STANDARD COURSE OUTLINE
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Geography
I
General Information
A. Course Number: 130
B. Title: Our Changing Global Climate
C. Units: 3
D. Prerequisites or corequisites: One G.E. Foundation course. One B.2 and one A.1 course
recommended. Concurrent or previous enrollment in GEOG 130 required.
E. Course Classification: 3 units at C3
F. Responsible Faculty: C.M. Rodrigue, S. Dallman, P. Laris, C. Lee, S. Wechsler
G. Terms Offered: every semester
H. Prepared by: Christine M. Rodrigue
I. Date of Submission/Revision: Fall 2008
II
Catalogue Description
Introduction to Earth's atmosphere, weather processes, global climate patterns, and drivers of
climate change in the past and present. Analysis of how human activities affect weather and
climate processes and the patterns of global climate impacts.
Not open for credit to students with credit in GEOL 163.
(3 hours lecture, demonstration activity)
III
Curriculum Justification
The proposed course is a GE course in the Explorations category of B.3. (other Physical
Universe) or, combined with the accompanying 1 unit laboratory course (GEOG 131), of
B.1.b. (Physical Sciences with Laboratory). One of the major subdivisions of physical
geography is the study of weather processes, climate patterns, and the drivers and impacts
of climate change. It is a physical science that examines physical and chemical processes
occurring in the atmosphere to generate everyday weather events and hazards, more
persistent climate configurations, and climate change over a variety of temporal and spatial
scales. These patterns and processes are affected by human activities and impact the biotic
and human environments at many spatial and temporal scales. Physical geographers utilize
a distinct methodological approach that incorporates techniques from Geographic Information
Science (GISience) including geospatial analysis tools (e.g., geographical information
systems, remote sensing, cartography, and spatial statistics) as well as more traditional
physical science methods and tools.
At CSULB, Geography majors receive their basic introduction to physical geography through
GEOG 140, "Introduction to Physical Geography." That course can only spend a few weeks
on weather and climate, and the Department would like to offer more to the student who is
interested in weather and climate and in understanding the physical and chemical processes
behind global climate change. The topic is of overarching concern in today’s headlines all
over the world, and CSULB alumni will need to evaluate the issues critically and from a
scientifically-grounded perspective.
Additionally, the Department of Geography has been reviewing and redesigning its curriculum
in response to two internal assessment projects (2001, 2006) and its most recent Self-Study
(2007). We seek to create a better sequence of concepts and skills learned, so that students
are first introduced to them in the lower division, then practice them in 300 level gateway
courses, and later master them at an advanced level within their concentrations. In terms of
understanding weather, climate, and climate change processes, we wish to create a deeper
introduction to the physical science of global climate change at an earlier stage in their
education, from which they can then take the gateway 340 course in environmental
geography, and then the advanced major courses in climatology (GEOG 444),
palæoclimatology (GEOG 445), and humans as agents of environmental change (GEOG
455). GEOG 130 will allow GEOG 444, 445, and 455 to go forward on a solid introduction to
weather, climate, and climate change.
GEOG 130 provides highly skilled faculty with important teaching and research opportunities.
The Department is home to five Ph.D.s in physical and environmental geography, and GEOG
130 is a way for them to share their expertise with the lower-division students on a topic of
salient visibility and great social importance.
The proposed course also provides another course for articulation with community colleges,
from which a disproportionate number of our majors hail. GEOG 130 would be available for
articulation consideration for feeder schools running a course with CAN GEOG 12 credit.
Given competing demands on our labs, facilities, and faculty, we anticipate building out to 3
or 4 sections of GEOG 130 each semester, each with approximately 30 students. We expect
that a significant number will also enroll in this accompanying 1 unit GEOG 131 laboratory
course, of which we can offer 1 or 2 sections, each with approximately 20 students
IV
Course Objectives, Measurable Student Learning Outcomes, Evaluation Instruments,
and Instructional Strategies for Skill Development:
A. Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. demonstrate understanding of physical processes giving rise to weather events,
climate types, and climate change
2. demonstrate skill in applying basic quantitative reasoning to the analysis of
meteorological processes and climatological systems
3. demonstrate proficiency in scientific communication skills
B. Measurable Student Learning Outcomes
1. In order to demonstrate understanding of meteorological and climatological
processes, students will show they can:
a. describe the composition and structure of the atmosphere
b. explain patterns of heat and water flux in terms of Earth's radiation balance,
thermodynamic and hydrostatic processes, surface-atmosphere interactions,
diffusion, and forces acting on air in motion
c. interpret everyday and extreme weather events in terms of these fluxes and
forces and differentiate storm mechanisms by latitude and scale
d. distinguish weather from climate using statistical concepts
e. classify climates and explain their distributions in terms of latitude, proximity
to the ocean, ocean circulation, general atmospheric circulation, and topography
f. trace the climate history of the earth with increasing detail toward the present,
discuss common data proxies used to reconstruct it, and review physical
processes used to explain climate change
g. appraise uncertainties in predicting climate change and differentiate between
scientific uncertainties and political manipulation of these uncertainties by
interested parties
h. apply climatological and biogeographical concepts and data to estimate
specific impacts of global warming and argue their plausibility
i. interpret remotely sensed images of temperature, humidity, ice pack
conditions, live fuel moisture conditions and other physical features of relevance
to weather, climate, and climate change
2.
3.
In order to demonstrate skill in applying basic quantitative reasoning to the analysis
of physical environmental systems, students will show that they can:
a. characterize weather and climate data with basic descriptive statistics (central
tendency, variation, skew, and spatial versions of these)
b. model and test relationships among weather and climate factors using simple
linear equations and basic inferential statistics
c. interpolate missing values from a spatial field of known values (Kriging) or
through an equation
d. calculate scales of maps and infer distances and relationships among
physical features from maps
In order to demonstrate proficiency in scientific communication skills, students
will show that they can:
a. apply the elements of effective map communication of features and processes
in the physical landscape, atmosphere, and the interfaces between them
b. ability to apply the elements of effective graphic communication of scientific
content through construction of several types of graphs and tables and,
optionally, assembly of these into posters and/or viewgraph (e.g., PowerPoint)
presentations
c. ability to apply the elements of effective written communication of lab and field
analyses through logical and succinct written reports
d. ability to apply the elements of effective verbal communication of lab and field
analyses through lab group discussions and, optionally, illustrated oral
presentations
C. Evaluation Instruments
Course Objectives
Measurable Student Learning Outcomes Representative Evaluation Instruments
1. demonstrate understanding of meteorological and climatological processes
a. describe the composition and

