd edition), John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
The text is available from the UVM Bookstore (new ~$140, used ~$100), or you may order it
directly from Wiley ($80.00; http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-819859.html).
There is also an electronic textbook option ($50) via the textbook publisher at
www.wiley.com. Note that purchasing an online copy of the text will require a credit card.
If you do purchase either an electronic version or a new textbook, you will be given a
WileyPlus registration code. This code provides you with access to additional features on the
WileyPlus website. Please note that this additional WileyPlus access is NOT required for the
course.
Copies of the textbook will also be available at the reserve desk in Bailey-Howe.
Any supplemental readings will be posted on Blackboard (Bb) in pdf format.
Blackboard
Weather, Climate and Landscapes 040 will have its own course webpage on Blackboard
(https://bb.uvm.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp). Here you will find the syllabus, weekly
quizzes, homework assignments, additional readings, and a grade book to track your progress
in the class.
Email
I will send you email messages via Blackboard with reminders or announcements. If you use
another email account (gmail, yahoo, etc.), please use the tool at https://webmail.uvm.edu to
forward your UVM mail to that account. You can do this at webmail by using the tool on the
left-hand frame titled “Mail Forwarding.” If you are having trouble with this, get help at the
UVM Computer Depot in the Davis Center. I expect you to check your Blackboard
account at least once a week as this is the main avenue of communication that I have
with you outside of lecture.
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Correspondence Etiquette
Please type Geography 040 in the subject line of any email correspondence with me. Please
address me as Professor Rayback or Dr. Rayback in the salutation. Please sign your full
name at the end of the email. Please DO NOT send me email messages letting me know that
you were ill/won’t be in class. I do not take attendance. If you miss a class with an in-class
exercise, you cannot receive credit for it, regardless of the reason.
Graded Work
Grades in the course will be based on on-line weekly quizzes, in-class activities, homework
exercises, and exams as follows:
Weekly on-line quizzes (10%) will be posted on Blackboard to encourage you to keep up with
the weekly readings and to facilitate your understanding of the lectures. During the second week
of class, I will post one practice quiz that does not count towards your final grade. Beginning in
Week 3, on-line quizzes will be posted once per week in association with the assigned readings.
You must complete the on-line quiz by Wednesday morning of each week by 8:00 am. I will
drop your two lowest scores when calculating the final grade. No make-up on-line quizzes will
be given.
In-class exercises (15%) will be given regularly (roughly once per week) throughout the
semester. These are opportunities to review class material and practice concepts that will be on
homework and exams. In-class exercises should be completed entirely and turned in at the end
of class. Students who miss class on the day of an in-class activity will not be given a chance to
make up the activity. However, your lowest two scores will be dropped, effectively giving you
one week of “sick leave” for the semester. If you miss additional exercises, you cannot
receive credit, regardless of the reason. You will not fail the class if you miss more than two,
but attending regularly and earning full-credit on the exercises is a good way to ensure a solid
grade in the course.
Homework exercises (25%) are designed to keep you current with lecture material, draw upon
material from the text and engage you in class discussions. Five homework exercises will help
you to build your skills in making basic calculations, interpreting graphs and maps and
synthesizing lecture and reading concepts. Due dates will be posted on each assignment and will
be strictly adhered to. All homework exercises will be turned in on the day they are due IN
CLASS. If you turn in your homework after class has ended, it is considered late. There is a
10% deduction per week day that the homework is late. Note that the homework exercises count
for one quarter of your final grade. Failing to turn in one homework assignment can seriously
impact your final grade.
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Midterm (25%) and Final (25%) exams will cover material in lecture, exercises, and readings.
Review questions will be distributed one week prior to each exam. The mid-term exam will be
given in-class during the regularly scheduled lecture time on Wednesday, February 26, 2014.
The final exam will be given on Monday, May 5, 2014 at 1:30-4:15 pm in Williams 301. The
final exam will be comprehensive, covering material from the entire semester.
Grading Scale:
A+ (97-100) B+ (87-89)
A (94-96)
B (84-86)
A- (90-93)
B- (80-83)
C+ ( 77-79)
C (74-76)
C- (70-73)
D+ (67-69)
D (64-66)
D- (60-63)
F (below 60)
Positive Learning Environment: Our Responsibilities
1. Class attendance and participation are critical to your success in the course. You are
expected to attend all class sessions, take notes, and ask a question when material is not clear. If
you are absent, it is your responsibility to take whatever steps are necessary to acquire the
material that you have missed from a classmate. I recommend that you identify another student
in class from whom you can borrow lecture notes and visit me during office hours if you have
questions about missed material.
2. If you are a student who will miss class due to athletics or another university-sponsored
activity, please let me know by the second week of classes so that I can make a note of it.
Because material missed during absences would otherwise affect your participation and
attendance score, I encourage you to visit with me during office hours to discuss arrangements
for this component of your course grade. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to make
arrangements for missed work.
3. Please be prompt to class and plan to stay in the classroom for the entire session. I ask that
you not leave the classroom for visits to the restroom, water fountain, etc. during the lecture, as it
is disrespectful to the professor and distracting to your fellow students. If you will need to leave
class early, I ask that you sit near the door and exit quietly.
4. Please refrain from conversations during lecture. If you have a question, please ask as
another student most likely has the same question.
5. Please turn off all cell phones, blackberries, iPods, iPhones, iPads, etc. Put away
newspapers, magazines, work from other classes, etc. If you plan to use a laptop or iPad to
take notes, you must sit in the back two rows of the classroom, unless you request
permission from me to do otherwise.
