GHY 1011-101Global Climate Change

MWF 11:00 – 11:50 AM293 Rankin Science West

Professor: L. Baker Perry, Ph.D.

Introduction to Course

Introductions Course Logistics Review of 2015 Numerical Weather Prediction Questions?

For Next Class: Read Chapter 1 in textbook and IPCC AR5 Ch. 1 (pp. 130-137).

Labs WILL meet this week!

Introductions

Find out the following information from a partner:• NAME• POINT(S) OF ORIGIN• MAJOR (or projected major)• INTERESTING PLACES VISITED • FAVORITE SEASON OR CLIMATE ZONE• TALENTS OR HOBBIES

Course Logistics

Please read the course syllabus in detail and let me know if you have any questions!

Office hours are MWF 9-11, 2-4 PM, or by appointment Textbook is Climate Studies: Introduction to Climate Science

and is available at the bookstore. Other readings will be available on AsUlearn. Readings are expected to be completed before coming to

class!

Course Policies

Attendance: Course attendance is expected and will be taken on a routine basis. Two absences are allowed without penalty; each additional absence results in a 2.5-point deduction from your attendance grade.

Participation: There will be a variety of participation activities over the course of the semester. More details will be provided at a later date.

Annotated Bibliography: The annotated bibliography will consist of a summary of five refereed publications that address one of the global climate change themes or issues discussed during the semester. Completed annotated bibliographies are due on April 20.

Exams: Make up exams will only be given due to a verifiable emergency. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the faculty member within 24 hours of the scheduled exam to request a makeup. Otherwise, the student will receive an automatic zero.

Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative and is scheduled for May 9. All students will take the final at this time.

Statement of Student Engagement

In its mission statement, Appalachian State University aims at “providing undergraduate students a rigorous liberal education that emphasizes transferable skills and preparation for professional careers” as well as “maintaining a faculty whose members serve as excellent teachers and scholarly mentors for their students.” Such rigor means that the foremost activity of Appalachian students is an intense engagement with their courses. In practical terms, students should expect to spend two to three hours of studying for every hour of class time. Hence, a fifteen hour academic load might reasonably require between 30 and 45 hours per week of out-of-class work.

Numerical Weather Prediction

We will keep a close eye on the numerical forecast models, including the Global Forecast System (GFS) model run by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP):• http://mag.ncep.noaa.gov/• Specifically, we will look at the 850 mb temperature

(equivalent to ~4750 ft asl or the top of Rich Mountain), mean sea level pressure, and quantitative precipitation forecast (850temp_mslp_precip).