Courses in Land-Atmosphere Science
Please note that our course listing is currently in revision...
1. ESPM/GEOG 1425:The Atmosphere/Introduction to Meteorology
The Atmosphere introduces the basic physical, chemical and biological processes
that drive changes in Earth's weather and climate. The topics are broad and include:
radiation and energy exchange; air pollution; greenhouse effect; stratospheric
ozone depletion; severe weather hazards; general circulation of the atmosphere;
climate teleconnections such as El Nino, impacts of human activities on the climate
system, and as well, the potential impact of weather and climate change on society.
The specific learning goals are to:
1) Understand the basic processes that govern the atmosphere;
2) Become familiar with the basic tools, techniques, and analytical methods used to forecast weather;
3) Develop skills to interpret weather and climate data;
4) Learn how weather and climate impact society;
5) Discover how human activities can modify climate;
6) Develop an appreciation for scientific exploration and scientific uncertainty;
7) Critically evaluate scientific questions and claims related to atmospheric science
The types of questions that we try to answer include:
1. What causes the wind to blow?
2. How do clouds form?
3. What conditions lead to severe weather events?
4. What is the greenhouse effect?
5. How can humans modify climate?
6. What causes severe pollution episodes?
2. ES 5402:Biometeorology
ES 5402 examines energy and mass exchange in the biosphere with an emphasis on
soil-plant-atmosphere interactions. Topics include:an introduction to boundary
layer and turbulent exchange processes; measuring energy and trace gas exchange
with eddy covariance, Bowen ratio and gradient techniques and, advanced methods
combining stable isotope and micrometeorological measurements for studying the
impacts of climate and land use change on carbon and water cycling. There is an
emphasis on the use of boundary layer theory and techniques for studying
ecophysiological processes, biosphere feedback mechanisms, and the interaction
between the Earth's surface and the lower atmosphere. The course aims to achieve
exemplary learning by examining recent field studies conducted in natural and
managed ecosystems.
Assignments/Projects will make use of field measurements and computer problem
solving using Matlab. Lecture/Seminar/Lab (3 credits 2 hours class time/week).
Grade 20% participation; 40% assignments/projects; 40% exam. Student Workload:
6-8 hours/week. Prerequisites: First year calculus and one other science course
is recommended.
Types of questions that ES 5402 will address:
1. How are heat, water, carbon, and pollutants cycled between the Earth's
surface and the lower atmosphere?
2. What research tools do we have for quantifying the impact of climate variation,
pollutants, and land use change on ecosystem-scale processes?
3. How do changes in ecosystem processes (photosynthesis and respiration) impact
the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere?
3. ES 3211/5211/5212:Environmental Biophysics and Lab
The intent of the course is to explore quantitative interactions between the
physical environment and living organisms by means of thermodynamics and physics
of mass and energy exchange. We will first develop definitions and basic concepts
of environmental state variables such as temperature, humidity, wind and radiation
that are relevant to biological and ecological processes. Transport processes
and quantitative analyses using mathematical models will then be gradually
introduced to create a deterministic link between organisms and their physical
environment. Finally, I will provide some practical examples in determining the
rate of heat and mass transfer between plants and animals and their surroundings.
This will also help to integrate the biophysical concepts and transport mechanisms
covered during this course. We will also briefly discuss social and societal
issues of environmental problems. Conceptual and numerical examples and problem
sets will be given throughout the course to help enhance your understanding of the
basic principles, processes, and quantitative skills of problem solving. The
course objectives are (1) to define concepts and theories that describe the
biophysical status of plants and animals, (2) to understand the exchange and
transport processes of energy, gas, and water between plants and animals and their
surrounding environments, and (3) to explore ecological impact and interactions
between plants and animals and the environment.
4. GEOG 3992/3993/3994:Directed reading/study/research in Geography
Contact Tim Griffis regarding potential topics in land-atmosphere science.
5. CE 8XXX:Boundary Layer Meteorology
6. PLPA 3002 Air Pollution, People, and Plants: The Science and the Ethics
Although air pollution has been prevalent since nomadic times, its proliferation
has been a result of the industrial revolution. Today it is widely known that
human influence has adversely affected the beneficial ozone layer in the upper
atmosphere (the ozone hole) and has affected our climate (perhaps global warming).
Besides these concerns, air pollution can negatively impact our health and our
welfare (e.g., crops and forests). As developed nations attempt to curb air
pollution, developing nations will have difficulty achieving the same results due
to minimal resources and enormous obstacles (population growth, e.g., India and
poverty, illiteracy and starvation). Thus, as we start the 21st century, we need
to learn more about the complexities of air pollution, global climate change,
and their impacts on human health and welfare in order to stimulate greater
societal response at local, national, and international levels. Course topics
include:
1) The earth we live on and our climate;
2) How does air pollution alter our climate, human health, crops and forests?;
3) How can we control air pollution and global climate change at the international level?
4) How do we perceive and assess risk?;
5) How do the overal issues relate to public ethics and decision making?
