The objectives of this course are to gain a basic understanding of the interrelationships among the earth's major physical and biological systems and to gain an appreciation of past and potential future global environmental changes. The role of humans in propagating and mitigating global change will also be examined. We will discuss changes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere, and the impacts of human actions. Aspects of the forecasted global warming as well as other important issues will be discussed in detail.
The textbook is available at the UMass Textbook Annex and at a discount at the Jeffrey Amherst College Bookstore in Amherst.
Lecture outlines are being made available at this website (http://www.geo.umass.edu/courses/glbch/lect.ol.html) within a day or two of each class lecture. These are just outlines -- you still need to come to class to hear the lectures!
Class attendance is mandatory for this course! If you don't plan on attending the lectures, don't register for this course.
Students will be responsible for lecture and video content and all assigned readings for the exams. Each exam will cover material assigned since the previous exam. Each of the five exams will be of the form of a modified "pyramid exam". The exam will be taken as a regular exam for the first 25 minutes of class and then retaken with the help of books, notes, and partners for the second 25 minutes of the period. The score of each exam will be the sum of 75% of the first try and 25% of the second try. Make-up exams will only be given for documented, excusable absences. The format of any make-up exam will be decided by the instructor and may include oral and essay questions. Each exam is worth a maximum of 100 points, so the five exams are worth a total 500 points.
You will also be given 24 written assignments that are intended to foster critical thinking and to help you master the basic concepts of the course. The assignments will be completed during class time and handed in at the end of the class. Each writing assignment is worth 5 points for a total of 120 points toward your total score in the course.
Your final grade will be based on the total number of points you accumulate out of the maximum possible 620 points. Grades will be earned as follows:
Grade |
Number of points |
|
A |
More than 560 |
|
A- |
540 - 560 |
|
B+ |
520 - 540 |
|
B |
500 - 520 |
|
B- |
480 - 500 |
|
C+ |
460 - 480 |
|
C |
440 - 460 |
|
C- |
420 - 440 |
|
D |
400 - 420 |
|
F |
Fewer than 400 |
A list of many of the topics to be covered follows and a detailed syllabus is available.
Department of Geosciences homepage