6. Due dates for homework exercises will be strictly adhered to. A deduction of 10% will be
assessed for each week day that an exercise is handed in late.
7. No make-up exams will be given. Exceptions to this will only be made for prearranged
absence for a university-sponsored event (see #2 above) or a documented illness or emergency
(this must be documented through your Dean’s office).
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8. I encourage you to take advantage of office hours if you have questions or concerns about the
lectures, readings, exercises or exams. You may drop in during office hours or schedule an
appointment.
9. No electronic devices, aside from a calculator, are permitted during exams. You may not use
the calculator app on your cell phone.
10. I also have high expectations of myself as a faculty member. I will come to class on time and
prepared with interesting and informative slides, videos, exercises and discussion topics. I will
aim to have homework exercises and exams graded within a week and turned back to you. I will
be available during regularly scheduled office hours. I will treat every student with respect and
will do my best to maintain a fair and balanced learning environment. If you have questions or
concerns regarding the classroom environment, please talk to me during office hours.
Learning and Other Disabilities
Students with learning and physical disabilities must let me know and provide a letter from
ACCESS if you need special exam situations or other appropriate accommodations. For your
privacy and my clarity, I ask that you talk with me during my office hours about any
accommodations requested. If you know or suspect you may have a learning disability you
should contact ACCESS for screening and advice. Contact ACCESS at 802-656-7753. They are
located at A170 Living/Learning Center on the University of Vermont Campus.
Learning Skills
UVM is fortunate to have the Learning Co-Op (www.uvm.edu/~learnco ) on campus; a center
devoted to helping UVM students learn effective study and writing skills. Please take advantage
of the programs and services the Learning Co-Op has to offer. The Learning Co-Op and Writing
Center is located at 244 Commons Living/Learning Center.
Religious Holidays and Observances
If you plan to observe a religious holiday, please contact me in-person two weeks ahead of time
to let me know. I will request a follow-up email from you regarding your absence from class as
a reminder for my records and to provide documentation.
Academic Integrity
Statement by the University of Vermont
The principal objective of The University of Vermont policy on academic honesty is to promote
an intellectual climate in which the procedures and sanctions that follow will be superfluous.
Academic dishonesty or an offense against academic honesty includes acts which may subvert or
compromise the integrity of the educational process at The University of Vermont. Such acts are
serious offenses, which insult the integrity of the entire academic community of the University.
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Offenses Against Academic Honesty
Offenses against academic honesty are any acts which would have the effect of unfairly
promoting or enhancing one's academic standing within the entire community of learners which
includes, but is not limited to, the faculty and students of The University of Vermont. The
following is a list of some, but not all, offenses of academic dishonesty: plagiarism (submitting
someone else’s work as your own), cheating, copying another’s work, and fabricating
information or citations (Adapted from the Academic Honesty Code of Ethics, UVM, 2006). I
take academic honesty very seriously. Suspected dishonesty will be handled by the Center for
Student Ethics and Standards. If you have any questions about what constitutes academic
dishonesty, please ask.
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Wk Date
1
Jan 13, 15
2
Jan 20, 22
3
Jan 27, 29
4
Feb 3, 5
5
Feb 10, 12
6
Feb 17, 19
7
Feb 24, 26
8
9
Mar 3, 5
Mar 10, 12
10
Mar 17, 19
11
Mar 24, 26
12
13
Mar 31
Apr 2
Apr 7, 9
14
Apr 14, 16
15
Apr 21 23
16
Apr 28, 30
Topic
Introduction to course: Exploring spatial patterns across the globe
A Geographer’s Tools: Maps
No Classes – MLK Jr. Holiday
Earth-Sun relationships & seasons
Structure & composition of atmosphere
Radiation and heat transport
Earth’s energy balance; spatial and temporal patterns in air temperature
Atmospheric pressure and winds
Global circulation patterns
Atmospheric moisture and global water cycle
No Classes – President’s Day
Atmospheric stability, clouds and precipitation
Air masses and cyclonic weather systems
Mid-term Exam
Spring Break
Thunderstorms and tornadoes
Tropical storms
Ocean circulation, teleconnections, climate variability
Global climates and climate variability
Changes in the atmosphere and climate
Climate conundrum: pollution vs. global warming
Alpine and continental glaciation: how ice shapes the landscape
Glacial types and landforms
The role of running water in shaping the landscape
No Class – AAG Annual Meeting
Evolution of valleys and floodplains
Biogeography: the spatial distribution of life on earth
Biomes
Disturbance and plant succession
Biogeography and global climate change
Course Summary and Evaluation
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Readings
Ch 1
Ch 2
Ch 3
Ch 4: 66-74, Ch 5: 92-95
Ch 4: 64-66, 74-88
Ch 5: 95-109
Ch 6: 114-125, 137-139
Ch 6: 125-134
Ch 7: 148-156
Ch 7: 156-175
Ch 8: 180-191
Ch 8: 191-201
Ch 8: 201-208
Ch 6: 139-143, Supplemental reading
Ch 9: 212-229
Ch 9: 229-245
Review Ch 4: 66-74
Ch 17: 470-478, 488-499
Ch 17: 479-487
Ch 16: 432-438, 442-461
Ch 16: 438-442, 461-465
Ch 10: 250-268; Review Ch 9: 212-229
Ch 10: 255-265
Ch 10: 268-275
Supplemental reading
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