The target audience includes undergraduate, non-majors and majors (meets
requirements of College of Ag. and CLE Environmental and CLE Citizenship/Public
Ethics themes). Class URL:http//www.plpa.agri.umn.edu/courses/plpa3002.
7. GEOG 1403: Biogeography of the Global Garden
A wide variety of plants and animals exist on Earth and many different factors
control why different places have different communities of species. The
geographies of plants and animals constantly change and the changes contribute to
the evolving diversity of places. Why is Minnesota full of prairies, pine forests,
oak savannas, lakes and wetlands? Why are there so many other types of ecosystems
around the world? Why do certain crops grow in some places, but not in others?
The course examines questions like these and the geographical dynamics of Earth's
biota, including the biodiversity and productivity of plant and animal
communities. Students will learn about the influence of ecological, climatic, and
soil processes on the distributions of plants and animals, both globally and locally,
as in an individual forest stand or prairie patch. In addition, students will
examine the political processes that make decisions that affect the biosphere. In
the laboratory sections, students will make observations, and use mapping and
computer-based studies to test hypotheses about the distributions and spatial behavior
of plants and animals. The exercises will help students to understand (1) how the
interactions of organisms with their environment vary geographically, and (2) how
factors, such as climates and soils, control on biotic distributions.
8. GEOG 5426: Climatic Variations
9. GEOG 5423: Climate Modeling
Survey of development and research with simple and complex (three-dimensional)
climate models. Environmental processes and their numerical representation in
climate models; evaluation of model sensitivity and accuracy; coupling
between atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere; assessment of model
predictions for climate change.
10. GEOG 3441/5441: Quaternary Landscape Evolution
Roles of climate change, geomorphic history, vegetation change, and soil
development in the evolution of landscape patterns during the Quaternary
Period, with emphasis on North America.
11. GEOG 8270: Seminar: Climatology
Sample topics:climate modeling; climatic variability; climate change and
predictability; severe local storms; drough; energy balance; urban climate;
statistical climatology.
12. EEB 4631: Global Ecology
Interactions between biosphere/lithosphere, atmosphere/oceans throughout Earth
history. How climate is influenced on long time scales (evolution of
photosynthesis) and on decadal time scales (forest clearance). Earth as an
interacting ecosystem. Evaluating future effects of accumulating greenhouse
gases.
13. EEB 5009: Quaternary Vegetation History and Climate
History of vegetation/climate changein Quaternary period. Importance of
mechanistic understanding on interpretation of historical events. Vegetation
distribution/climate. Mechanisms of cimate change and long-term vegetation
dynamics. Vegetation and climate reconstructions. Modeling in paleoecology
and paleoclimatology. Case studies in North America and other parts of globe.
Human impacts on vegetation and climate.
14. EEB/FR 5146: Science and Policy of Global Environmental Change
Critical issues underpinning global change and its biological implications.
Current scientific literature in exploring evidence for human-induced global change
and its potential effects on a wide range of biological processes. Emphasizes
terrestrial ecosystems. Economic drivers, economic consequences. Local, national,
and international laws and policies.
15. EEB 8980: Seminar on Current Topics-Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions
Contact Dr.Joe McFadden (mcfadden@umn.edu) regarding topics and course schedule.
16. ME 5115: Air Quality and Air Pollution Control
Air pollution sources, atmospheric transport, transformations, fate, and emissions
control. Air pollution meteorology, dispersion, chemistry of secondary pollutant
formation, standards and regulation. Control devices and techniques for gasesous
and particulate emissions. Cyclones, electrostatic precipitators, wet and dry
scrubbers, combustion modification.
17. PUBH 5197: Air Pollution
Overview of many facets of air pollution. Primary/secondary sources. Transport
mechanisms, including meteorological effects, atmospheric transformations of
pollutants, and deposition processes involved in removal of pollutants. Human/ecosystem
health effects, nuisance effects. Regulations/standards in place and under review
that affect air pollution management.
18. GEO 3002: Climate Change and Human History
Causes of long/short-term climate change. Frequency/magnitude of past climate
changes; their geologic records. Relationship of past climate changes to
development of agrarian societies and to shifts in power among kingdoms/city-states.
Emphasizes last 10,000 years.
19. GEO 4631W Earth Systems: Geosphere/Biosphere Interactions
The goal of this course will be to identify and understand the connections between
the different portions of the earth that most directly affect humans, namely the
surface environment. In particular, the course will examine how the biosphere and
its connections with the geosphere affect the Earth's climate. The first half of
the course will look at several key cycles of importance to sustaining
life, and will also define the climate system. Greenhouse gases and their
possible effect on the climate system will be examined. The second half of the
course will look at several case scenarios of past climate change events and how
these may have affected biodiversity. Forcing functions that have acted upon
geosphere and biosphere operate at different time-scales, from billions of years
to seasons. The course will look at the long-term and short-term climate
variations and what were the likely causes and ultimate effects on these
variations. (http://www.geo.umn.edu/courses/4631/)
20. SOIL 8282: Modeling Water, Carbon, and Nitrogen Dynamics in the Soil-Plant-Air System
Integrative/quantitative treatment of dynamics of water, carbon, and nitrogen
in soil-plant-air continuum.