Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
Global Change
Meteorology/Agronomy/Env. Science/Env. Studies 404/504
Spring 2015, MWF 11:00-11:50 p.m.
Room G541 Agronomy
Instructor
William J. Gutowski, Jr.
3021 Agronomy
gutowski@iastate.edu
Teaching Assistant
Martin Coolidge
coolidge@iastate.edu
(Image courtesy of http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Course Description
Current understanding of how climate evolves under natural and human influences. Global energy balance, structure and
circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, role of land and snow/ice processes, climate variability, climate modeling,
implications of climate change for natural and human systems, policy and ethical issues of climate change.
Course Objectives
To understand
the physical basis for climate
the scientific evidence for global and regional climate change
how to apply this knowledge to your discipline
Structure of Course
The class meets 3 times a week. Lectures will introduce topics for the majority of the semester.
Some meetings during the semester may be devoted to a seminar-style format where we will critique current journal
articles in various relevant topics or do other types of class exercises. In some cases, a laptop or other internet-ready device
may be useful.
This course is administered through Blackboard Learn. You will need to use it for a variety of course ativities (quizzes,
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 1 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
exams, lectures, some discussions, some computations, etc.) The course is listed there as
MTEOR/AGRON/ENSCI/ENV_S 404/504 (Spring 2015) for all students registered in this course, whether 404 or 504 and
whatever of the cross-listings you registered under.
Readings
Parts of chapters relating to each week's topic will be assigned from the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) or Fifth
Assessment Report (AR5) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. You can download relevant chapters from
this link. Some chapters are rather long; the lectures will highlight the key points you need to learn.
Journal articles to be discussed in class will be linked to the Blackboad Learn page in either the Assignments, the Media
Library or the Current News links.
Readings from the book Climate Change: Picturing the Science by Schmidt and Wolfe will be assigned to provide
additional understanding of the material.
You should order this book from Amazon.com (Go to a direct link here) or other preferred book seller. (It's possible that the
Union bookstore might have a few copies on hand.) I do provide scans of early readings in the course, since you most
likely will not have the book already. They will appear in the Media Library.
Other relevant materials will be linked as appropriate.
Quizzes
Quizzes are administered through Blackboard Learn. Quizz previews are available for download ahead of time. Watch for
notices from me.
You may find it useful to look at the quiz preview first before attempting to take it online. The quiz preview includes all the
questions in the actual quiz, plus additional questions.
Seminar
The in-class seminar meetings will require participation a written report and participation in discussion by break-out groups
and, on occasion, a written report. You should read the further details for seminar reports. Attendance is required for
seminar meetings and other in-class exercises.
Major, overriding concepts (not specific details) from each assigned seminar paper are fair game for exam questions.
Discussion Groups
Online discussion and classroom exercises will use assigned discussion groups. You can download the discussion group
list. (I will notify you when it is available.) Groups are designed to provide a mix of the backgrounds of students in the
class, but also be small enough that everyone should feel they have opportunity to contribute.
Class Exercises
1. EPA CO2 emissions inventories
Class exercise: Instructions
Article: EPA's 2010 emissions inventory
Article: Focus first on methane and soot?
Additional (based on 2010 data):
Factsheet on 2010 data
Figures of some data
Summary of data
2. Global Energy Balance: Background and tasks
3. Wind power controversies
Controversy in Western Massachusetts
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 2 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
Wind power map for Massachusetts
Controversy in Maryland
Wind power map for Maryland
Positive Op-Ed
Appalachian Mountain Club
Wind Power Siting Model
Wind research poster
Online Dialogue
The discussion will use Blackboard's tools to organize it. The online discussion focuses on a particular topics of interest in
climate change. Further information on how to contribute to the dialogue and grading criteria appears at this location.
For 504 (graduate-level) students: some of the online dialogue may require a written report in addition to participation in
online discussion by break-out groups. You should read the further details for online dialogue reports. The online
discussion and other online activities contribute to your grade.
Major, overriding concepts (not specific details) from each assigned seminar paper are fair game for exam questions.
Exams
Exams will be administered to on campus (or nearby students) through the Iowa State's Engineering-LAS Online Testing
Center. You should go to this link before your exams to find the locations and to review the General Instructions and the
Rules. Note especially the strict rules of operation for the center, including the hours of access. Also, taking an exam early
in an exam period is generally better than doing it later, as you may encounter delays from heavy usage of the Testing
Center.
If you are too far from campus to use the Online Testing Center, you must make provisions to have a qualified proctor
administer your exam! Please do this early in the semester to avoid problems with trying to rush approvals. You should
read the information on Proctored Testing under all the categories on that page. There are strict requirements that the
proctor and the site of the proctored exam must satisfy. Make sure that both you and the prospective proctor read these
requirements first before filling out any application. Please be sure that you can satisfy these requirements early in the
course. Note that the proctor must fill out an Off-Campus Proctor Application.
