Marine Science 20: Intro to Oceanography
Spring 2010 Saddleback College
Professor Kalon Morris
kmorris@saddleback.edu
Classroom: SM 105
Office: SM 136
(949) 582-4649
Office Hours: Tue / Thur 11:30-noon (in office) and online through Blackboard
Students may be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance, but it is
your responsibility to drop if you must. Every student at Saddleback College is here by
choice. If you choose not to participate or to disturb the class, I will drop you.
This class will investigate the reasons why the ocean, atmosphere, and earth work
and look the way they do. Lectures and labs will present the most important information,
with the textbook providing additional instruction. To do well in this class, students need
to attend every lecture and lab, pay attention, take detailed notes, and study! It is not
enough to just memorize facts and names; students must understand the physical concepts
that are discussed in class in order to explain why the ocean works like it does. As a 4unit class, students should expect to spend 12 hours per week on this class. That means 3
hours/week lecture, 3 hours/week lab, and 6 hours/week of studying!
Tentative Schedule
Week 1: begins Jan 11
Lecture 1: Introduction, Safety, Metric Units, and Types/Forms of Energy
Lecture 2: Origin of Earth, Ocean and Atmosphere; Textbook Chapter 2
Lab: Introduction and Lab Safety
Week 2: Jan 18
Lecture 1: Plate Tectonics; Ch 3
Lecture 2: Plate Boundaries, Earthquakes and Back Arc Volcanoes; Ch 3
Lab: Navigating the Southern California Bight (Lab #1)
Week 3: Jan 25
Lecture 1: Hot Spots, Continental Margins and Sediments; Ch 4 and 5
Lecture 2: MIDTERM #1
Lab: Modeling the Earth's Crust: Isostasy (Lab #2)
Week 4: Feb 1
Lecture 1: The Water Molecule Structure/Props; and Sensible/Latent Heat Energy; Ch 6
Lecture 2: Solar Energy Spectrum, Sunlight in the Ocean, and Wave Refraction; Ch 6
Lab: Rocks and Minerals (Lab #3)
Week 5: Feb 8
Lecture 1: Thermocline, Halocline and Pycnocline; and Sound Waves in the Ocean; Ch 6
Lecture 2: Ocean Chemistry, Ions and the Carbon Cycle; Ch 7
Lab: Rock and Minerals ID quiz and Sedimentation Rates, Part 1 (Lab #4)
Week 6: Feb 15
Lecture 1: The Atmosphere, Earth's Heat Energy Budget, and Greenhouse Effect; Ch 8
Lecture 2: Coriolis Effect and Atmospheric Circulation; Ch 8
Lab: Sedimentation Rates and Turbidity Currents, Part 2 (Lab #4)
Week 7: Feb 22
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Birch Aquarium and Tide Pools Field Trip (Lab 12)
Week 8: Mar 1
Lecture 1: Storms (Hurricanes and Extra-Tropical Cyclones) and Ice Ages; Ch 8
Lecture 2: Surface Ocean Currents; Ch 9
Lab: Salinity (Lab #5)
Week 9: Mar 8
Lecture 1: Deep Thermohaline Ocean Currents; Ch 9
Lecture 2: Midterm #2
Lab: Solar Radiation, Albedo, and Turbidity (Lab #7)
Week 10: Mar 22
Lecture 1: ENSO (El Nino cycle); Ch 9
Lecture 2: Introduction to Ocean Waves; Ch 10
Lab: Saltwater Density and Sea Ice Formation (Lab #6)
Week 11: Mar 29
Lecture 1: Capillary Waves, Wind Waves, Wave Interference and Wave Groups; Ch 10
Lecture 2: Shallow Water Wind Waves, Shoaling and Breaking; Ch 10
Lab: Dissolved Oxygen and pH (Lab #8)
Week 12: Apr 5
Lecture 1: Beach Processes and Littoral Cells; Ch 12
Lecture 2: Humans in the Surf Zone and Tsunamis; Ch 12 and 10
Lab: Waves (Lab #9)
Week 13: Apr 12
Lecture 1: Equilibrium Tides; Ch 11
Lecture 2 and Lab: Research Cruise Field Trip from Dana Point
Week 14: Apr 19
Lecture 1: Dynamical Tides, Tidal Bores, and Tidal Friction; Ch 11
Lecture 2: Coastlines and Sea Level Change; Ch 12
Lab: Fresh and Saltwater Mixing in Estuaries (Lab #10)
Week 15: Apr 26
Lecture 1: Coral Reefs, Marine Ecology, and Top Ocean Predator (Orca); Ch 12-16
