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Geog 002
World Natural Environments

Instructor: Dr. Beverley Wemple
Office: Old Mill 202
Contact: 656-2074, bwemple@uvm.edu
Office hours: TR 11:00-12:00, F 9:00-10:00

Teaching Assistant: Luke Reusser
Office: Old Mill 217
Contact: lreusser@uvm.edu
Office hours: TR 1:45 - 3:15

globes

COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES:

This course is an introduction to physical geography, the study of the earth’s atmosphere, weather & climate, water resources, landforms, and ecosystems. Our goal is to explore the environmental processes that shape the surface of the earth and to understand how these processes influence and are influenced by human activity. The course begins with a survey of contemporary environmental problems and their geographic context. The remainder of the course focuses on the evolution of earth’s environment and the spatial and temporal patterns of environmental change.

TEXT:
Strahler and A. Strahler, 2003. Introducing Physical Geography, 4^th edition. John Wiley & Sons.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS (Revised to accommodate snow day on 2/15/07)

Dates

Topics

Reading / Lecture slides

1

Jan 16

Jan 18

Course introduction; the nature of physical geography

The importance of place and the geographic context of global environmental issues
Exercise 1 - Building map skills due 1/30/07

Prologue, pgs 3-20

Ch. 1, pgs 26, 38-43

Intro lecture slides

2

Jan 23

Jan 25

Environmental change – changing climate, changing landscapes

Climate change lecture slides
LU/LC change lecture slides

3

Jan 30

Feb 1

The atmosphere and earth’s energy balance

Air temperature – patterns in space and time

Ch. 2

Ch. 3

4

Feb 6

Feb 8

Water in the environment – the hydrologic cycle

Atmospheric moisture and precipitation

Exercise 2 - Energy Concepts & Atmospheric Moisture - due 2/15/07

Ch 4

5

Feb 13

Feb 15

Winds and global circulation patterns

class cancelled - snow day

Ch 5

6

Feb 20

Feb 22

Ecological processes and the role of disturbance

Weather systems (make up class from 2/15/07)

Ch 8

Ch 6

Lecture slides 1 & 2

7

Feb 27

Mar 1

Biodiversity and island biogeography

Soil formation and soil ecology; global patterns in soil and ecosystem distribution

Ch 9, Ch 10

Lecture slides 1 & 2

8

Mar 6

Mar 8

Town meeting day – no class

-- MIDTERM EXAM --

9

Mar 13

Mar 15

Spring recess – no class

10

Mar 20

Mar 22

The lithosphere and plate tectonics

Earth materials

Exercise 3 - Plate Tectonics - due 4/3/07
Tectonic map for Exercise 3

Ch 11

Ch 12

Lecture slides
Vermont Geology slides

11

Mar 27

Mar 29

Volcanic landforms

The geography of volcanic hazards

Ch 13

12

Apr 3

Apr 5

Landscape denudation

Runoff processes and river mechanics

Ch 14

Ch 15
Lecture slides

13

Apr 10

Apr 12

Fluvial geomorphology – the role of running water in shaping the landscape

Exercise 4 - Glacial & Fluvial Landforms - due 4/24/07
Map A, Map B, Map C, Map D

Ch 16

14

Apr 17

Apr 19

Glacial geomorphology – the role of ice in shaping alpine and continental environments

Ch 19

15

Apr 24

Apr 26

Reflections on landuse and climate change

16

May 1

review

Midterm review sheet
Final review sheet

FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 4 at 8:30 a.m. Lafayette 207.