Exam questions about student recognition of
structure of the atmosphere
gas components of atmosphere

Essay questions relating energy absorption
spectra of various gasses to the vertical
temperature structure of the atmosphere
b. explain patterns of heat and water

Essay questions on how the laws of
flux
thermodynamics apply to air masses

Lab homework problems applying the gas
laws to the motion of air

Exam problem applying the water phase
diagram and the gas laws to moisture
extraction from an air mass

Homework lab project applying the
hydrostatic equation to air mass stability
c. interpret weather events and

Homework lab projects on reading weather
spatially differentiate storm
maps, recognizing common storm types and
mechanisms
structures within the storms, and predicting
weather at various points around themExam
essay comparing and contrasting storm
mechanisms from two or more latitudinal
belts
d. distinguish weather from climate

Essay question on exam
e. classify climates and explain their

Homework lab project classifying weather
distributions
stations' climates using climographs

Homework lab project mapping climate
types using Köppen or Thornthwaite
systems
f. trace climate history, discuss

Homework lab project using one of the
common data proxies, review
datasets at NOAA's online palæoclimate
physical processes used to explain
proxy data archives
climate change

Exam questions about sequence of global
climate changes over the
Pleistocene/Holocene
g. appraise uncertainties in global

Essay exam question

Report based on articles in Scientific
climate change and distinguish
American
scientific uncertainties and political
manipulation
h. apply concepts and data to

Project and paper using climate data and
estimate specific impacts and argue
maps to research a specific predicted impact
their plausibility
i. interpret remotely sensed images

Lab on polar sea ice changes through time
using decades of DMSP SSM/I imagery

Lab on ozone hole changes through time
using decades of TOMS data and the more
recent OMI data
2. demonstrate skill in applying basic quantitative reasoning to the analysis of physical
environmental systems
a. characterize data with basic

Exam question calculating precipitation
descriptive statistics (central
means, ranges, and standard deviations
tendency, variation, skew, and
from weather data for Long Beach
spatial versions of these)

