Download Oceans and Global Climate

GLY 3074
The Oceans and Global Climate Change
Spring 2017
Dr. Ellen E. Martin (email: [email protected]); Office: 362 Williamson Hall
Office Hours: Tues 2:00 - 3:00 and Fri. 2:00 – 3:00, or by appointment
TA: Karen Vyverberg ([email protected] ), Office: 263 Williamson Hall
Office Hours: (Tues. 12:50-1:40; Thurs. 1:55-2:45)
Lectures: M,W,F, Period 4, 10:40-11:30, Rm 202 Williamson Hall
Objectives: The oceans store huge amounts of heat, moisture and carbon
dioxide. As such, they profoundly influence climate and modulate natural and
anthropogenic climate change. The goal of this course is for you to understand
the role the oceans play in determining climate and regulating global climate
change. We will start with an introduction to the climate system, then cover
atmospheric and ocean circulation, the relationship between the oceans and the
global carbon system, and finally discuss the long-term record of global climate
preserved in the oceans and the current record of short term global change.
By the end of the course you should understand:
 the basics of how the atmosphere and ocean circulate,
 the processes that drive climate change, the reservoirs and fluxes of carbon
on earth,
 how to evaluate the evidence for modern climate change and predictions of
future climate change, and
 what the long-term history of global climate change can teach us about
modern climate and climate change.
Required Materials:
Kump, Kasting and Crane, 3rd edition, 2010, The Earth System, Pearson.
There is no perfect textbook for this course. The Kump, Kasting and Crane book
covers a lot of the important material, but we will jump around some rather than
reading it straight through. There are several chapters that will not be assigned
and I will post additional reading material on the canvas site.
Grading
Assignments- incl. GW opinion*/ Stabilization Triangle
3 Exams (15% each) (Jan. 27, Feb. 22 and Mar. 31)
2 Lab exercises (5% each)
Position paper (due Mar. 20)*
Writing assignment (due Apr. 10)*
Presentation and abstract*
Presentation evaluations
10%
45%
10%
10%
10%
10%
5%
* Denotes short writing assignments (~1 page each) to be handed in as both a
hard copy and electronically.
Assignments handed in late will only receive 50% of their original value.
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Final grading scheme:
Percentage 93%earned
100%
Letter
A
Grade
90%92%
87%89%
83%86%
80%82%
77%79%
73%76%
70%72%
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
etc.
Below 60% = F
Assignments:
There will be a number of short take home and in-class assignments throughout
the semester. These are designed to let you think about some of the concepts
independently or to give you hands-on experience manipulating some of the
data. Part of the assignment grade will also include a short statement about your
views on global warming based on your knowledge prior to this course (due Jan.
13) and participation in The Stabilization Triangle: A Concept and Game. This
is a game put together by a group at Princeton to evaluate potential solutions to
greenhouse gas emissions. The goal is to determine a strategy to keep
atmospheric CO2 emissions flat over the next 50 years. The game presents a
range of strategies and discusses the pros and cons; there are no right or wrong
answers. You will work in groups of ~5 to put together a strategy, then each
group will present their strategy to the class and turn in a written summary
explaining the choices they made. Participation is each day of this activity is worth 4
assignment points.
Written Assignments:
The four 1-page writing assignments for the course. Each is designated with *
above and listed below. Each needs to be submitted as both 1) a hard copythat is
due in class on the due date, and 2) an electronic copy that is submitted to canvs
before class on the due date. The electronic versions are run through a
plagiarism checker (see information below about plagiarism). I will grade and
comment on the printed version, therefore I will not count an assignment as
submitted until I have a printed version in my hand and the submitted electronic version.
This means you need to plan time for completing and printing the assignments.
1) One short (~<1 page) assignment explaining your current views on the
greenhouse effect and global warming. This will not be graded, but will
constitute part of your “assignments” grade (due Jan 13th)
2) A position paper expressing your view on whether or not global
warming/climate change is a problem. This 1 page paper will not require
extensive research beyond what we have discussed in class, but you will
need to support your thoughts with scientific arguments (due March 20th).
The assignment will be graded on a score of 1-10 based on the strength of
your argument, scientific rigor, and the presentation of your ideas. It will
represent the 10% of your grade listed as “position paper.”