Term Papers
Students enrolled in the graduate-level version course (Mteor/Agron/EnSci/EnvS 504) will be required to write a 10-12
page term paper and submit an outline for topic approval. Students in the 504 course are required to pick their topics and to
present their findings orally during the last week of classes. Relevant milestones for term papers appear in the course
schedule below. Please read the further details for term papers.
Note the first deadline: January 30, for paper topics.
Grading
404 (Undergraduate level)
Quizzes
Seminar Participation and Reports
Mid-term Exam
Final
25 %
20 %
25 %
30 %
504 (Graduate level)
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 3 of 12
Global Change
Quizzes
Seminar Participation & Critiques
Mid-Term Exam
Final
Term Paper & Oral Presentation
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
10 %
15 %
20 %
30 %
25 %
Email
I communicate frequently with the class by email.
The email address I have for all students is their @iastate.edu address. Students who prefer to use some other email address
should follow these instructions to automatically forward your iastate.edu email to another system.
When sending email to me, please start the SUBJECT line with the words "Global Change". This will help me greatly in
finding your emails to me.
Pre-recorded Lectures
I use pre-recorded lectures for the core of the course material. To view and listen to them, you simply need to click on the
link for the lecture identified as pre-recorded lectures in the course schedule, so long as you have an appropriate browser
with the Macromedia Flash Player extension included. Typically, this extension is already in your browser, but if it is not,
you will be asked if you want it downloaded and installed on your machine. Basically, Windows and Macintosh OS X
machines are ok. Linux machines should work, but success is not guaranteed.
I would like to know about whatever problems you encounter, so please send me an email on those, even if you fix the
problem yourself.
For best visual clarity, you should make your browser window as large as possible. If you are listening to the lectures with
others around you, out of courtesy, please use headphones.
Academic Dishonesty
The class will follow Iowa State University’s policy on academic dishonesty. Anyone suspected of academic dishonesty
will be reported to the Dean of Students Office. See the Academic Misconduct page for further detail.
Disability Accommodation
Iowa State University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sect 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you
have a disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please contact (instructor name) to set up a
meeting, ideally early in the semester or as soon as you become aware of your need. Before meeting with (instructor
name), you will need to obtain a SAAR form with recommendations for accommodations from the Disability Resources
Office, located in Room 1076 on the main floor of the Student Services Building. Their telephone number is 515-294-7220
or email disabilityresources@iastate.edu.
Dead Week
This class follows the Iowa State University Dead Week policy as noted in section 10.6.4 of the Faculty Handbook.
Harassment and Discrimination
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 4 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
Iowa State University strives to maintain our campus as a place of work and study for faculty, staff, and students that is free
of all forms of prohibited discrimination and harassment based upon race, ethnicity, sex (including sexual assault),
pregnancy, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender
identity, genetic information, or status as a U.S. veteran. Any student who has concerns about such behavior should contact
his/her instructor, Student Assistance at 515-294-1020 or email dso-sas@iastate.edu, or the Office of Equal Opportunity
and Compliance at 515-294-7612.
Religious Accommodation
If an academic or work requirement conflicts with your religious practices and/or observances, you may request reasonable
accommodations. Your request must be in writing, and your instructor or supervisor will review the request. You or your
instructor may also seek assistance from the Dean of Students Office or Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance at
515-294-7612.
Contact Information
If you are experiencing, or have experienced, a problem with any of the above issues, email academicissues@iastate.edu.
Acknowledgment
This offering of Mteor/Agron/EnvSci/EnvSt 404/505 is a major revision of the version taught for several years by Prof.
Gene Takle. Despite these changes, the overall goals and inspiration for the course stems from the earlier developments by
Prof. Takle, whose efforts are much appreciated.
W. Gutowski's Away Schedule
Because I am actively involved in research on climate change and its impacts, I will have to be out of town at times during
the semester for various program and project meetings. Some of this will involve my ongoing work with the World Climate
Research Programme (WCRP).
In all cases, I should have access to email during at least part of the time I am away. Please keep in mind that I may not be
in the same time zone, so replies may be slow. Since nearly all of the course is available and can be followed online,
through Blackboard and the class web page, I hope my travel will not be much of a disruption.