Homework lab exercise characterizing point
distributions on a remotely sensed image
(e.g., plants) as clustered, random, or
uniform using nearest neighbor analysis and
relating the pattern to precipitation
b. model and test relationships among  Homework lab problem using simple linear
physical factors using simple linear
correlation and regression analysis to
equations and basic inferential
describe the association between two scalar
statistics
variables (e.g., snowfall and distance from
Lake Erie , annual precipitation and
variability in precipitation)

Exam questions calculating the saturation
condensation level, temperatures, and
relative humidities of air masses traversing a
landscape

Lab using Chi-square and Yule's Q tests to
evaluate the spatial associations of two point
or area variables in a study area (either
archival or field data, e.g., slope aspect and
vegetation type as a surrogate for
microclimate conditions)
c. interpolate missing values from a

Exam questions inferring values and spatial
spatial field of known values
patterns from isoline maps (e.g., barometric
(Kriging) or through an equation
pressure, precipitation, insolation)

Exam questions applying the inverse square
law and trigonometry to the solar constant,
orbital eccentricity and seasonality, and the
distribution of insolation intensity by latitude
and season
d. calculate scales of maps and infer

On campus field project on surveying and
distances and relationships among
manual mapping of points at which physical
physical features from maps
data are collected (e.g., temperature and
relative humidity using a sling psychrometer)

Map reading project calculating rise and run
(pressure gradient) between two points on
an air pressure map, combining that
information with Coriolis Effect to infer wind
direction and relative strength at different
locations.
3. demonstrate proficiency in scientific communication skills
a. apply the elements of effective map  Several homework labs require the
communication of physical features
production of maps
and processes in the physical

At least one assignment will specifically
environment
focus on weather or climate map design,
projections, symbology, comformality and
equal-area trade-offs, and clutter
b. ability to apply the elements of

Most hoemwork labs require the production
effective graphic communication of
of graphs, such as histograms, pie charts,
scientific content through
line charts, scatterplots, box and whisker
construction of several types of
plots, and fitted curves
graphs and tables

Exams require the processing of data in
tables or spreadsheets
c. ability to apply the elements of

All homework labs and field assignments
effective written communication of
require write up of results, so students will
lab and field analyses through
get multiple opportunities for feedback on
logical and succinct written reports
writing development

There is at least one formal report on which
writing mechanics and quality of sources are
evaluated
d. ability to apply the elements of
effective verbal communication of
lab and field analyses through
spoken presentations or
discussions


