Department of Geosciences GEO-SCI 354: Climatology Fall 2011

Inside the eye of Hurricane Katrina - August, 2005

The course objectives are:

1. Development of material through inquiry and discovery.
2. An understanding of the components of the earth/atmosphere system: radiation and energy balance, the hydrological cycle, and the general circulation.
3. An understanding of climate on global, regional, and local scales.
4. An analysis of climate change and its implications.

The class will meet in Hasbrouck Laboratory, room 137, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:05 am to 9:55 am. A five minute discussion of the current weather will be given at 9:00 am. This is not a required part of the course. However, concepts introduced during the semester are often discussed, thus enhancing your knowledge of these topics. The weather discussions are also a great introduction to the fascinating world of weather.

1. Attendance at all classes is essential.
2. There will be many opportunities for you to participate in class. Your participation is highly encouraged, since the level of your participation will constitute a substantial part of your grade. Participation will also aid you in a better understanding of the class material.
3. You are required to be present for exams on the days exams are scheduled. In extraordinary circumstances I will reschedule an exam for an individual, but only if I am notified in advance of the exam.
4. Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated and will lead to a reduction in final grade or course failure.
5. Submission of assignments (see below) after assigned dates will result in reduction of 5 percentage points (or the letter grade equivalent) for each day late.
6. Many of the materials created for this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. This includes, but is not limited to, the syllabus, lectures and course notes. Except to the extent not protected by copyright law, any use, distribution or sale of such materials requires the permission of the instructor. Please be aware that it is a violation of university policy to reproduce, for distribution or sale, class lectures or class notes, unless copyright has been explicitly waived by the faculty member.

The text is Climatology by Robert V. Rohli and Anthony J. Vega, Second Edition, Copyright 2010 by Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. (ISBN 978-0-7637-9101-8) Purchase of the text is optional. The text is not necessary for the course, but can provide valuable reinforcement and supplementary material. It will be available at the Textbook Annex. Text readings are coordinated with classes in the Schedule below.

An excellent two volume reference, Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather (QC 854 E 523 1996) is available in the reference section of the Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library, Lederle GRC lowrise, floor 2. Additional meteorology and climatology books are available in that library. The books have call letters from QC851 to QC999.

A great deal of material is available only via this course Web Site. You must familiarize yourself with the procedures necessary to navigate this site. The site should be checked frequently, since it will be updated at various times through the semester.

The assignments are out of class work. See the schedule below. You will have one week to complete each assignment.

Assignment #1 - An energy balance model

Assignment #2 - Analysis of surface weather map

You are required to do a class project in which you will describe the climate of a given location. You will explain that climate in terms of the region's physical environment and the processes inherent in the climate system. Click here for the project description and assigned locations.

You can contact me by email through this web site or directly on the internet (rawlins@geo.umass.edu). Office hours are 9-10am on Tuesdays and 11:15-12:20pm on Wednesdays. However, I will be available most days from 9:00am to 4:00pm. You can reach me at 545-0659 or in Hasbrouck 236 (Climate System Research Center). It would be best to contact me in advance to set up a meeting time.

Exam #1	15%
Exam #2	15%
Final exam	15%
Assignments/Quizzes	20%
Project	25%
Class participation	10%