Atmospheric Environments: Climatology

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Geography and the Environment
Course Code
GEOG 2210
Credits
3.00
Semester Length
15
Max Class Size
35
Method Of Instruction
Lecture
Lab
Hybrid
Field Experience
Typically Offered
Fall
Campus
New Westminster

Overview

Course Description
This interactive and hands-on course builds on principles introduced in GEOG 1110 by exploring climatological and meteorological processes at work in our atmospheric environment. Exchange and transformation of energy, moisture and momentum are examined to explore a variety of topics ranging from daily weather variations (e.g. temperature, humidity, wind and severe weather) to environmental issues such as air pollution, urban heat islands, ozone depletion and global climate change.
Course Content

 

  1. Introduction to Climatology
  2. Energy Principles and Concepts
    • Types of energy
    • Energy dimensions
    • Laws of Thermodynamics
  3. Radiation - The Radiation Balance
    • Radiation Laws and distribution
  4. Energy
    • Energy budgets
    • Transfers and exchanges
    • Pattern of distribution
  5. Atmospheric Moisture
    • Measurement of humidity
    • Evaporation and condensation processes
    • Connections to surface energy and moisture balances
  6. Adiabatic Processes and Stability
  • Adiabatic lapse rates
  • Construction and use of tephigrams
  • Cloud development
  • Potential temperature
  • Precipitation formation and measurements
  • Atmospheric Circulation
    • Forces affecting air motion
    • Surface and upper air circulation
    • Interaction between upper air circulation and surface conditions
    • Regional winds
    • Local winds
  • Global Circulation
    • Models of atmospheric and ocean circulations
    • Teleconnections
    • Climatic classification and indices
    • Climatic controls - climatic patterns
  • Weather Forecasting
    • Types of forecasts
    • Spatial and temporal scales of forecasts
    • Data requirements
    • Accuracy
  • Climate Change
    • Natural and anthropogenic causes
    • Urban climates
    • Air pollution

     

    Methods Of Instruction

    This course will employ a variety of instructional methods to accomplish its objectives, including some of the following:

     

    • Lecture
    • Labs
    • Field Work
    • Multimedia
    • Individual and/or Team Projects
    • Small Group Discussions
    • Map Analysis

     

    Means of Assessment

    The evaluation will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College policy. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria during the first week of classes.

    An example of an evaluation scheme would be:

    Labs 30%
    Project 20%
    Lab Exam 10%
    Midterm Exam 20%
    Final Exam 20%
    Total 100%

     

     

    Learning Outcomes

    At the conclusion of the course the student will be able to:

    1. Describe and use the frameworks of science applicable to 2nd-year physical geography.
    2. Describe and explain the forms and exchanges of radiation and heat energy and discuss the laws applicable to the development of a radiation balance for the earth and its atmosphere.
    3. Explain the constructs and quantitative representations of energy and moisture budgets and their connections to different observed environmental conditions.
    4. Compute adiabatic lapse rates and evaluate conditions of stability and instability in the atmosphere including the use of temperature entropy diagrams.
    5. Describe and explain the forces controlling air motion and the resultant types of wind patterns.
    6. Describe and explain the relationship between upper level circulation and surface pressure patterns.
    7. Describe and explain methods employed to measure climatologic elements.
    8. Describe atmospheric conditions contributing to air pollution and the anthropogenic implications of air pollution.
    9. Describe and explain natural and anthropogenic causes of climate change at multiple scales.

     

    Textbook Materials

    Texts will be updated periodically. Typical examples of texts would be:

     

    • Ahrens, D., Jackson, P.L, and C.J. Jackson (2012). Meteorology Today: An Introduction To Weather, Climate, and the Environment, First Canadian Edition. Cengage Nelson.
    • Ross, S. L. (2013).  Weather and Climate: an Introduction. Oxford.
    • Aguado, E. and J.E. Burt. (2015). Understanding Weather and Climate, 7th edition.   Pearson Prentice Hall.

     

    Requisites

    Prerequisites

    GEOG 1110

    Corequisites

    No corequisite courses.

    Equivalencies

    No equivalent courses.

    Requisite for

    This course is not required for any other course.

    Course Guidelines

    Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

    (Current)

    Course Transfers

    Institution Transfer Details Effective Dates
    Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO GEOG 204 (4) 2013/01/01 to 2018/04/30
    Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU GEOG 214 (3) 2004/09/01 to -
    Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU GEOG 2310 (3) 2004/09/01 to -
    Langara College (LANG) LANG GEOG 2280 (3) 2010/01/01 to -
    Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU GEOG 214 (3), Q 2004/09/01 to -
    Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU GEOG 2XX (3) 2004/09/01 to 2010/08/31
    Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU GEOG 2XXX (3) 2010/09/01 to -
    Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU GEOG 2XX (3), *NATS, lab 2009/09/01 to -
    Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU GEOG 2XX (3) 2004/09/01 to 2009/08/31
    University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO GEOG 200 (3) 2005/05/01 to -
    University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV GEOB 200 (3) 2004/09/01 to -
    University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC ENSC 201 (3) 2004/09/01 to -
    University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV GEOG 201 (3) 2004/09/01 to -
    University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC GEOG 2XX (1.5) 2004/09/01 to 2011/08/31
    University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC GEOG 272 (1.5) 2011/09/01 to -
    Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU GEOG 2nd (3), Exemption VIU GEOG 372 (0) 2020/01/01 to -
    Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU GEOG 2nd (3) 2004/09/01 to 2019/12/31

    Course Offerings

    Summer 2021

    There aren't any scheduled upcoming offerings for this course.