DATE
Tue
/ Thu |
TOPIC |
READINGS
GCS =
The Global Climate
System |
EXERCISE |
ETC. |
| JANUARY |
| 15 |
Introductions / Overview |
-- |
background inventory |
|
| 20 |
no class today |
GCS Chapt 1
pdf |
-- |
|
| 22 |
Solar
Radiation & Temperature / Global Energy Balance |
Kiehl & Trenberth (1997) Earth's annual global
mean energy budget
Trenberth et al. (2009) Earth's global energy budget
A note on these
readings |
Exercise #1
Due Thu Jan 29
(do Part A by Tues & come with questions on Part B) |
Global Climate Animations website |
| 27 |
Moisture & Precipitation /
Global Water Balance |
Follow-up reading:
Hayden (1988) Flood Climates -- an interesting
moisture-based approach to classifying climatic regions |
Follow up:
complete the short "Adiabatic Processes Review" page in
the handout |
Bad Meteorology
- Alistair B. Fraser's website on
common misconceptions in meteorology |
| 29 |
Pressure & Winds / Atmospheric & Oceanic Circulation
|
Follow-up reading:
Lorenz, E.N. (1966) The Circulation of the Atmosphere --
a classic, readable overview of the general circulation of
the atmosphere from one of the great atmospheric scientists
of the 20th century.
|
Follow up:
complete the blank general circulation table (we'll do the
hypothetical continent exercise later) |
NOTE: In the Lorenz article, the section on
numerical weather prediction is dated, but still interesting
historically. |
|
FEBRUARY |
| 3 |
General Circulation as seen in Weather & Climate Patterns & Processes |
Review of key concepts & synoptic weather map basics:
Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and Climate, 2nd
edition,
Part 1 General Meteorology, Chapters 1 - 5 |
Follow Up:
Read through Exercise #2 (handed out in class)
and try Question #1 |
|
| 5 |
a) Synoptic Patterns and Principles
b) More on Convergence
and Divergence |
Complete the reading assignment from Riley & Spolton for Feb
3 -- review Hayden "Flood Climates" paper |
Exercise #2
[PDF]
Understanding Synoptic Charts at
Various Time Scales.
(DUE Thur Feb 12) |
|
| 10 |
Introduction to Centers of Action / Oscillations & Teleconnections |
GCS Chapter 2 Oscillations and Teleconnections
Overview of the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Dataset (based
on Kalnay et al. 1996) |
Pick an index for a class presentation:
INDICES LINK |
Katie's Lat-Lon Guidelines for Plotting
Maps [pdf] |
| 12 |
Global Climate Regions /
Hypothetical Continent
|
Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and Climate, 2nd
edition,
Part 3 Climatology, Chapter 13 Climatic regions |
construct the
"Practice
Map" |
|
| 17 |
Global Climate Regions /
Regional Patterns
(cont.) |
Two more "classics" -- an airmass/streamline perspective on
global /regional climate patterns & variations:
Wendland & Bryson, 1981, Northern Hemisphere Airstream
Regions &
Wendland & McDonald, 1986, Southern Hemisphere Airstream
Climatology |
Exercise #3
[PDF]
Regional Climates & Climographs
(Due Tue Feb 24) Attempt Ques. #
1 - 4 prior to class on Feb 19 |
Here's
a large colored map of Trewartha's
Climate Regions |
| 19 |
Tropical Climates /
South America |
GCS Chapt 3 Tropical Climates
Brief overview article on
"Climate of South America" |
|
|
| 24 |
South America (cont.) |
Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and
Climate, 2nd edition,
Part 2 Studies in Synoptic Meteorology Read
the following sections: Chapter 6 (pp 30-36),
Chapter 8 (section on the Southern Hemisphere,
pp 61-62) & Chapter 11 (section on Cold-water
Coasts, pp 85-86)
|
Exercise #3 due today |
|
| 26 |
Introduction to:
North America |
Brief overview article on
"Climate of North America"
Hirschboeck
1991 "Climate and Floods" article |
Electronic Atlases & Teleconnection reports explained
today |
|
|
MARCH |
| 3 |
North America |
Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and
Climate, 2nd edition,
Part 2 Studies in Synoptic Meteorology Read the
following sections: Chapter 7 (section on
Tropical Cyclones, pp 43-47), Chapter 8
(section on Pacific North America, pp 59-61),
Chapter 9 (section on North America, pp
70-77) and Chapter 12 (on Mountain Areas, pp
87-95).
|
|
|
| 5 |
North America (cont.) |
|
South America Electronic Atlas due -- class
presentations today |
|
| 10 |
North America (cont.)
|
GSC Chapter 4 on Middle-Latitudes
Mock (1996)
Climate controls & spatial variations of precipitation in
the Western U.S.
Zhou & Lau (1998)
Does a Monsoon Climate Exist over South America?