My travel schedule:
29-31 January 2015 (Thurs-Sat): Regional Arctic System Model project meeting (Boulder, CO)
23-28 February 2015 (Mon-Sat): Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment - Science Advisory Team Meeting
(Norrköping, Sweden)
4-5 March 2015 (Wed-Thurs): NCAR Community Earth System Model's Societal Dimensions Working Group winter
meeting (Boulder, CO)
6-11 April (Mon-Sat): WCRP Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) and WCRP Modeling Advisory Council (WMAC),
Geneva, Switzerland
29 April - 2 May (Wed-Sat): Science Advisory Board and Program Annual Meeting, Canadian Network for Regional
Climate and Weather Processes, Montreal, Canada
Other meetings may occur during the semester, but I will try to avoid them as much as possible and let you know well in
advance.
Course Schedule
This is the intended schedule for lectures and other assignments. Note that I may add other assignments.
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 5 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
The Testing Center schedule for exams may change. Watch for announcements about this.
Module
Date
Topic
Source
Other
Materials
1
12 January
2015
Introductions
-
Assigned
reading:Schmidt
& Wolfe Preface, p. xixii;
Introduction, p.
1-3
1
Read and listen to material in
Blackboard under the "Course
Information" link (under links on the left
side of the Blackboard page for this
course).
Read the information above about this
course on this web page and pages linked
linked to it.
14-16 January
2015
IPCC Working
Group-I
Overview of Climate Change Science
Summary for Policy Makers - AR4 (ppt)
Summary of AR5 by T. Stocker (pdf)
Uncertainty Guidance - AR4 (ppt)
Pre-recorded lecture: Summary for Policy
Makers - AR4
Pre-recorded lecture: Uncertainty
Guidance - AR4
19 January
1
Summary of
AR5 by T.
Stocker (pdf)
An alternate
summary of the
AR5 WG I
report - in haiku
(pdf)
Assigned
reading: S&W Introduction, p.
7-9
ML King Day
21 January
2015
Historical Overview
1
Summary for
Policy Makers AR4
Summary for
Policy Makers AR5
Uncertainty
Guidance - AR4
Uncertainty
Guidance - AR5
Background
(from earlier GC
courses)
23 January
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
1
Historical
overview from
the American
Institute of
Physics
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
2
Assigned
reading: S&W Commonly
Used Terms, p.
10-15
Atmospheric Composition and Radiative
Forcing
Evolution of
atmospheric
carbon dioxide
2
26 - 30 January
2015
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
Assigned
reading: S&W Page 6 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
Observed Climate: Surface & Atmosphere
3
Animations in the lecture:
Animations of
climatic fields
(courtesy of
Geography
Dept., Univ.
Oregon)
Surface air temperature annual cycle
Precipitation annual cycle
30 January
2015
2
504 term paper topic due
2 February
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
4
4 February
2015
Observed Climate: Oceans & Sea Level
2
6 February
2015
Paleoclimate
Assigned
reading: S&W 27-34
Assigned
reading: Box
4.1 in AR4WGI-Chapter 4
(page 367)
Observed Climate: Snow, ice, permafrost
2
19-27.
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
5
Assigned
reading: Box
5.1 in AR4WGI-Chapter 5
(page 397)
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
6
Assigned
reading: S&W p.135-148
Assigned
reading: Box
6.3 in AR4WGI-Chapter 6
(page 461)
Assigned
reading: FAQ
5.1 in AR5WGI-Chapter 5
(page 392)
2
9 February
2015
In-class exercise (attendance required):
Global Energy Balance: Background
and tasks
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Letter co-signed
by W. Gutowski
to governor,
legislature &
presidential
candidates
(November
2011):
Article about
Page 7 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
letter with link
to letter.
A critical blog
A more
humorous
commentary
3
11-13 February
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
7
Assigned
reading: S&W p.148-155
Assigned
reading:Box 7.4
in AR4-WGIChapter 7 (page
540)
Biogeochemistry & Climate
(Note: For part of this topic, you should
follow the online lecture.)
Assigned
reading:FAQ
6.2 in AR5WGI-Chapter 6
(page 544)
3
13 February
2015
In-class exercise (attendance required)
Readings for in-class discussion:
Essay: Stewart Brand in Nature (2007)
Philip W. Boyd: News & Views in
Nature Climate Change (2007)
The Laws of Global Warming: Carlson
in Iowa Now (2012)
Geoengineering Patents: Cressey in
Nature (2012)
Kolbert in the New Yorker (2009).
[WARNING: Language in this article may
be offensive to some. Please contact Prof.
Gutowski if you have problems with
language used.]
Notes from the class discussion.
