GC/GEOG 431/531

COURSE SCHEDULE

for GLOBAL AND REGIONAL CLIMATOLOGY

Lecture & lab topics and relevant dates

(NOTE: This outline will most probably change as we progress through the semester. Updates and revisions will be posted periodically on this page.)

I. Background Review of Climatological Principles and Global Patterns

1/11

Introduction & overview

1/16

Summary of radiation laws & overview of global energy balance

1/18

ACTIVITY 1: Class Home Page intro & global climate images activity. [NOTE: Held in Computer Lab]

1/23

Energy balance & global patterns form satellite images

1/25

Energy balance components / In-class activity

1/30

Global patterns of the climatic elements: Energy Balance & Temperature

2/1

Global patterns of the climatic elements: Moisture & Precipitation

2/6

Global patterns of the climatic elements: Pressure, Winds, Circulation, & Surface Ocean Currents [Annotated Bibliography assigment directions handed out]

2/8

ACTIVITY 2: Observations and modelled output of the Global Patterns of the Climatic Elements [NOTE: Held in Computer Lab]

II. World Climate Regions & Atmospheric Dynamics Overview

2/13

QUIZ #1 [on Part I] World climate regions & climate classification

2/15

Climate regions & climographs / In-class exercise

2/20

Atmospheric dynamics & intro to synoptic climatology of surface and upper-air circulation and airmass patterns

2/22

ACTIVITY 3: Synoptic climatology

2/27

Air-sea interaction & ENSO

2/29

ACTIVITY 4: ENSO

3/5

Teleconnections

3/7

The Americas Transect (PEP I) -- North America

3/11 - 3/15 Spring Break

III. Pole-Equator-Pole Transects

3/19

North America

3/21

QUIZ #2 [on Part II]

3/26

South America

3/28

South America

4/2

ACTIVITY 5: PEP I

4/4

The Afro-European Transect (PEP III) -- Europe

4/9

Africa

4/11

ACTIVITY 6: PEP III

4/16

The Austral-Asian Transect (PEP II) -- Monsoon Asia

4/18

Central & Northern Asia

4/23

Australia

4/25

ACTIVITY 7: PEP II

4/30

Class reports on Mini-Projects (2 minutes each) & Term Projects (10 minutes each)

Final Exam:

TUESDAY May 7, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. in LTRR classroom)

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