GEOG 547 / GEOS 547  GLOBAL AND REGIONAL CLIMATOLOGY  
SPRING 2012  12:30 – 1:45 pm  Tue & Thu / Education Building room 502
(classroom is on the 5th floor opposite the elevator at the east end of the building)
                                                                           

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 The goal of this 3-unit advanced course in climatology is to provide a detailed description, understanding, and analysis of the global and regional weather patterns and atmospheric circulation processes that produce differences in climates throughout the world. 

 In addition to a general overview of global atmospheric processes and regional climatic patterns, the course will emphasize the earth's problem climates and those climatically sensitive zones that are most susceptible to floods, droughts, and other climatic extremes. The course will emphasize the interaction between global and regional climates and the linkages between global atmospheric changes and regional climatic responses as they are manifested in synoptic-scale features and processes in different parts of the world.  Online data resources will provide the basis for an up-to-date technical analysis of regional weather and climate patterns.

 Prerequisite:   an upper division introductory meteorology or climatology course, e.g. GEOG 430/530.

 COURSE OBJECTIVES:     

 ·         to provide an in-depth treatment of the causes of regional weather and climatic patterns and processes in terms of synoptic atmospheric circulation patterns

·         to examine and analyze regional examples of processes driven by the energy and moisture fluxes at the global scale

·         to provide the climatic basis for a critical evaluation of some of the most urgent regional climate‑related extreme-events facing us today; especially floods and droughts

·         to provide a sound climate-based foundation for the analysis of climatic environments of the past and/or future and a physical basis for the interpretation of climates in different parts of the world using modeling and/or paleoenvironmental techniques

INSTRUCTORS:

Dr. Katie Hirschboeck, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
Phone:  621-6466      E-mail:  katie@LTRR.arizona.edu     Personal website:   www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~katie
Office: 208 West Stadium    Office Hour:  Wed 2:00 – 3:00 pm  or by appointment arranged via email

 Dr. Joellen Russell, Department of Geosciences
Phone:  626-2194   Email:  jrussell@email.arizona.edu   Personal website:  www.geo.arizona.edu/~jrussell/
Office:   Gould-Simpson Bldg. 309   Office Hour:   Tue 2:00 – 3:00 pm  or by appointment arranged via email

READINGS & REFERENCES: 

 Articles in Journal of Climate, Monthly Weather Review, and related scientific journals will be assigned throughout the semester. In addition, we will read selections from the following references:

•       Riley, D. & Spolton, L. (1981) World Weather and Climate, Cambridge University Press (A timeless and succinct text that explains climate in terms of regional weather types, illustrated with characteristic synoptic charts.)
  

•      Bridgman, H.A. & Oliver, J.E. (2006) The Global Climate System – Patterns, Processes, and Teleconnections, Cambridge University Press. (This text was inspired by Trewartha – see following.)
  

•      Trewartha, Glenn T. (1981) The Earth's Problem Climates, 2nd edition. University of Wisconsin Press, 372 pp. (This classic text provides a thorough treatment of the atmospheric processes that are distinctive to each continent . Although dated, the climate basics presented are still relevant. Trewartha's unique insights and explanations are used as launching points for the "Electronic Atlas" exercises in the course. )
  

•      Selected chapters in World Survey of Climatology, volumes 1 through 15, H.E. Landsberg, editor- in-chief, Elsevier Publishing Company. [QC 981.W67] Permanently located in the Science Reference Collection.

NOTE: a current world atlas and/or online equivalent will be needed for geographic referencing

ASSESSMENT, GRADING, & ABSENCE POLICY:

You are expected to attend every class, prepare required readings and assignments, and actively participate in class discussions and activities. Grades will be assigned on the basis of these expectations and on a grading rubric for specific exercises. The final grade will be based on the percentage earned in the following activities. The probable letter grade cutoffs are: A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), E (<60%)

 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

See the UA Code of Academic Integrity at :http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity  You are responsible for knowing it, understanding it, and adhering to it.

 SPRING 2012 TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE (may be adjusted as needed)

NOTE: Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policies,
may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor