Geography 311
The Atmosphere
Objectives
- To understand how the Earth and its atmosphere have evolved
historically
- To understand the structure and composition of the atmosphere
- To understand contemporary environmental
issues arising from atmospheric change
Fall 2008
Syllabus (MWF 10:00)
Watch these animations:
Fun video of our
place in the universe (Eric Idle)
Earth’s place in universe (size of suns,
planets)
End of
World
Recommended texts:
Earth
Under Siege, R. P. Turco, © 1997
Oxford University Press, Inc. (Comprehensive coverage of entire course)
The
Changing Earth, J. S. Monroe and R.
Wicander, © 2006 Thomson Learning, Inc. (First part of course)
Meteorology
Today, C. Donald Ahrens, © 2003
Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. (Second half of course)
Understanding
Weather and Climate, E. Aguado and J. E.
Burt, © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. (Second half of course)
+
any meteorology text used for Geography 103: Weather (Second half of course)
References (articles and links):
Big-Bang
Theory of Universe
Evolution of the
Universe (link to Scientific American article)
Evolution of the Earth
(link to Scientific American article)
The Earth's Elements
(link to Scientific American article)
Evolution
of Life
The Origin of Life on
Earth (link to Scientific American article)
Life in the Universe
(link to Scientific American article)
The Evolution of
Life on Earth (link to Scientific American article)
What Caused the Mass
Extinction? (link to Scientific American article)
An Extraterrestrial Impact
(link to Scientific American article)
A Volcanic Eruption?
(link to Scientific American article)
Evolution
of the Atmosphere
Greenland Ice Cores
(link to Scientific American article)
An Ice Record of
Greenhouse Gases (link to .pdf file)
Earth's Early Atmosphere
(link to .pdf file)
Atmospheres of
the Terrestrial Planets (link to .pdf file)
Global Carbon Dioxide
Budget (link to .pdf file)
Climate
History
What Drives
Glacial Cycles (link to Scientific American article)
Chaotic Climate
(link to Scientific American article)
Ozone
Depletion
Ozone
Depletion - Twenty Questions
Air
Pollution (and Inversion Layers)
Study Guides:
Summary I:
Composition and Structure, Energy Balance, Seasons and Climate
Global Warming: Summary of Global Warming
Summary II:
Moisture, Stability, Precipitation and the Ozone Hole
Summary III: Air pressure, Winds, Ocean Currents and El
Nino
Summary IV:
Early History of the Solar System and the Earth
Summary V:
Climate Change
|
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Air
pollution and Inversion Layers Taken from the summit of |
Helen Cox,
last updated, Aug 4, 2008.