GEOG 1140 - Weather and Climate
4 Credits
Examines the atmosphere and its behavior in relation to weather and climate. Examines atmosphere structure, stability, and motion; earth energy balance, precipitation processes, pressure systems, cloud development and type, ocean currents, general meteorological patterns in time and space. Observation and analysis of satellite imagery and digital meteorological and climatic information. Evaluation of natural factors of climate patterns as well as the reconstruction of past climates. Investigation of climate change from the past up to the present time and human activities that influence climate.
Major Content Areas
Science, systems, and weather analysis. Earth energy balance, sources and distribution. Atmosphere, character, and processes. Air pressure, winds, clouds, and precipitation. Ocean and atmosphere interrelation processes. Severe weather. Climate and weather patterns. Satellite and digital imagery. evaluation for climate and weather processes. Weather, climate, environment, and human interaction. 10 laboratory exercises of 1-4 hrs. each, averaging 2 hours. Lecture and Discussion topics: 60%
Learning Outcomes
Evaluate societal issues from a natural science perspective, ask questions about the evidence presented, and make informed judgments about science-related topics and policies. Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems. Discern climate change impacts patterns and interrelationships of bio-physical and socio-cultural systems. Describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, and religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges. Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understanding about interrelationships, ecosystems, climate and institutions. Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems in the relation to the issue of climate change. Articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues. Demonstrate understanding of scientific theories. Formulate and test hypotheses by performing laboratory, simulations, or field experiments in at least two of the natural science disciplines. One of these experimental components should develop, in greater depth, student’s laboratory experience in the collection of data, its statistical and graphical analyses, and an appreciation of its sources of error and uncertainty. Communicate their experimental findings, analyses, and interpretations both orally and in writing. Discuss how weather phenomena affect human activities including aviation, economics, and pollution.
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) Goals
10 - People/Environment 03 - Natural Science
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