Geog. G107 Physical Systems of the
Environment (Spring, 2005)
TR 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. (SB 185)
Office Hours: Mon. (11:00 - 11:50 a.m.) Tue. (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
Instructor: Dr. S. A.
Isiorho
Office: SB236
Phone: (260)
481-6249
E-mail: Isiorho@ipfw.edu
Course Description:
The course is designed to give students a basic understanding of the
physical environment, which we will view as a complex system of
interacting components (climate, soils, and other Earth materials and
processes). Emphasis will be given to the dynamics of the individual
components, the way these interact, and the global patterns that result
when the components are integrated. Students would be required to
'travel' around the world making observations of the climates, time
zones, and vegetation type and other environmental features. Students
will also be required to make observations (using a scientific method)
for two weeks of an aspect of the environment and write a report. The
report should use the observations, apply knowledge gained from the
course, and student activities that could affect the outcome of
observations.
As part of this course, students would be required to travel outside
the
North American continent, examine how location, gender, class,
economics,
and politics affect water quality and quantity. Students who
successfully
complete this course will relate their activities to the environment
and
the environment to their activities. Students will be assessed through
exams,
class projects and reports.
NOTE: Check the syllabus weekly as it is a
living document. The content will not change, but, there could be new
useful materials.
Three exams and a finals. Course grades will be based on two exams (42%), finals (21%), Water report (21%), Group project (12%), and class assignment (4%).
NOTE: All reports must be sent as attachment (word perfect or microsoft word document) to me through WebCT Vista. Your email subject area should include your name, and type of report (water/group or rock). Your report must be sent before 5:00 p.m. Any report received after 5 p.m. will have points deducted and report will not be graded if received a day late.
(Start early, no extension, no
exemption, and no excuses will be accepted)
Group project (12%) would involve making a two-week (14
consecutive days) obervation of the weather in a given location
(must give the name) that may include precipitation, temperature, cloud
type/cover, wind speed/direction. It is important that you work
together in your group.
Any member of the group could be called upon to give a 5-minute
presentation which forms part of the grade. You must follow the report
format given
below. Only one report from each group, and this will be due Thursday,
March
17, 2005.
(suggestion: collect your weather data within January &
February)
Rock report (4%) A half page report on any rock in the Geogarden (need
not follow the report format given below) is due Thursday March 24,
2005.
Your report should include the name of the specific rock,
mineral composition, why you chose the rock, and any use of the rock.
Water report (21%) Write a 6-page double space report on the
effects of "CLASS STANDING" on water quality & quantity from
any two different locations
(one location from Africa and the other from North America
). For North America, you can examine the political, economic, class
and
environmental implication for irrigation in the United States (would
need
to specify a place or region). Your report must follow the format given
below and it should also include the location (village/town/city,
region,
or country) gender and class standing. Your report should also include
your personal reflection. Report is due Tuesday April 19, 2005.
You may use the bulletin board for questions and answers.
Tests will be taken online and results will be in WebCTvista.
Tentative Schedule:
Note: The Headings may not correspond to your text book headings.
The class notes (outlines) should help you in your reading and note
taking.
Introduction
to Earth (Chpt. 1)
Environmental sphere, size and shape of earth. The latitudes and
longitudes, Earth movement, the seasons and time.
Portraying
Earth
Maps and scales, introduction to remote sensing
Introduction to the Atmosphere (Chpt. 2)
Composition and structure of the atmosphere, elements of weather and
climate
Insolation and Temperature (Chpt. 3)
Solar energy (insolation), basic process of heating and cooling
of the atmosphere, mechanism of heat transfer, global temperature
patterns.
CLASS NOTE I
Draft of
Powerpoint slides
EXAM 1: Tuesday February 8, 2005
Atmospheric Pressure and
Wind (Chpt. 5)
Nature of atmospheric pressure and wind, nature of wind (direction of
movement, cyclones, anticyclones) general circulation of the
atmosphere, localized wind systems (sea and land breezes, katabatic,
chinook, Froehn, valley and mountain breezes).
Atmospheric Moisture (Chpt. 4)
Measures of humidity (absolute, specific, relative), condensation
(clouds, fog, dew, adiabatic processes), precipitation (processes,
forms, atmospheric lifting), global distribution of precipitation
(average
precipitation, seasonal precipitation patterns, variability).