Lecture 2: Marine Resources, Energy, and Pollution; Ch 17 and 18
Lab: Coastal Bluffs, Beach Processes, and Erosion at Calafia Beach Field Trip (Lab #13)
Week 16: May 3
Lecture 1: Natural Climate Change, Global Warming, and the Solar Hydrogen Economy
Lecture 2: Catch-up any missed lecture material
Lab: Completed Lab Manuals Due; Lab Final
Week 17: May 10
Lecture 1: Review for Final Exam
Week 18: May 17
Final Exam
Textbooks:
“Oceanography” by Garrison 4th to 7th edition and
"Introduction to Oceanography Lab Manual" by Morris 2nd edition
Course Reading:
The Chapters listed above are from the Garrison 6th edition textbook and are
required (ideally before the material is covered in lecture). I will provide any additional
required reading during the semester.
Exams:
There will be two semester (midterm) exams given during the normal class period
on all material previously covered in lecture. There will also be a comprehensive final
exam given during the time designated by Saddleback College. The exams will consist
of both multiple choice and short answer essay questions.
If you miss a midterm exam, it must be made up before or during the next day of
class! For longer absences, students must notify the instructor as soon as possible.
If you fail the first midterm (less than 50%), you must immediately see the
professor and agree to complete substantial extra work each week in order to
remain in the class (otherwise you will be dropped).
Pop Quizzes:
Several times during the semester students will take a quick written and/or oral
examination on all material previously covered, and that week's assigned reading. Every
student will take several of these pop quizzes over the semester, during lecture or lab.
You will not know when your exam will be, so you must be prepared every week. If you
are absent for your pop quiz you will receive zero points.
Labs:
Half of your lab grade will be the pre-lab quiz (completed in lab) and
participation. You must be present and participate in the entire lab to receive credit!
You will turn in your completed lab manual during the last lab of the semester (or when I
tell you a lab is due) for the rest of the lab grade.
Grading:
The final exam will count for 35% of your grade; the lab portion of this class will
count for 40%; each midterm will count for 10%; your pop quizzes for 5%. I anticipate
that the final grading curve for this class will be anything greater than 80%=A, >70%=B,
>60%=C, >50%=D. Below 50% is a failing grade.
Attendance / Quizzes:
Attendance at all lectures and labs is essential to your performance in this class.
Pop quizzes covering previous lecture material and the current day’s assigned reading
will be given.
Questions:
Please feel free to ask me questions at any time (about the course or not). The
best way to reach me is during office hours and by email (kmorris@saddleback.edu).
Field Trips:
Several local, off-campus field trips are required as part of this class. Most are
conducted during class time. I will provide more information during the semester.
Academic Honesty:
Cheating, Plagiarism, and Fabrication are not allowed. See the Saddleback
College Student Handbook and the Saddleback Website for official college policies.
Student Services:
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or
accommodations is required to speak with the professor. All discussions will remain
confidential.
Blackboard:
This class has a homepage in Blackboard where you can view your grades and
other information for the class, as well as participate in online office hours. Go to:
socccd.blackboard.com
and login with your Saddleback username and password (the same as for MySite).
PLEASE TURN OFF AND PUT AWAY YOUR CELL PHONE BEFORE
ENTERING CLASS!!