GEOG 401 - Weather and Climate
Last update: Dec 7, 2007
Instructor Martha Shulski
336 Akasofu Building / IARC
474-7885
martha@climate.gi.alaska.edu
Office Hours M (1:30 - 3:00), W (3:00 - 4:00), or by appointment
When MWF 10:30 - 11:30
Where 347 Duckering
Text Meteorology Today, 8th Edition
by C. Donald Ahrens
DOWNLOADS
> Syllabus (PDF, MS Word)
> Homework #1 (PDF, MS Word)
> Electromagnetic Spectrum image
> Homework #2
> Noctilucent cloud information
> Homework #3
> Homework #4
> Koppen paper and map
Course Description: This course serves as an introduction to basic weather and climate principles such as energy balance and energy exchange, atmospheric stability and cloud formation, atmospheric pressure and winds, severe weather events, climate classification and climate change.
Course Schedule: Though I will try to follow this schedule, it is tentative and subject to change. (Number in parenthesis denotes corresponding chapter in Ahrens book). Powerpoint files of lectures can be downloanded below.
Week Dates Monday Wednesday Friday
1 9/7 Introduction to class
2 9/10 - 9/14 Earth's atmosphere (1) Energy pt. 1 (2) Energy pt. 2 (2)
3 9/17 - 9/21 Temperature variability pt. 1 (3) Temperature variability pt. 2 (3) [Homework #1 Due] Atmospheric moisture pt. 1 (4)
4 9/24 - 9/28 Atmospheric moisture pt. 2 (4) Stability and cloud development (6) Cloud development (6)
5 10/1 - 10/5* Condensation: dew and fog (5) Condensation: clouds (5) [Homework #2 Due] Precipitation processes (7)
[Research Paper Topic Due]
6 10/8 - 10/12 Precip types and measurements (7) Precipitaiton and Snow in Alaska, meteorological observations
(warning ... 10MB!)		 Wrap-up and review
Geography Departmental Gathering (252 Duckering,
3:30-5:30)
7 10/15 - 10/19 EXAM I Atmospheric pressure (8) Laws of motion and forces (8)
8 10/22 - 10/26 Small-scale winds (9) Local-scale winds (9) Global wind systems and jet streams (10)
9 10/29 - 11/2 Atmosphere-ocean interaction, climate signals (10) Air masses and fronts pt. 1 (11)
[Homework #3 Due]		 Air masses and fronts pt. 2, how to read a weather map (11)
10 11/5 - 11/9 Mid-latitude cyclones and polar lows (12) Hurricanes (15) Thunderstorms and tornados (14)
11 11/12 - 11/16 Thunderstorms and wildfire in Alaska (warning 29MB) Making a weather forecast (13)[Homework #4 Due] Wrap-up and Review
12 11/19 - 11/23 Forecasting in Alaska-
Meet at Fairbanks NWS Office (IARC, Akasofu Bldg, Rm. 351)		 EXAM II Thanksgiving holiday - no class
13 11/26 - 11/30 Intro to climate (17) Global and regional climates (17) Past climates and causes of change (16)
14 12/3 - 12/7 Climate data and observations Climate models (16) Climate projections
Research Paper Due!!
15 12/10 - 12/14 No clas No class Wrap-up and review
Course evaluations
16 12/17 - 12/21
Finals Week		 Final Exam
10:15 - 12:15pm		 Grades posted ... enjoy the break
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