3
16-18 February
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
8
Climate Models
Assigned
reading: S&W p.73-80
Assigned
reading:Box 8.1
in AR4-WGIChapter 8 (page
632)
Assigned
reading:FAQ
9.1 in AR5-
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 8 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
WGI-Chapter 9
(page 824)
3
20 February
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
8
Assigned
reading:Box 9.2
in AR5-WGIChapter 9 (page
769)
Climate Models (continued)
3
23-27 February
2015
Assigned
reading: S&W p.195-199
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
9
Assigned
reading: FAQ
9.1 (page 696)
and FAQ 9.2
(pages 703-703)
in AR4-WGIChapter 9 (page
632)
Attribution of Changes
Assigned
reading: FAQ
10.1 (pages 894895) and Box
10.1 (pages 875876) in AR5WGI-Chapter
10 (page 632)
4
2-6 March
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
10
Assigned
reading: S&W p.199-209
Assigned
reading: SRES
Emissions
Scenarios and
FAQ 10.1 (page
783)in AR4WG1-Chapter
10.
Projected Future Changes
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Assigned
reading: Box
11.1 (pages 959961) and FAQ
11.1 (pages 964965) in AR5WGI-Chapter 11
and
FAQ 12.2
(pages 1084Page 9 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
1085) and FAQ
12.3 (pages
1106-1107) in
AR5-WGIChapter 12.
4
9 March
504 term paper outline due
9 - 13 March
2015
MID-TERM EXAM
Administered by the Engineering-LAS
Online Testing Center.
If using external proctor, you need to have
received approval well before this time.
9-13 March
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGIChapters 1-8 +
AR5 equivalent
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
11
Assigned
reading: FAQ
13.1 (pages
1148-1149) in
AR5-WGIChapter 13
and
FAQ 14.1
(pages 12281229) and FAQ
14.2 (page
1256-1257) in
AR5-WGIChapter 14.
Regional Changes
16-20 March
4
Spring Break
23 March 2015
Regional Changes (cont'd.)
5
25 - 30 March
2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGI-Chapter
11
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGIIChapter 3
Impacts: Water Resources
AR5-WGII-SPM
(key points)
5
5
1-3 April 2015
3 April 2015
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Assigned
reading: S&W p.95-111
Impacts: Ecosystems
(Note: For part of this topic, you should
follow the online lecture.)
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGIIChapter 4
Assigned
reading: Box
3.1 (page 195)
and Box 3.2
(page 197) in
WG-II, AR4WGII-Chapter 3
-
In-class exercise (attendance required)
Readings for in-class discussion:
Page 10 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
Hassol in EOS (2008)
Akasofu in EOS (2008)
Boykoff and Boykoff in Global
Environmental Change (2004)
-
Notes from the class discussion.
5
6 April 2015
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGIIChapter 8
Impacts: Human Health
6 April
504 term paper due for peer review
5
8-10 April
2015
Impacts: Agriculture
5
13 April 2015
6
13 April 2015
Impacts: Coastal Systems
(Note: For this topic, you should follow
the online lecture.)
Assigned
reading: Box
8.4 (page 403)
and Box 8.5
(page 413) in
WG-II, AR4WGII-Chapter 8
IPCC Reports
AR4-WGIIChapter 6
-
In-class exercise (attendance required)
Readings for in-class discussion:
Harte in Population and Environment
(2007)
Potts in Population and Enviroment
(2007)
Monbiot in The Global Warming Reader
(2009)
Kalnay slides on
population
issues.
Notes from the class discussion.
13 April
504 term paper peer reviews due
6
15-20 April
2015
Skeptics
7
22 April 2015
7
24 April 2015
27 April
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
-
-
Development of a Climate Change
Assessment: An Example - old version
Development of a Climate Change
Assessment: An Example - new version
U.S. Climate
Change Science
Program (CCSP)
Synthesis and
Assessment Report
3-3
Supplementary
Documents
NOAA news
release and
companion
brochure
Future Directions (updated)
-
-
504 term paper: Final versions due
Page 11 of 12
Global Change
9/21/20, 12:56 AM
27 April 2015
1. Presentation
- Zhang
2. Presentation
- Fingerle
(pdf version)
GC504 term paper presentations
3. Presentation
- Togliatti
4. Presentation
- Roby
29 April 2015
(Do finishing work for the class)
-
1 May 2015
(Do finishing work for the class)
-
2-8 May 2015
Hours: See
ELO Testing
Center hours.
Final Exam
Administered by Engineering-LAS Online
Testing Center.
Additional Sources of Information:
Encyclopedia of Earth
Skeptical Science
Gristmill's How to talk to a climate skeptic
IPCC Working Group III report
(Images courtesy of USGS EROS Data Center: Himalayas, Deforestation in Bolivia, Namibian Desert)
https://meteor.geol.iastate.edu/classes/mt404/
Page 12 of 12