Required group discussions and lab work
inherently foster verbalization of questions,
hypotheses, and problems
The optional oral or poster presentation will
provide extra opportunity to present and
illustrate results, using the succinct
viewgraph (e.g., PowerPoint) or poster
format so common in most sciences
D. Instructional Strategies for Skill Development
Course Objectives and Desired Skills Instructional Strategies for Skill Development
1. demonstrate understanding of
meteorological and climatological
processes
a. in course discussions and laboratory homework assignments require students to verbalize their understanding of
the patterns and processes being considered
b. at least one formal report will give students the opportunity
to research, conceptualize, organize, and critically analyze
a weather, climate, or climate change topic in depth
c. several homework labs and exam questions will give
students the chance to demonstrate quantitative understanding of weather and climate patterns and processes
d. students will be expected to apply concepts to problems in
quantitative, mapping, and writing projects (e.g., report,
laboratory homework, exams, and an optional talk)
2. demonstrate skill in applying basic a. nearly all homework lab assignments and every exam will
quantitative reasoning to the
give students the chance to apply basic calculation skills to
analysis of physical environmental
characterize data and spatial distributions of weather and
systems
climate phenomena
b. several homework labs will coach students in handling
basic linear, exponential, and logarithmic equations to
describe, predict, and test hypothesized physical patterns
and processes
c. exam questions will specifically give students the chance
to build skills in formal statistical hypothesis testing
d. several lab assignments will entail interpretation of maps
and equations to interpolate expected values from a limited
field of known values or mathematical relationships
3. demonstrate proficiency in
scientific communication skills
a. map construction will recur in several homework projects
and an on-campus fieldwork experience, and feedback will
be provided so that students can incrementally develop
their mapping skills
b. nearly all homework assignments have the students
constructing graphs and tables to report their results,
allowing students to practice making several types of
graphics and understand which are better suited to
particular communication purposes
c. there are so many small lab and field writeups that
students will get multiple and progressive feedback to
improve their writing skills, leading up to a formal paper
d. an optional oral presentation will allow students to acquire
and hone skills in speaking in front of peers and supporting
their arguments with viewgraphs (e.g., PowerPoints)
V
Assessment
A. Assessment beyond the evaluation of individual students' progress in achieving course
objectives will involve two processes each semester, requiring the cooperation of all
faculty teaching GEOG 130. There will, additionally, be a third process conducted by
instructors of GEOG 130 but to help assess the companion laboratory class, GEOG 131:
1. Skill assessment
a. Each semester, a pre-test will be done in the first day the class meets, in the form
of an ungraded exercise requiring one quantitative reasoning skill (e.g., calculating
average, minimum, and maximum annual precipitation at a weather station) and
one scientific communication skill (e.g., writing a brief analysis of the weather data
or graphic them)
b. At the end of each semester, a post-test will be done during the day of the final, in
the form of an ungraded exercise involving the same activities as the pre-test
c. Students' individual longitudinal progress will be calculated, as will the aggregate
performance of the class
2. Content mastery
a. The pre-test and post-test exercises will entail student analysis of a weather or
climate feature to evaluate how much students grasp of basic meteorology and
climatology (e.g., analyzing temperature and precipitation data for several weather
stations in terms of marine/continentality or windward/leeward influences)
b. This part of the assessment will entail a short written analysis
c. The individual and class progress will be compared as above
3. Comparison of GEOG 130 students who are also enrolled in GEOG 131 and those
who are not
a. All GEOG 130 faculty will be provided the names of all students on their rosters,
who are simultaneously enrolled in GEOG 131
b. The GEOG 130 faculty will report the final scores of those individuals in GEOG
131 in comparison with those students not in GEOG 131.
c. The objective of this process is to establish whether the lab experience has helped
GEOG 130 students master physical geography content or not
d. If not, GEOG 131 instructors will meet to alter the lab and test the changes the
same way the next semester
VI
Text:
Instructors may choose their own textbook. These will likely be one or more of the
following, or similar:
Aguado, E. and Burt, J. 2006. Understanding Weather and Climate, 4th ed. Prentice Hall.
Ahrens, C. Donald. 2007. Essentials of Meteorology, Intl student ed. Brooks Cole.
Ahrens, C. Donald. 2008. Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and
the Environment, 9th ed. Brooks Cole.
Bridgman, H.A. and Oliver, J.E. 2006. The Global Climate System: Patterns, Processes,
and Teleconnections. Cambridge University Press.
Oliver, J.E. and Hidore, J.J. 2001. Climatology: An Atmospheric Science, 2nd ed. Prentice
Hall
Rohli, R.V. and Vega, A.J. 2007. Climatology. Jones and Barlett.
VII Recommended Supplemental Texts:
An important reference for students working their way through the material in GEOG 130
are lab materials used in the companion class of GEOG 131. Several lab manuals that
may be helpful to them are.
Carbone, G. 2006. Exercises for Weather and Climate, 6th ed. Prentice Hall.
Oklahoma Climatological Survey. 2005. Explorations in Meteorology: A Lab Manual, 1st
ed. Brooks Cole.
Snow, R.; Snow, M.; and Oliver, J.E. 2002. Exercises in Climatology. Prentice Hall.
Lobban, C.S. and Schefter, M. 1992. Successful Lab Reports: A Manual for Science
Students. Cambridge University Press.
McCaskill, M.K. 2008. Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization: A Handbook for
Technical Writers and Editors. Hampton, VA: NASA Langley Research Center. Available
at <http://www.sti.nasa.gov/sp7084/contents.html>.
VIII Course Outline:
Meteorological, climatological, and climate change topics
o Physical meteorology basics (1-3 weeks)
o Earth in space
o Electromagnetic spectrum, solar radiation and Earth radiation
o Vertical structure of pressure, temperature, atmospheric chemistry, and ionization
o Gas laws, hydrostatic equation, water phase diagram, stability and instability
o Thermodynamics, adiabatic processes, lapse rates, molecular and turbulent
diffusion, surface-atmosphere interactions, clouds, fogs, precipitation
mechanisms
o Dynamical meteorology basics (1-3 weeks)
o Potential and kinetic energy, momentum, vorticity, conservation laws
o Forces on air in motion:
o Pressure gradient and Coriolis forces and geostrophic winds
o Waves: Rossby and frontal
o Centrifugal and frictional factors
o Synoptic, mesoscale, and local meteorology basics (3-4 weeks)
o Reading surface and upper air charts
o Pressure variations: cyclones and anticyclones
o Air mass and front analysis
o Storm types by latitude:
o Mid-latitude travelling cyclones and tornadoes
o Tropical storms, Easterly waves, and hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones
o Equatorial lows
o Arctic/Antarctic bomb cyclones/hurricanes
o Weather processes, patterns, and forecasting
o Mesoscale and local scale systems
o Monsoonal circulation
o Local circulation systems
o Climatology (2-3 weeks)
o Distinction between weather and climate
o Global energy budget
o General circulation: Hadley, Ferrel, Polar cells, prevailing winds, seasons
o Ocean currents and sea surface temperatures
o Continentality and topography
o Climate classification
o Vegetation systems as indicators of climate
o Climate change (3-4 weeks)
o Holocene climate and environmental change and palæoclimatic reconstruction
o Biogeochemical cycles and anthropomorphic alterations of these
o Urban heat island
o Air quality and pollution
o Frequency and magnitude relationships (e.g., for floods, droughts, hurricanes)
o Predicting climate trends and impacts over the next 100 – 1,000 years
o Scientific uncertainty and the political manipulation of uncertainty
IX
Methods of Presentation:
A. Lectures and discussions
B. Demonstration activities
C. Take-home lab activities and problems
X
Methods of Evaluation:
A. Exams (required)
B. Essays on exams (required)
C. Quantitative problems on exams (required)
D. Reports (required)
E. Laboratory and field homework projects (required)
F. Oral or poster presentations (optional)
XI
Extent and Nature of the Use of Technology
Instructors may determine the specific mix of technology within certain constraints set by the
nature of the course. Required elements include exposure to maps, remote sensing imagery,
and spreadsheets for the calculation of statistics and linear equation modelling (e.g., Excel).
Optional elements include BeachBoard, campus web pages, search databases in the Library,
viewgraph programs (e.g., PowerPoint), microscopes, and the weather station.
XII Resources and Facilities
The Department of Geography has five tenured and probationary faculty with interests in
physical geography and commitment to GEOG 130 and 131: Drs. Rodrigue, Lee, Laris,
Wechsler, and Dallman. This team will alternate teaching or team-teaching GEOG 130 and
131, thus the number of faculty is large enough to mitigate the curricular diversion of any one
of them from other instructional responsibilities in the program.
The Department has a proprietary "smart" room dedicated to physical geography and
GIScience instruction, which, with its sink, new microscopes, and cabinet facilities, would
house sections of GEOG 130 and 131. We, additionally, have a 25 seat computer
instructional lab (LA5-352), a 10 seat advanced computer lab (LA4-207), and a specialized
remote sensing lab with 5 workstations (LA4-205).
XIII Instructional Requirements
Instructors may determine their own policies with respect to plagiarism, withdrawal,
absences, and adding the courses, so long as the policies are consistent with the University
policies as laid out in the CSULB Catalogue. Syllabi must refer to the appropriate sections in
the Catalogue, lay out precise policies for the course on attendance and plagiarism, and ask
students to inform instructors promptly of the need for accommodation of disabilities.
Instructors are asked to include some explanation of how they assess class participation.
XIV Bibliography:
A. Textbooks:
Several are listed in VII above. Others at a more advanced level include:
1. Barry, R.G. and Carleton, A.M. 2001. Synoptic and Dynamic Climatology. Routledge.
2. Cracknell, A.P.; Krapivin, V.F.; and Vorotsos, C. 2008. Global Climatology and
Ecodynamics: Anthropogenic Changes to Planet Earth. Springer Verlag.
3. McGuffie, K. and Henderson-Sellers, A. 1997. A Climate Modelling Primer, 2nd ed.
Wiley.
4. Stull, Roland. 1999. Meteorology for Scientists and Engineers. Brooks Cole.
5. Wallace, John M. and Hobbs, Perry V. 2006. Atmospheric Science: An Introductory
Survey. Academic Press.
B. Select journals for publications in meteorology, climatology, and climate change:
1. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
2. Journal of Climate
3. Climatic Change
4. International Journal of Climatology
5. Journal of Hydrometeorology
6. Progress in Physical Geography
7. Physical Geography
8. EOS: Transactions of the American Geophysical Union
9. Journal of Geophysical Research
10. Geophysical Research Letters
11. Earth Interactions
12. Palæogeography, Palæoclimatology, Palæoecology
13. Journal of Quaternary Science
14. International Journal of Remote Sensing
15. Science