3) A final writing assignment near the end of the semester is essentially a
final essay question (due Apr. 10th); however, in this format you will have
more time and resources to answer the question. You will be graded on a
score of 1-10 based on the scientific content and thoroughness as well as
the quality of the written presentation. This assignment will represent the
10% of your grade listed as “writing assignment.”
4) A one page abstract of your class presentation will be due on the day of
your presentation. It comprises part of your presentation grade, and
again will be graded on a scale of 1-10.
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Exams: There are 3 one hour exams that will be administered during regular
class times. Each exam will cover the material from the previous third of the
course. Exams will consist of a mixture of short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and
essay questions. Exams are scheduled for Jan. 27th, Feb. 22nd and Mar. 31st.
There is no final exam; however I have set aside that time (April 27th, 3:00-5:00) in case
we need additional time to get through all of the presentations.
Lab exercises: Two days during the semester have been set aside for lab
exercises. One exercise covers surface ocean circulation, the other covers deep
ocean circulation. Both will require some computer work outside of class. The
purpose of these exercises is to give you an opportunity to work with data on
these topics. There are questions to be handed in for each exercise. (due Feb. 3rd
and Feb. 17th).
Presentations: Each student will give a short (8 min) presentation to the class on
a topic related to oceans and global climate change. These presentations will
take up all of the class time near the end of the semester. I will provide a list of
possible topics, but you are free to work on any topic you find interesting. The
idea is to give you an opportunity to delve into some topic in more detail, put
together a Powerpoint presentation, write up a 1 page abstract, and present your
findings to the class. Everyone will be asked to critique the quality of the science
and the presentation.
Evaluations: A portion of your course grade will be based on your contribution
to evaluating other presentations. In other words, 5% of your grade is based on being
present, and contributing evaluations of presentations during the last 2-3 weeks of class.
The presentations are always more interesting if there are questions from the
class. I keep track of who asks questions and use that as criteria for bumping up
someone with a borderline grade.
Webpage: There is an e-learning (canvas) website for the course that you should
be able to access. Contact me if you have any trouble. The site includes copies of
the PowerPoint presentations from lectures, announcements about assignments
and activities, study guides for exams, and grade information. WARNING- I do
not monitor email through the website. Write to me directly at [email protected].
Class Conduct: Please be considerate to your fellow students and me during the
class period. This means cell phones off, no texting, no surfing the web. Please
try to get to class on time and stay until the end. These are basic, common
courtesies that prevent distractions during class. If you do plan to take notes on a
computer, please sit in the back of the class. Very few people actually limit that
activity to note-taking and the other activities distract everyone around them.
Academic Integrity: Students are expected to act in accordance with the
University of Florida policy on academic integrity (see Student Conduct Code,
the Graduate Student Handbook or this web site for more details:
www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/academicguide.php). Cheating, lying,
misrepresentation, or plagiarism in any form is unacceptable and inexcusable
behavior.
We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and
our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
Because you will be turning in assignments and giving presentations on material
that is readily available on the web, I want to stress that taking sentences
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verbatim from the web is plagiarism as is taking sentences or paragraphs from
any source, even if you site the source. These are forms of plagiarism that is
relatively easy to detect. It is also plagiarism if you intersperse extracted
sentences from different websites. I have had problems with plagiarism in the
past, therefore I have asked you to submit electronic versions of the four onepage assignments so I can run them through a plagiarism checker. My policy is
that you will receive an F in the course if I detect plagiarism or any other type of
cheating. The web can be a great resource, but remember that you must properly
credit websites that you use for information. Also remember that anyone can
post anything on the web. Make sure you use sites that have some validity.
Honesty Policy
All students registered at the University of Florida have agreed to comply with
the following statement: “I understand that the University of Florida expects its
students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this
commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply
with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including
expulsion from the University.”
In addition, on all work submitted for credit the following pledge is either
required or implied: “On my honor I have neither given nor received
unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.”
If you witness any instances of academic dishonesty in this class, please notify
the instructor or contact the Student Honor Court (392-1631) or Cheating Hotline
(392-6999). For additional information on Academic Honesty, please refer to the
University of Florida Academic Honesty Guidelines at:
http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/academicguide.html.
UF Counseling Services
Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or
lacking clear career and academic goals. The resources include:
 UF Counseling & Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Rd, 392-1575, psychological
and psychiatric services.
 Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career and job search
services.
