GEOG 493 - Geography of Climate and Environmental Change
Instructor Dr. Martha Shulski
336 Akasofu Building / IARC
474-7885
martha@climate.gi.alaska.edu
Office Hours by appointment
When MWF 11:45 - 12:45
Where 136 Reichardt
DOWNLOADS
> Syllabus (PDF, MS Word)
> Readings schedule (PDF, MS Word)
> Readings schedule post spring break (Word, PDF)
> Koppen climate classification paper (2 Feb)
> Pielke paper (22 Feb)
> IPCC summary report (29 Feb)
> Global warming discussion papers (1), (2) (7 Mar)
> High latitude change paper (11 Apr)
> ACIA executive summary report (11 Apr)
Course Description: This is a 'synthesis' course for upper division geography students, and students with adequate background in biologic or physical sciences. Main objectives of this course are to help students integrate and synthesize prior knowledge and experience gained in more discipline-based courses (climate, geomorphology, ecology). This will be achieved by examining the processes of environmental change from various geospatial and temporal perspectives, and from the premise that multiple and integrated variables are responsible as drivers of change, and in environmental response to change.
Course Schedule: (subject to change)
Week
Dates
 Monday Wednesday Friday
1
1/25
 Introduction to Course
2
1/28 - 2/1
 The Earth Climate System Energy Balance Climate controls, Regional and global climates
3
2/4 - 2/8
 Climate change time scales (quiz) Climate change linkages Non-linearites and sudden changes
4
2/11 - 2/15
 Feedback processes (quiz) *GAIA discussion - living in daisyworld Humans as drivers of change
5
2/18 - 2/22
 Humans as drivers of change, cont'd Land use change Land use change, cont'd (17MB)
Piekle paper
6
2/25 - 2/29
 Responses to change
(quiz)		 Making sense of the IPCC * IPCC discussion (summary report)
7
3/3 - 3/7
 Exam 1 Global warming - two sides to every story * Global warming discussion (paper1, paper2) Research Topic Due
8
3/10 - 3/14
- Spring Break -
- Spring Break -
- Spring Break -
9
3/17 - 3/21
 Drought overview Drought indices and desertification
(downloads 1 and 2)		 * Drought discussion
(paper1, paper2)
10
3/24 - 3/28
 Pollution Pollution and air quality in Alaska (Cathy Cahill) Ozone hole and
Asian dust (quiz)
11
3/31 - 4/4
 Climate and society: mitigation, adaptation, resilience - 22 MB! Climate and society: part 2 Climate and society: part 3 (quiz)
12
4/7 - 4/11
 Sea level change, erosion, and coastal communities (paper) Exam 2 ACIA report and High Latitude Change discussion
(paper1, paper2)
13
4/14 - 4/18
 Research in Antarctica (Gerd Wendler) High Latitude Change: Temperature and Precipitation (John Walsh)
- No Class -
UAF SpringFest
14
4/21 - 4/25
 High Latitude Change:
Sea Ice (Hajo Eicken)		 High Latitude Change: Permafrost
(Vladimir Romanovsky)		 High Latitude Change: Hydrology (Daqing Yang)
15
4/28 - 5/2
 High Latitude Change: Vegetation (Glenn Juday) Wrap-up and Review, Evaluations Student Presentations (Nick, Michaela, Kate)
16
5/5 - 5/9
 Student Presentations (Markus, Ryan, Bob, Alice)
- Finals - No Class -
Paper due
- Finals - No Class -
UA Geography | SNRAS | UAF

Last update: Apr 25, 2008
URL: http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/courses/geog493