Electronic Dialog
Spring 1996
Overview/General Information on Global Change
Student Assignment: Why did you choose to take this
course? Student
Assignment: Sensitive Map of World Climate RegionsAtmospheric Structure and Circulation
Pre-Lecture Student
Assignment: Describe the cloud pattern you observed on the IR general circulation MPEG movie.
Note: Deadline for this assignment is 11:00 AM
Friday, 19 January. Post-Lecture Student
Assignment: Use concepts of global circulation patterns to explain motions of cloud
patterns on the global montage
movieAtmospheric Chemistry:
- carbon cycle
Student Assignment
- From the SEAWIFS
Project Image Archive, compare the biological productivity of the
following water bodies: Mediterranean Sea, Hudson Bay, and Arctic
Ocean. Answer the following question: Biological activity in water
bodies may be limited by lack of solar energy or nutrients or excess
of salinity or pullutants. Which of these water bodies is biologically
least productive and why? To zoom in on any region, go to the
Interactive Region Selection. To access the assignment page, click
here.
- From the SEAWIFS
Project Image Archive, compare the biological productivity of the
following water bodies: Mediterranean Sea, Hudson Bay, and Arctic
Ocean. Answer the following question: Biological activity in water
bodies may be limited by lack of solar energy or nutrients or excess
of salinity or pullutants. Which of these water bodies is biologically
least productive and why? To zoom in on any region, go to the
Interactive Region Selection. To access the assignment page, click
here.
- major gases, trace gases, methane, carbonates
- nitrogen cycle, sulfur cycle
- evolution
- manmade chemicals, ozone
- ozone reactions
Student
Assignment: Submit the title of your report on
the topic of "Atmospheric Chemistry" that will be due February 9th. (Student responses are from Spring 1995.)
- Acid Deposition
Global Energy Balance, Radiative
ForcingInternal and External Influences
Student
Assignment: Submit a short (4-6 sentences) summary of your
observations of seasonal changes in albedo.
Modeling Climate:
- The climate system: modeling climate
- Validation of climate models
- Coupled models, equilibrium results for 2xCO2
- Equilibrium results for 2xCO2, regional patterns
- Results of transient models
- Observed climate changes: paleoclimate, the instrumental record
Observe Climate Change: global
warming update, climate variability
Student
Assignment: Submit the title of your report on
the topic of "climate modeling or climate change" that
will be due
March 4th.
Ocean structure and circulationClimate Variability (El Nino, La Nina)SatellitesMission to Planet Earth, observing global
change from satellitesGlobal
hydrological cycleRemote sensing the earth system
504 Student Assignment: Submit an outline and list of at
least five references which is due March 20.
Hydrological aspects of global
changeSea-level rise
Student
Assignment: Antarctic and Greenland mass
balance problem.
Population trends and controlling factors
Student
Assignment: Read and summarize (in a short paragraph) the official position of a
country of your choice on population as stated at the 1994 UN Population and
Development Conference (Cairo). Check entries already made to avoid
duplicating countries.
Student
Assignment: Please give your opinions on the following
statement: "Preservation of the planet takes precedence over individual
rights, and, therefore, it is morally wrong for a woman to bear more
than two children." The assignment page includes the option to view
opinions from the 1995 class.
Human healthPlant physiological effects of a changing
environmentVegetation responses to a changing environment
Student
Assignment: Submit the title of your report on
the topic of "water resources/hydrologic cycle" that
will be due
April 12th.
Land use issuesDesertificationImplications of global change for
agricultureSustainable agricultureForestry issuesEnvironmental economicsSustainable developmentSocietal responses and consequencesEnvironmental sociology
Student
Assignment: Submit an essay which describes the relationship of
your discipline to global change. Due April 26th.
Global change and urbanization
Legislation and policy issues: state, national
and international
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Return to Global Change Course Schedule.