Many students experience test anxiety and other stress related problems. “A Self
Help Guide for Students” is available through the Counseling Center (301
Peabody Hall, 392-1575) and at their web site: http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/.
Your well-being is important to the University of Florida. The U Matter, We
Care initiative is committed to creating a culture of care on our campus by
encouraging members of our community to look out for one another and to reach
out for help if a member of our community is in need. If you or a friend is in
distress, please contact [email protected] so that the U Matter, We Care Team can
reach out to the student in distress. A nighttime and weekend crisis counselor is
available by phone at 352-392-1575. The U Matter, We Care Team can help
connect students to the many other helping resources available including, but
not limited to, Victim Advocates, Housing staff, and the Counseling and
Wellness Center. Please remember that asking for help is a sign of strength. In
case of emergency, call 9-1-1.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with
the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/) by
providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an
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accommodation letter which must be presented to the instructor when
requesting accommodations. Students with disabilities should follow this
procedure as early as possible in the semester.
Athletes and Other Students with Extensive Extracurricular Activities- I make
an effort to work with students’ schedules, but communication is critical to make
the process work. You need to come and talk to me in person if you will be
missing classes and turning in late assignments. I consider a note from the
Athletic Association as verification only, you need to talk to me directly to make
arrangements for late assignments.
Oceans and Global Climate Change
GLY 3074
Schedule- Spring 2017
Week Date
1
Jan. 4
Jan. 6
Topic
Introduction
Climate
Assignments Due
2
Jan. 9
Climate System
GW Opinion
Jan. 11
Jan. 13
Earth’s Energy Balance
Earth’s Energy Balance
Systems
Jan. 16
Jan. 18
Jan. 20
MLK Day- no class
Forcing
Atmospheric Circ
Jan. 23
Jan. 25
Atm Circ Problem
Jan. 27
Atmospheric Circ
Atmospheric Circ and
presentation topics
EXAM 1
Jan. 30
Feb. 1
Feb. 3
Surface Circ Lab
Surface Ocean Circ
Surface Ocean Circ
Pre lab
Presentation topic
Surface lab
Feb. 6
Feb. 8
Feb. 10
Surface/Deep Circ
Deep Ocean Circ
Deep Ocean Circ
Follow up
Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Deep Ocean Circ Lab
ENSO
ENSO/Oceanic
3
4
5
6
7
Reading
Ch.1: pp. 1-3
Black Body Problem
Ch. 2: pp. 21-26,
skim pp. 26-33
Ch. 3
Ch.1: pp. 3-19
Ch. 4
Ch.5: pp. 84-92
Ch. 5: pp. 96-106
References for topic
Deep water lab
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Ch. 5: pp. 92-96
Ch.8: pp. 154-159
Productivity
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9
Feb. 20
Feb. 22
Feb. 24
Oceanic Productivity
EXAM 2
Global Carbon Cycle
Feb 27
Mar.1
Global Carbon Cycle
Carbon Cycle
Ch. 8: pp. 148-154
and
CO2 uptake
Ch. 8: pp. 159-173
Ch.7: pp. 130-146
plate tectonics
/weathering review
Mar. 3
Carbon Cycle/Global
Change
10
Mar. 411
Spring Break!!
11
Mar. 13
Mar. 15
Global Change
Global Change
Mar. 17
Global Change
12
Mar. 20
Mar. 22
Mar. 24
Paleoclimate
Paleoclimate
Guest lecture: Megan
Walker-Radtka
Position paper
13
Mar. 27
Stabilization Triangle
Mar. 29
Stabilization Triangle
You need to be in
class both days
Group presentation
and worksheet
Mar. 31
EXAM 3
14
Apr. 3
Apr. 5
Apr. 7
Presentations*
Presentations*
Presentations*
15
Apr. 10
Apr. 12
Apr. 14
Presentations*
Presentations*
Presentations*
16
Apr. 17
Apr. 19
Presentations*
Presentations*
Presentation Sign up
Carbon calculator
Ch. 15
Ch. 16
Ch.12: 240-253
Ch. 14
Final paper
* Part of your grade for the course is based on attending these presentations and filling
out evaluation forms for each of the presenters.
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There is no final exam; however I have set aside the exam time (April 27th, 3:005:00) in case we need additional time to get through all of the presentations.
Readings from Kump, Kasting and Crane, 3rd edition
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