All assignments are due at the start of class on the date indicated, unless shown otherwise.
| Date | Topic | What's due today? Reading and assignments | |
| Part I: The climate system | |||
| Jan 15 | Class overview. Introduction, team
formation, and topic suggestions.
Introduction to climate as a system.
Notes. |
Online textbook: Introduction. Section 1.2.1: Composition and temperature. | |
| Jan 17 | Atmospheric composition and structure.
Controls on climate: The global energy balance.
Notes. |
Online textbook: 2.1.1 The heat balance at the top of the atmosphere.
Reading: "Bad Greenhouse" |
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| Jan 22 | Variations in the global energy balance.
Notes. |
2.1.4 The heat balance at the top of the atmosphere: geographical distribution Submit project title and description by start of class today. |
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| Jan 24 | Surface energy balance.
Example of a Climate News presentation. Notes. |
2.1.6 Heat balance at the surface. | |
| Jan 29 | Heat transport by the atmospheric and oceanic general circulation.
Team 3 Climate News presentation. Notes. |
Online textbook: 2.1.5 Heat storage and transport
2.1.5.1 Heat storage 2.1.5.2 Heat transport |
|
| Jan 31 |
The atmospheric general circulation.
Notes. |
Online textbook: 1.2.2 General circulation of the atmosphere
Supplemental reading: Seidel et al. (2008), "Widening of the tropical belt in a changing climate." |
|
| Feb 5 | Perturbations to the atmospheric general circulation: Monsoons.
Ocean circulation: Wind driven circulations. Upwelling and downwelling. Composition and properties of ocean water. Notes. |
Online textbook: 1.3.1 (Sea water) Composition and properties.
Homework: General circulation and energy balance. Due at start of class. | |
| Feb 7 | Ocean circulation:
Thermohaline cicrculation and the ocean conveyor belt. Observing the oceans.
Notes. |
Rahmstorf, S.: The Ocean Thermohaline Circulation: A Brief Fact Sheet | Feb 12 | El Niño and the Southern Oscillation.
Team 2 Climate News presentation. Notes. |
Online textbook: 5.2.1 El Niño-Southern Oscillation National Center for Atmospheric Research, El Niño, La Niña, and ENSO FAQ | Feb 14 | El Niño and the Southern Oscillation (continued).
Notes. |
John Nielsen-Gammon (Texas state climatologist) article on relation of global temperature trends to ENSO phase. |
| Feb 19 | The hydrologic cycle and water resources.
Notes. |
METED Module: Understanding the Hydrologic Cycle.
Take the quiz at the end of the module and forward
your score report (not the completion certificate) to agron406@gmail.com by 11:59 pm on Monday, Feb 18. Late quizzes will not be accepted. Counts as two assignments, for both points and drops. |
|
| Feb 21 |
The hydrologic cycle and water resources (continued).
Team 4 Climate News presentation. Notes. |
Each team submits three essay questions for the midterm by start of class today.
Late submissions will not be accepted.
Use this form to submit your questions.
Here is an example of a midterm exam from a previous year. |
|
| Feb 26 | Active review session for midterm exam (questions and discussion).
See "Pages" section on Canvas for a compilation of the midterm questions submitted by all teams. Notes. |
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| Feb 28 | Midterm exam | ||
| Part II: Climate Effects and Changes | |||
| Mar 5 |
Review of midterm exam.
A world tour of climates, including extremes. Notes. |
Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel, 2006: World map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 15, 259-263. | |
| Mar 7 | A world tour of climates, including extremes (continued).
Notes. |
World Meteorlogical Organization Weather and Climate Extremes Archive | |
| Mar 12 | Climate of Iowa. Climate and agriculture.
Notes. |
UN Food and Agriculture Organization summaries: Maize. Wheat. | |
| Mar 14 | Climate and agriculture (continued).
Team 1 Climate News presentation. Notes. |
UN Food and Agriculture Organization summaries: Soybean. Sugarcane. | |
| Mar 19/span> | Spring Break | Rest and relaxation. | |
| Mar 21 | Spring Break | Fun in the sun (or snow, or rain). | |
| Mar 26 | Climate data sources. Causes of natural climate changes.
Notes. |
Readings: NASA, Paleoclimatology: The Oxygen Balance. National Climatic Data Center, Paleo proxy data.
Online textbook: 5.4.1 Variations of the orbital parameters and of the insolation. 5.4.2 Orbital theory of paleoclimates. | |
| Mar 28 | In-class workday for climate reports.
Attendance required.
Notes. |
Richard Alley lecture: 4.6 Billion Years of Earth’s Climate History: The Role of CO2.
View the Alley lecture and submit the related assignment
at the start of class on today. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Link to assignment. Complete and carefully review the online plagiarism tutorial (link). There will be a quiz on this material at the start of today's class. A letter grade will be deducted from your climate report if you do not achieve a passing score (at least 8/10) on the plagiarism quiz. You will be able to re-take the plagiarism quiz once if you do not get a passing score on your first try. |
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| Apr 2 | Causes of natural climate changes.
Team 5 Climate News presentation. Notes. |
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| Apr 4 | Causes of natural climate changes (continued).
Notes. |
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| Apr 9 |
Anthropogenic climate change: Changes to atmospheric composition.
Changes to land use.
Notes. |
Materials for class: Summary for Policymakers: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. | |
| Apr 11 | Understanding and predicting climate change: Climate models.
Projected changes to temperature and precipitation.
Notes. |
Materials for class: Summary for Policymakers: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. | |
| Apr 16 | Effects of climate change on agriculture and human health.
Notes. |
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| Apr 18 | Predicted changes to variables important for climate impacts.
Sea level rise simulator. Notes. |
Materials for class:
Summary for Policymakers: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. Summary for Policymakers: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation Excerpts from Chapter 12 of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. |
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| Apr 23 | Poster presentations of climate reports. | ||
| Apr 25 | Poster presentations of climate reports. | Apr 30 | Predicted changes to the climate of Iowa and its surrounding region.
Notes. |
Fact sheets due by start of class today (both printed and PDF). Late submissions are accepted only in extraordinary circumstances (see notes for March 27). |
| May 2 | Active review session for final exam (questions and discussion). | ||
| May 2 Wednesday 9:45-11:45 am |
Final exam
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