IDH 3350: Honors Natural ScienceDr. Eleanour Snow Office Hours:
Geology, SCA 529 M 12:30-1:30
974-0319 Th 10-12
snow@chuma1.cas.usf.edu F 9:30-10:45
Class Philosophy
Earth Scientists, I am one of them, view the earth as a complex group of four interacting systems: the lithosphere (solid earth), hydrosphere (oceans, primarily, but also rivers, groundwater, clouds, ice), atmosphere (earth’s gaseous envelope) and biosphere (consisting of all life). Each of these affects and is affected by the others. Each is dynamic, changing on time scales both short and long. Our planet is indeed a restless and sometimes difficult place to live.
The class theme this half is Climate Change—a timely and interesting topic in the early 21st century. We will look at climate change from a geologic perspective, but looking at very long term climate changes and much shorter term changes as well. Class sessions will be a mixture of lecture and discussion designed to expand up and supplement the book. Please bring the text book to class, along with any questions you have.
Required Text
Earth’s Climate, Past and Future
William F. Ruddiman, 2001
This is a long text book, written by a geologist who is a leading researcher in climate change. It is written for non-science majors, yet there is enough meaty material in there to be a good background text for even graduate students entering the field of climate research. Obviously we will not have time to read the whole book so I have chosen the chapters I think are most interesting and relevant to understand the complex questions of climate today and into the future..
Class Expectations and Grading
I expect you to come to class each day, and to have read the material. I expect you to think—and that is not a trivial expectation. I don’t expect you to understand everything in the reading the first time through—rather I expect we will work on it together. I expect a healthy curiosity.
Your grade is made up of 3 things: Two essay tests in which I will ask you what you know, and what it means, your class participation, and a final project (more on that later).
Schedule for Dr. Snow’s Honor’s Natural Science
Section 1: Longer Term Climate Change Reading
Aug 27 Overview of Climate Science: Geologic Investigation CH1
Sept 3 Earth’s Climate System CH2
Sept 8 CO2 and Long-Term Climate Change CH4
Sept 10 Greenhouse Earth CH6 & box 7.1
Sept 15 Astronomical Control of Solar Radiation CH8
Sept 17 Orbital Scale Changes in Carbon and Methane CH 11
Sept 22 Test Part 1
Section 2: Shorter Term Climate Change Reading Sept 24 Historical Changes in Climate CH 16 Sept 29 Humans and Climate Change CH 17 Oct 1 Climate in the 20th Century CH 18 Oct 6 Climate Change in the Next 100-1000 years CH 19 Oct 8 Projects Due
Oct 13 Test Part 2