Welcome to the GEOS 300, Earth System Science, webpage for the Spring 2017 semester.
This page will be updated every few days as the course progresses...

Spring 2017 Lectures: MW, 4:00 - 5:15 PM. Location: PHSC 202
Office hours: TBD or by appointment. (Please e-mail me to schedule something.)

Click here for a PDF of the Syllabus.

Mon., 23, Jan., Lecture: Review syllabus, AMS, AGU and begin Chapter 1: Global climate change. Weather and climate. Evidence of climate change.
Weds., 25, Jan., Complete Chapter 1: Lecture: Keeling curve, Hockey stick graph, Vostok and Dome C data, K-T boundary, the ozone hole, Faint Young Sun paradox.
Mon., 30, Jan., Discussion of first essay assignment. Then, Lecture: Begin Chapter 2: Daisyworld
Weds., 1, Feb., Lecture: Chapter 2: Daisyworld: systems, couplings, feedback, equilibrium states, forcings, perturbations, etc.
Mon., 6, Feb., Quiz #1 on Chapter 2. Lecture: Begin Chapter 3: The Global Energy Balance. (E-M radiation. Begin mean vertical structure of the atmosphere.)
Weds., 8, Feb., Quiz #2 on Chapter 3. Lecture: Planetary energy balance (p. 44) and one-layer atmosphere (p. 45) to simulate greenhouse effect.
Mon., 13, Feb., Quiz #3 on Wein's law and Stefan-Boltzmann law. Lecture: on derivation of Barometric law (not in book).
Weds., 15, Feb., Discussion of using Overleaf and LaTeX. Peer review of writing assignment 1.
Mon., 20, Feb., Quiz #4. Lecture: Comments on barometric law. Then vertical structure of the atmosphere (Pages 46-48.) and US Standard Atmosphere.
Weds., 22, Feb., Lecture: Molecular spectroscopy of GHGs; effects of clouds on radiation; global energy budget; and real feedback loops. (Pages 48-54.)
Sun., 26 Feb., Writing assignment 1 due at midnight.
Mon., 27, Feb., Lecture: Completed topics in Chapter 3.
Weds., 1, Mar., Class cancelled.
Mon., 6, Mar., Exam #1 on Chapters 1-3.
Weds., 8, Mar., Lecture: Lapse rate and static stability.
Mon., 13, Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Weds., 15, Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Mon., 20, Mar., Lecture: The Navier-Stokes equations: the basis for understanding and predicting motion in the atmosphere and ocean.
Weds., 22, Mar., Lecture: Geostrophic flow (when friction is absent) and balance of forces in the friction layer.
Mon., 27, Mar., Class cancelled.
Weds., 29, Mar., Class cancelled.
Mon., 3, Apr., Lecture: Eulerian form of Navier-Stokes. Molecular transport and flux-gradient relationships: Fourier's law and Fick's law.
Weds., 5, Apr., Quiz #5. Lecture: Newton's law of viscosity, molecular viscosity versus eddy viscosity. Momentum flux.
Mon., 10, Apr., Quiz #6. Lecture: Friction and rotation: the Ekman spiral.
Weds., 12, Apr., Lecture: Ocean gyres; Ekman transport; geostrophic flow in the ocean; begin vorticity.
Mon., 17, Apr., Lecture: Vorticity and formation of western boundary currents, begin properties of sea water.
Weds., 19, Apr., SETs. Quiz #7. Lecture: Review ocean surface layer: Ekman, Langmuir. Then El Nino, La Nina, ENSO.
Mon., 24, Apr., Quiz #8 on 1st half of Chapter 5. Lecture: Circulation of the deep ocean: salinity, vertical structure of ocean, bottom water formation, thermohaline circulation.
Weds., 26, Apr., Quiz #9 on 2nd half of Chapter 5. Lecture: Begin Chapter 6: The Cryosphere: icesheets, ice shelves, snow, sea ice, brine rejection.
Mon., 1, May, Quiz #10 on Chapter 6. Lecture: conclude Chapter 6, Quick overview of Chapter 7: Circulation of the Solid Earth
Weds., 3, May, Guest Speaker: Dr. Jochen Neuster.
Mon., 8, May, Lecture: Review: radiation.
Weds., 10, May, Lecture: Review:
Mon., 15, May, Comprehensive final exam: 6:00 - 7:50 PM

Dr. Mayor's page
CSU Chico Atmospheric Lidar Research Group

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