GG108 – Physical Geography: Meteorology and Climatology
Spring semester, 2004
Professor:
Dr. John Lenters
Office: 326 Crawford Hall
Phone: 635-2156; Fax: 635-2266; e-mail: jlenters@lssu.edu
Office hours: Mon. 9:30-noon, Wed. 9:30-noon (no appointment necessary)
Lecture:
TR 9:30-10:50am (303 Crawford Hall)
Lab sections:
A) Tues. 3:00-4:50pm (201 South Hall)
B) Wed. 3:00-4:50pm (107 Crawford Hall)
Course description (from LSSU catalog):
Introduction to earth-sun relationships, maps, and elementary principles of atmospheric
science. Prerequisite: MA086 or equivalent/satisfactory score on ACT or Placement Exam.
Course objectives:
1) Develop an understanding of fundamental principles and concepts in atmospheric science
(e.g., atmospheric structure and composition, radiation, temperature, humidity, stability,
precipitation, pressure, winds, and atmospheric circulation).
2) Gain experience in climatology, including an understanding of the origin of global
climate and circulation patterns, climate variability, and climate change.
3) Develop an understanding of a variety of weather systems, such as fronts, cyclones, lakeeffect snowfall, hurricanes, and severe weather.
4) Develop quantitative problem-solving skills, with applications to atmospheric science.
5) Gain experience in gathering atmospheric data from a variety of sources.
6) Develop an appreciation for meteorology and its significance in the everyday world.
Textbooks:
The Atmosphere, 8th edition, by Lutgens and Tarbuck
Exercises for Weather and Climate (lab manual), 5th edition, by Greg Carbone
Supplements:
Companion web site: http://www.prenhall.com/lutgens
- contains review exercises, questions for further study, and additional resources and
internet links related to meteorology and climatology
- be sure to use the review questions on the web site to prepare for quizzes and exams!
Interactive CD-ROM: “GEODe: Atmosphere” (Table of Contents is on page iv of textbook)
- includes tutorials, interactive exercises, animations, and “In the Lab” activities
- covers selected topics from Chapters 1-6, 8, and 9
- useful for learning interactively (at your own pace) and studying for exams
- index and glossary are valuable for quickly looking up topics and unfamiliar terms
- “In the Lab” activities may be occasionally assigned as homework
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You will be graded on:
1) exams (45% - three exams at 15% each)
2) labs (30%)
3) homework (10%)
4) quizzes (10%)
5) attendance (5%)
Grading scale:
90–100%:
A– / A /A+
80–90%:
B– / B / B+
70–80%:
C– / C / C+
60–70%:
D– / D / D+
< 60%:
F
Exams (45%):
There will be three exams this semester, and each exam will typically cover 4-5 chapters of
material. The final exam is not comprehensive, but will instead only cover material from the
latter third of the semester. All exams are closed book, but calculators are allowed. A
selection of potentially useful equations, symbols, and/or formulas will be provided at exam
time. The format of the exams will primarily be multiple choice questions, along with a few
mathematical problems and/or essay questions. Make-up policy: If you miss an exam
because of an official university-excused absence, you must give prior notice that you
will be absent. If you miss an exam for any other reason, you must contact the professor
within 24 hours to schedule a make-up exam. In such instances, the exam format and
questions may be significantly different from those provided at the originally scheduled
exam time.
Labs (30%):
A short syllabus describing the laboratory portion of this course will be handed out at the first
lab. There will be no labs during the first week of classes, but Laboratory Exercise #1 will
be due when we meet for lab during the second week of classes.
Homework (10%):
One of the best ways to prepare for exams is to stay abreast of the material as the semester
progresses. Homework assignments are designed to help you do this. In fact, some of the
questions on the exam will be very similar to those assigned as homework. Typically the
homework will consist of reading the current chapter in the textbook and answering selected
review questions and/or problems at the end of the chapter (or from the CD-ROM). Solution
sets will be provided on reserve in the library shortly before the homework is due, which will
be on the day of the exam. Late homework will not be accepted. Students are encouraged
to work together on homework assignments, but be sure to write up your final work on your
own. Directly copying another student’s work is not permitted.
Quizzes (10%):
Short quizzes will occasionally be given during class (usually once every 1-2 weeks). The
quizzes will be based on material from the previous lecture, assigned reading, or end-ofchapter questions. The format of the quizzes will be true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-theblank, or short essay. Some questions will be taken directly from the web site, so it would
be good to stay abreast of the online multiple choice and true/false questions.
Attendance/class participation (5%):
Students are expected to come to every class and to be prepared to participate in discussion.
Your attendance grade will be based on the number of quizzes you are present for. I will also
periodically call on students to answer questions or participate in a discussion. Your level of
participation will affect your final grade if it falls closely between two letter grades (e.g.,
halfway between a B and B-).
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Course calendar (subject to minor changes):
– January –
13, 15:
20, 22:
27, 29:
– February –
3, 5:
10, 12:
17, 19:
24, 26:
– March –
2, 4:
9, 11:
16, 18:
23, 25:
30:
– April –
1:
6, 8:
13, 15:
20, 22:
TBA:
Chapter 1: Introduction to the atmosphere
Chapter 2: Heating earth’s surface and atmosphere
Chapter 3: Temperature
Chapter 4: Moisture and atmospheric stability
Chapter 4 (continued); Chapter 5: Forms of condensation and precipitation
Chapter 5 (continued); exam #1 (Feb. 19; Chap. 1-5)
Chapter 6: Air pressure and winds
No class (spring break)
Chapter 7: Circulation of the atmosphere
Chapter 15: World climates
Chapter 14: The changing climate
exam #2 (Mar. 30; Chap. 6, 7, 14, 15)
Chapter 8: Air masses
Chapter 9: Weather patterns
Chapter 10: Thunderstorms and tornadoes
Chapter 11: Hurricanes
Final exam (Chap. 8-11)
General policies:
- Students are expected to come to class on time.
- Cheating will not be tolerated and will result in a failing grade (on the quiz, exam, or
even the entire course).
- Please bring a calculator, textbook, and note-taking material to every class period.
- Any material presented in class (or assigned as homework) is fair game on exams, so be
sure to take excellent notes and do the assigned reading and problems!
- Workload: The “100-level” of GG108 does not mean “easy.” This is a 4-credit class, so
expect to put in 8-12 hours/week of work outside of class time.
- Students are encouraged to ask questions. The more the better – there’s no such thing as a
dumb question (except for those that go un-asked!).
- Students are also encouraged to speak to me outside of class regarding class material,
comments on how the class is going, or just questions about student life in general. I am
here to help, so please take advantage of the opportunity to speak to me about any issues.
- If you have any disabilities or special learning needs that I should know about, please
speak to me during the first week of class.
Resource Center for Students with Disabilities:
In compliance with Lake Superior State University policy and equal access laws, disabilityrelated accommodations or services are available. Students who desire such services are to
meet with the professor in a timely manner, preferably the first week of class, to discuss their
disability-related needs. Students will not receive services until they register with the
Resource Center for Students with Disabilities (RCSD). Proper registration will enable the
RCSD to verify the disability and determine reasonable academic accommodations. RCSD
is located in South Hall Office 206. The telephone number is (906) 635-2454.
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