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 9 | 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 11 | Atmospheric composition and structure. Controls on climate: The global energy balance. | Online textbook: 2.1.1 The heat balance at the top of the atmosphere.
Reading: "Bad Greenhouse" |
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| Jan 16 | Variations in the global energy balance. | 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 18 | Surface energy balance.
Example of a Climate News presentation. |
2.1.6 Heat balance at the surface. | |
| Jan 23 | Heat transport by the atmospheric and oceanic general curculation.
Team 3 Climate News presentation. |
Online textbook: 2.1.5 Heat storage and transport
2.1.5.1 Heat storage 2.1.5.2 Heat transport |
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| Jan 25 | The atmospheric general circulation. |
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." |
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| Jan 30 | Perturbations to the atmospheric general circulation: Monsoons.
Ocean circulation: Wind driven circulations. Upwelling and downwelling. Composition and properties of ocean water. |
Online textbook: 1.3.1 (Sea water) Composition and properties. | |
| Feb 1 | Ocean circulation:
Thermohaline cicrculation and the ocean conveyor belt.
Team 2 Climate News presentation. |
Rahmstorf, S.: The Ocean Thermohaline Circulation: A Brief Fact Sheet | Feb 6 | El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. | Online textbook: 5.2.1 El Niño-Southern Oscillation National Center for Atmospheric Research, El Niño, La Niña, and ENSO FAQ | Feb 8 | El Niño and the Southern Oscillation (continued). Other major oscillations in the climate system. | 5.2.2 The North Atlantic Oscillation
Supplemental reading: John Nielsen-Gammon (Texas state climatologist) article on relation of global temperature trends to ENSO phase. |
| Feb 13 | The hydrologic cycle and water resources.
Team 4 Climate News presentation. |
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 12. Late quizzes will not be accepted. | |
| Feb 15 | The hydrologic cycle and water resources (continued). | Each team submits three essay questions for the midterm by start of class today. | |
| Feb 20 | Active review session for midterm exam (questions and discussion). | ||
| Feb 22 | Midterm exam | ||
| Part II: Climate Effects and Changes | |||
| Feb 27 | A world tour of climates, including extremes. | ||
| Mar 1 | Climate of Iowa. | ||
| Mar 6 | Climate and agriculture. | UN Food and Agriculture Organization summaries: Maize. Wheat. | |
| Mar 8 | Climate and agriculture (continued).
Team 1 Climate News presentation. |
UN Food and Agriculture Organization summaries: Soybean. Sugarcane. | |
| Mar 13 | Spring Break | Rest and relaxation. | |
| Mar 15 | Spring Break | Fun in the sun (or snow, or rain). | |
| Mar 20 | Climate data sources. Causes of natural climate changes. |
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 22 | Causes of natural climate changes (continued).
Richard Alley lecture: The Biggest Control Knob. Discussion. |
View the Alley video and submit the related assignment by start of class today. |
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| Mar 27 | In-class workday for climate reports. Attendance required. | Complete plagiarism tutorial and "Post-Test Your Knowledge" quiz by start of 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 post-test by this deadline. | |
| Mar 29 |
Anthropogenic climate change: Changes to atmospheric composition.
Team 5 Climate News presentation. |
Materials for class: Summary for Policymakers: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. | |
| Apr 3 | Anthropogenic climate change: Changes to land use. | Materials for class: Summary for Policymakers: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. | |
| Apr 5 | Understanding and predicting climate change: Climate models. Projected global climate changes, including changes to extremes. |
Readiness quiz for climate reports.
Materials for class: Summary for Policymakers: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group I. and Summary for Policymakers: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation |
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| Apr 10 | Effects of climate change on agriculture and crops. | ||
| Apr 12 | Effects of climate change on human health. | ||
| Apr 17 | Predicted changes to the climate of Iowa. | ||
| Apr 19 | Farmer adaptation to and attitudes toward climate change. | Fact sheets due by start of class today (both printed and PDF). Late submissions are not accepted. | |
| Apr 24 | Poster presentations of climate reports. | ||
| Apr 26 | Poster presentations of climate reports. | ||
| May 2 Wednesday 9:45-11:45 am |
Final exam
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