Li & Zeng (2003)
A New Monsoon Index and the Geographic Distribution of
Global Monsoons |
Develop a 1-page proposal idea for your class project |
|
| 12 |
North American /
Mexican monsoon,
orographic
West |
Douglas et al. ( 1993)
The Mexican Monsoon
Adams & Comrie (1997)
The North American Monsoon |
Online (in D2L) midterm exam available
on Wed 3/18 pm
(due on or before 3/30) |
Guest speaker: Bob Maddox |
|
Mar 14-22
Spring Break |
| 24 |
AAG Conference
- no class: Take-Home + Online Midterm Exam |
|
work on projects |
|
| 26 |
AAG Conference
no class |
|
Take-home + online midterm exam DUE
Midnight Mar 30th |
|
| 31 |
Africa
|
Read the following to go along with this week's class on
Africa:
1. Brief Encyclopedia of Climatology article on
"Climate of Africa"
2. Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and
Climate, 2nd edition,
Part 2 Studies in Synoptic Meteorology Read the
following sections:
Chapter 7
(section on West Africa, pp 36--37), Chapter 11
(section on Africa and the Near East, pp 82-86)
3. Review
GCS Chapt 3 on Tropical
Climates
|
nothing due today in class because of take-home Midterm |
NOTE: the North American
E-Atlas assignment i s dropped & has been replaced by
the E-Atlas in your Midterm |
|
APRIL |
2
|
Africa (cont.) |
Additional Africa articles to read:
4. Nicholson (2000) The
nature of rainfall variability over Africa on time scales of
decades to millennia
5. de Witt and Stankiewicz (2006)
Changes in surface water supply across Africa with predicted
climate change.
6. Nicholson (2009)
On the factors modulating the intensity of the tropical
rainbelt over West Africa
|
work on Africa E-Atlas
due on Tuesday Apr 7 |
|
| 7 |
Europe |
Read the following to go along with this week's class on
Europe:
1. Brief Encyclopedia of Climatology article on
"Climate of Europe"
2. Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and
Climate, 2nd edition,
Part 2 Studies in Synoptic Meteorology Read the
following sections: Chapter 8 (sections on
Western Europe & the Mediterranean, pp 47-59)
3. Review
GCS Chapt 4 on Middle-latitude
Climates
|
Africa E-Atlas
due in class today |
|
| 9 |
Europe (cont.) |
|
|
|
| 14 |
Europe
(wrap up )
|
|
work on Europe
E-Atlas
due on Thursday Apr
16 |
|
| 16 |
Oceania
|
Read the following to go along with the lectures on
Oceania:
1. Brief Encyclopedia of Climatology
article
on "Climate of Australia"
2. Riley & Spolton (1981) World
Weather and Climate,
2nd edition,
Part 2 Studies in Synoptic Meteorology
Read the following sections: Chapter 8
(section on The Southern Hemisphere p 61-64)
|
Europe E-Atlas due in class today |
|
| 21 |
Oceania
(cont.) |
3. Review GCS Chapt 4, Sec 4.6 on
Mid-latitude circulation and teleconnections in the Southern
Hemisphere. (pp 114-125.)
4. Additional article of interest: Nichols
(2004),
The changing nature of Australian droughts
|
|
|
| 23 |
Climate
& the Antarctic
|
5. Read GSC Chapt 5, Climate of the Polar
Realms (focus on Antarctica, p 131-151)
6. In anticipation of upcoming
classes on Asia and the Asian monsoon, read:
"Seasonal
Variations in Regional Circulation Systems: The Monsoons"
Ch 7 in Tropical Climatology by McGregor & Nieuwolt
-- this chapter discusses the African & Australian monsoons
as well. |
|
Guest Speaker:
Dr. Joellen
Russell, Geosciences Dept. |
| 28 |
Asia |
Read the following to go along with the next classes on Asia:
1. Brief Encyclopedia of Climatology article on
"Climate of Asia"
2. Riley & Spolton (1981) World Weather and
Climate, 2nd edition,
Part 2 Studies in Synoptic Meteorology Read the
following sections: Chapter 9 (section on
Eurasia, pp 65-70), Chapter 10 (on High
Latitude Areas, pp 77-81) & Chapter 7 (section
on Indian Subcontinent)
|
Oceania E-Atlas due in class today
¯
(new)
OR Thur Apr 30th |
|
| 30 |
Asia (cont.) |
3. Review GCS Chapt 2 , Sec 2.5 on
Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) & Quasi-biennial
Oscillation (QBO), Chapt 4 on Tropical
Climates (59-74)
|
|
|
|
MAY |
| 5 |
Asia (cont) |
4. Read GCS Chapt 9 on modeling the Asian monsoon
climate |
Asia E-Atlas due in class today |
|
|
end of classes |
|
12 |
Final Exam Time slot 11:00 am - 1:00 PM |
Class project presentations |
Term Projects due |
|
|
STUDENT HANDOUTS ON
TELECONNECTIONS / INDICES |