Transient Atmospheric Flows and Disturbance (Chpt. 6)
Air
masses (characteristics, origin, classification, movement and
modification ), fronts (cold, warm, stationary, occluded), atmospheric
disturbances.
Climatic Zones and Types ( biomes
) (Chpt. 7)
Climatic classification (purpose, classification schemes, modified
Koppen System, climographs), world distribution of climatic types
(Tropical Humid, Dry, Mild Mid latitude, Sever mid latitude, polar,
highland), global pattern
CLASS NOTE
II
Draft power
point slide II
EXAM 2: Thursday March 3, 2005
Soils (Chpt. 10)
Soil and regolith, soil forming factors (geologic, climatic,
topographic, biological, chronological), soil components (inorganic,
organic, air, water) Soil properties (color, texture, structure),
chemistry (colloids, cation exchange, acidity/alkalinity) soil
profiles, pedogenic regimes
(laterization, podzolization, gleization, calcification, salinization),
soil classification, global distribution of major soils (entisols,
vertisols,
andisols, inceptisols, aridisol, mollisol, spodosol, alfisols,
ultisols,
oxisols, histosols)
Check this site for detailed Soil
Science course (University of Minnesota)
Earth Materials (Chpt. 11)
Composition of the crust (igneous,
sedimentary, metamorphic), some
critical concepts (basic terms, uniformitarianism, geologic time),
internal and external geomorphic processes.
(Geogarden : write a half-page report on any rock (that must
include: name, mineral composition, uses, and why you chose the rock)
in the garden and
send your report to me through email before 5:00 p.m., Thursday March 24, 2005 (4% of
course grade)
)
The Internal Processes (Chpt. 12)
Crustal rearrangement (continental drifts, plate tectonics), volcanism,
diastrophism (folding and faulting)
Weathering and Mass Wasting (Chpt. 14)
Weathering (physical, chemical), mass wasting (fall, slide, slump,
flow, creep)
draft
power point slides
EXAM 3: THursday April 7, 2005
The Hydrosphere (Chpt. 15)
The hydrologic cycle (surface to air, air to water, movement on
and beneath surface, residence times, surface water (lakes, swarms and
marshes, rivers and streams) Underground
water (aeration, saturation zones, aquifer, pumping, drawdown)
The Fluvial Processes ( Chpt. 16 )
Fundamental concepts (drainage basins), stream channels, stream
systems (basins), valleys (deepening, widening, lengthening)
Power point slides (Quick review) for rivers and groundwater
Spectacular pictures
for 2003 Courtesy of Kristi Emely
The Topography of Arid Lands ( Chpt. none )
The work of the wind (erosion, transportation, deposition),
characteristics of desert landforms
(
Dust aggravates droughts? )
Glacial Terrain ( Chpt. 19 )
Impact of glacial on the landscape, types of glaciers (continental,
mountain, how glaciers form), how glaciers form. Glaciated land forms
CLASS NOTE IV (see chapters)
Important words
for test four
EXAM 4 (Not comprehensive):Wednesday May 4, Noon through 2:00 p.m. Thursday May 5, 2005
Survey
(All
students
should take this survey as 1% will be added to your overall grade)
Available from April 28 through May 2, 2005.
REPORT FORMAT
Report Format (you must follow this format): Use the red lettered
words in your subheadings
Title (what is your report about? not more
than 15 words),
Abstract (a special type of summary of
your report that includes problem/question asked, method, result and
conclusion),
Introduction (what do you know about the
topic and what has been done and why this report i.e. purpose),
Method/Approach (how did you you get your
information result, data etc.),
Result/Data (self explanatory),
Discussions (what does your result
mean?.... you include your opinion here),
Conclusion (two to four sentence summary
of your report),
Acknowledgment (if any),
References (what works did you cite?)
(call if I do not acknowledge receiving your report after two business
days).
NO HARD COPY WILL BE ACCEPTED
No class MARCH 7-13 Spring Break
ALL EXAMS WILL BE ONE HOUR LONG
Isiorho's
webpage Geogarden
IPFW
Other Links
The
Hydrologic
Cycle
USGS
Surface
runoff (Runoff)
Tsunamis
animation
USGS Groundwater
site
The Color of
Water...maybe useful in your water report.
For Test #3 ...check the drawing in "igneous" rocks
Last
updated Jan. 8, 2005
