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Global Change
Meteorology/Agronomy/Env. Science/Env. Studies 404/504
Spring 2008, MWF 11:00-11:50 p.m.
Instructor
William
J. Gutowski, Jr.
3021 Agronomy
gutowski@iastate.edu

(Image courtesy of http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Course Description:
Current understanding of how climate evolves under natural and human
influences. Global energy balance, structure and circulation of the
atmosphere and oceans, role of land and snow/ice processes, climate
variability, climate modeling, implications of climate change for
natural and human systems, policy and ethical issues of climate change.
Course Objectives:
To understand
Structure of Course:
Three meetings during the semester will be devoted to a seminar-style
format where we
will discuss current journal articles in various relevant topics.
Graduate (504-level) students will be required to hand in a 1-2 page written
critique of each paper. Undergraduate (404-level) students will be required to
hand in (at the start of the seminar class)
Major, overriding concepts (not specific details)
from each paper are fair game for exam questions.
Readings:
Term Papers:
Students enrolled in the graduate-level version course (Mteor/Agron/EnSci/EnvS 504) will be required to write a 10-12 page term paper and submit an outline for topic approval. Students in the 504 course are required to pick their topics and to present their findings orally during the last week of classes. Relevant milestones for term papers appear in the course schedule below. Please read the further details for term papers.
Note the first deadline: Feb. 1, for paper topics.
Grading:
404 (Undergraduate level)
| Quizzes | 20 % |
| Seminar Participation | 20 % |
| Mid-term Exam | 25 % |
| Final | 35 % |
504 (Graduate level)
| Quizzes | 10 % |
| Seminar Participation & Critiques | 15 % |
| Mid-Term Exam | 20 % |
| Final | 35 % |
| Term Paper & Oral Presentation | 20 % |
Quizzes
Quizzes are administered through WebCT. You can download copies of the quizzes as they become available:
You may find it useful to look at the quiz first before attempting to take it online.Pre-recorded Lectures: I may use pre-recorded lectures for some topics for times when I am out of town. Note that material covered on these lectures can appear on tests. I will of course answer questions you may have about the material presented in these lectures.
To view and listen to them, you simply need to click on the link for the lecture identified as pre-recorded lectures in the course schedule, so long as you have an appropriate browser with the Macromedia Flash Player extension included. Typically, this extension is already in your browser, but if it is not, you will be asked if you want it downloaded and installed on your machine. Basically, Windows and Macintosh OS X machines are ok. Linux machines should work, but success is not guaranteed.
I would like to know about whatever problems you encounter, so please send me an email on those, even if you fix the problem yourself.
For best visual clarity, you should make your browser window as large as possible. If you are listening to the lectures with others around you, out of courtesy, please use headphones.
Students Needing Disability Accommodation:
Iowa State University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodations Request (SAAR) form from the Disabilities Resources (DR) office (515-294-6624), located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076.
Acknowledgment:
This offering of Mteor/Agron/EnvSci/EnvSt 404/505 is a major revision of the version taught for several years by Prof. Gene Takle. Despite these changes, the overall goals and inspiration for the course stems from the earlier developments by Prof. Takle, whose efforts are much appreciated.
Tentative Schedule:
|
Date |
Topic |
Source |
Supplementary Materials |
|
14 January |
Introductions |
- |
- |
|
16, 18 January |
Overview of Climate Change Science |
IPCC Working Group-I |
Background (from earlier GC courses) |
|
21 January |
ML King Day - no classes |
||
|
23 January |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 1 |
Historical overview from the American Institute of Physics |
|
|
25 January |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 2 |
- |
|
|
28, 30 January |
Observed Climate: Surface & Atmosphere Animations in the lecture: |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 3 |
Animations of climatic fields (courtesy of Geography Dept., Univ. Oregon) |
|
1 February |
504 term paper topic due | ||
|
1 February |
Observed Climate: Snow, ice, permafrost |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 4 |
- |
|
4 February |
Observed Climate: Oceans & Sea Level |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 5 |
- |
|
6 February |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 6 |
- |
|
|
8 February |
Seminar - Papers to be reviewed: |
Questions raised from the class |
|
|
11, 13 February |
Biogeochemistry & Climate
|
IPCC WG-I Chapter 7 |
- |
|
14 February | Tanya Atwater lecture: "Tales of the Ice Age" |   | |
|
15 February |
Climate
Models
|
IPCC WG-I Chapter 8 |
- |
|
18, 20, 22 February |
Climate Models (continued)
|
IPCC WG-I Chapter 8 |
- |
|
25 February |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 9 |
- |
|
|
27 February |
MID-TERM EXAM |
IPCC WG-I Chapters 1-8 |
- |
|
29 February |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 9 |
- |
|
|
3, 5, 7 March |
Projected Future Changes
|
IPCC WG-I Chapter 10 |
Assigned reading: SRES Emissions Scenarios |
|
7 March |
504 term paper outline due | ||
|
10, 12, 14 March |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 11 |
- |
|
|
17-21 March |
Spring Break - no classes |
||
|
24 March |
Regional Changes (continued) |
IPCC WG-I Chapter 11 |
- |
|
26, 28 March |
I am away 26 and 28 March. There will be guest
lectures by
|
|
- |
|
31 March |
Seminar - Papers to be reviewed: |
Questions raised from the class |
|
|
2, 4 April |
Impacts: Water Resources |
IPCC WG-II Chapter 3 |
- |
|
4 April |
504 term paper due for peer review | ||
|
7, 9 April |
Impacts: Ecosystems |
IPCC WG-II Chapter 4 |
- |
|
11 April |
Impacts: Human Health |
IPCC WG-II Chapter 8 |
- |
|
11 April |
504 term paper peer reviews due | ||
|
14 April |
Seminar - Papers to be reviewed: |
Questions raised from the class |
|
|
16 April |
Impacts: Coastal Systems |
IPCC WG-II Chapter 6 |
- |
|
16, 18 April
| Bjorn Lomborg lecture |   |
Some thoughts on the lecture |
|
21 April |
IPCC WG-II Chapter ? |
- |
|
|
22 April
| Kerry Emanuel lecture: "Is Global Warming Affecting Hurricanes?" |   | |
|
23, 25 April |
Skeptics (continued) |
- |
|
|
25 April |
504 term paper: Final versions due | ||
|
28, 30 April |
Student presentations of 504 term papers |
  |
  |
|
7 May |
Final Exam, 9:45-11:45 am
|
Additional Sources of Information:
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(Images courtesy of USGS EROS Data Center: Himalayas, Deforestation in Bolivia, Namibian Desert)