Geography 3015 A – Fall 2008
Microclimatology - Course Syllabus
Course Instructor:
Office:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Office hours:
Class Schedule:
Laboratory Instructor:
Lab Schedule:
Room:
Textbook:
Matthew G. Letts
University Hall, C850
403-317-2842
matthew.letts@uleth.ca
Tuesdays (11h00-12h00)
Tuesdays and Thursdays (09h25-10h40)
Guy Duke
Thursdays (15h05-17h45)
B730 (classes) and E640 (labs)
Oke, T.R. 2003. Boundary Layer Climates (Second Edition).
Routledge, London, UK
Course Description:
Climatology of the planetary boundary layer. An examination of the dynamic exchanges of
radiation, energy, water, and carbon at the Earth-atmosphere interface. Topics addressed
include: surface radiation balance, latent and sensible heat flux, air pollution in the boundary
layer, carbon dynamics in agricultural and natural ecosystems, and implications of atmospheric
change on land-atmosphere interactions and tropospheric climate.
Graded Components:
Units and Conversions Primer
Excel Spreadsheet Primer
Surface Radiation Balance Lab
Surface Energy Balance Lab
NEE/ Carbon Balance Lab
Journal Article Review
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
2%
2%
8%
8%
8%
12%
25%
25%
10%
Tests:
Three tests, held in class, will consist of definitions, short answer/essay questions and
calculations. In this course, we first learn about the fundamentals of microclimatology, and then
apply these concepts throughout the course. Tests should, thus, be considered cumulative.
Lab Exercises:
You will be given two weeks to complete each of the three laboratory exercises as well as the
journal article review, except for Lab 3, as noted in the topics schedule below. The Excel
spreadsheet primer lab will be due one week after it is assigned. An introduction to each
laboratory exercise and review will be provided by the lab instructor and/or course instructor. The
lab instructor will be available for assistance during the lab period during weeks for which no lab
is scheduled. Extra lab sessions may be scheduled on off weeks when supplemental assistance
is deemed necessary.
Journal Article Review:
To support our seminar discussion on biogeochemistry and climate change, each student is
expected to read a scientific journal article on the issue along with three other students and
prepare a collective 2-4 page review. Results will be presented to the class in a ten minute
presentation.
Final Grading Scheme:
Your grades will be made available on the Web-CT site, and will be updated regularly. I will give
percentile marks for the tests, laboratory assignments and journal article review, but these marks
will be converted to a letter grade for your final transcript grade, which corresponds to a specific
grade point value. The following outlines the grade conversion scheme for this course:
Percentage
90-100
85-89
80-84
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
56-59
50-55
00-49
Letter
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F
GPV
4.0
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.0
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is an extremely serious academic offence and carries penalties varying from a written
reprimand and failure in an assignment, to debarment from the University. Any student found to
have plagiarized or cheated in this course would receive a mark of zero on the work in question,
in addition to a written reprimand copied to the Registrar’s Office, if it were a first offence. No
warning would be given. Further action would be taken for repeat offenders. Please note that
while I encourage students to work in groups, identical answers on assignments are considered
to be a form of plagiarism, so use your own words. Definitions and policies regarding plagiarism
can be found in the University of Lethbridge 2008-2009 Calendar.
Late Assignments:
A mark of zero will be assigned to all late laboratory exercises, and to all missed tests and
presentations, except in the case of documented health or personal reasons.
Topics Schedule (subject to change):
Month
September
October
Date
4
Topic
Introduction
Graded Components
Lab 1: Units,
Conversions, and
Measures Primer
(Sept 4)
9, 11
Review of Stability and Instability
Review and Surface Radiation
Balance
16, 18
Surface Radiation Balance (con’t)
23, 25, 30
Energy Balance
Lab 2: Excel
Spreadsheet Primer
(Sept 11)
Units Lab Due Sept 11
(in lab)
One class held outdoors
Lab 3: Radiation
Balance and Instability
(Sept 18 & 25)
Excel Spreadsheet Lab
Due Sept 18 (in lab)
Radiation Balance Lab
Due Sept 30 (in class)
2
Energy Balance (con’t)
Lab 4: Energy Balance
(October 2 & 9)
7, 9
Latent and Sensible Heat Flux /
Energy Flux Measurement
Climate of Non-Vegetated
Environments
Test 1: Oct 7
14,16
November
21, 23
28, 30
Climate of Vegetated Environments
Terrain Effects
4, 6
Urban Climatology and Pollution
13
Biogeochemistry and Trace Gas
Exchange
Outside the Boundary Layer; Severe
Storms; Climate Change
Climate Change Discussion
(Seminar) and Review
18, 20
25, 27
December
2, 4
Energy Balance Lab Due
Oct 16 (in class)
Lab 5: Net Ecosystem
Exchange and Carbon
Balance (October 30 &
November 6)
Journal Article Review
Assignment
Test 2: Nov 6
NEE Lab Due November
13 (in class)
Test 3: Nov 27
Journal Article Review
Presentations (Review
due December 2)