Lecture 1: Introduction
Welcome to the first class of GEO 302C Climate:
Past, Present and Future!
I am Dr. Rong Fu, your instructor of this class.
Before we proceed, let’s see a show of hands for the
following questions.
Why Take This Course?
1. Want to know more about climate change?
2. Want to know more about global warming?
3. Want to become an informed citizen?
4. Want to obtain science credits?
5. Others?
Are you a ___________?
1. Freshman
2. Sophomore
3. Junior
4. Senior
5. None of the above
How would knowledge about climate help
in these cases?
The Instructor
Name:
Rong Fu
Professor
Education:
BS in Geophysics
MA and PhD in Atmospheric Science
Research:
Climate dynamics, atmosphere-ocean-land
interaction
Global Water Cycle
Satellite remote sensing application
Teach:
Earth System Physics,
Climate: Past, Present and Future
Office:
Hours:
Phone:
Email:
GEO 5.206
Wednesdays 3-5pm or by Appointment
232-7932
rongfu@jsg.utexas.edu
Textbook
Ruddiman, 2008.
Earth’s Climate:
Past and Future
2nd edition
Teach all 19 chapters,
with a focus on presentday climate.
Also use supplementary
materials.
Course Website
• http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/302C
• Check out this site before and after each
class. It is frequently updated and it is an
extremely important resource!
• Everything is online, from syllabus, lecture
topics, reading assignments, lab discussions,
to exams.
Syllabus
• Click Syllabus.
• ~40 hour-long lectures, 3 hours per week,
covering a wide range of key climate topics,
taught by Dr. Fu.
• ~10 lab discussions, 1.5 hours per lab per
week, taught by TAs.
Attendance will be counted
Schedule
• Click Schedule for listings of lecture topics and
reading materials.
• This site will be updated every day!
• Print out lecture notes before each class,
which will serve as a review guide.
• An actual lecture may not follow the online
notes exactly. You must attend the class to
notice the difference and to do well in this
course.
Labs
• Click Labs for listings of lab topics and reading
materials.
• Your TAs are Kelly Hereid and Meaghan
Gorman!
• This site will be updated every week!
• Print out lab assignments before each lab,
which you will use during the lab.
• No labs this week! (Or the first lab begins in
the week of January 25.)
Exams
• Click Exams for listings of exam dates.
• Pay special attention to the dates of the three
mid-term exams (Feb 19, March 26, and April 23).
• Final exam: May 12, 7-10pm.
• No make-up exams!
• But only better two of the three mid-term exams
count, which means you could miss one midterm exam without penalty. The final exam
cannot be missed.
Grades Policy
• Click Syllabus.
• Three mid-term exams, 25% each, with the lowest
grade dropped. Therefore, 25% + 25% = 50% is the
full mid-term exams grade.
• Up to 10 labs, with a total of 25% is the full lab grade.
• Final exam has a full grade = 25%.
• The only extra credit opportunity is points from
attendance check
• All add up to 100% for the final grade.
• Final Grade: > 90 A, 80-89 B, 70-79 C, 60-69 D, and
< 60 Ouch
Blackboard
• Blackboard http://courses.utexas.edu;
“login” with your UTEID.
• From there select
• “10SP CLIMATE: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE (26380) ”
• Useful for posting questions, answers, and
discussions, which are extensively used
before an exam.
Additional Reading Materials
• Click
http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/302c/Link
s02.htm for useful climate-related web
resources.
Questions?
• Email Dr. Fu at rongfu@jsg.utexas.edu
• Or call me 232-7932.
• Or ask me during my office hours
Wednesdays 3-5pm in GEO 5.206.
• Or post your questions on Backboard,
which will be monitored by me every
week.