Welcome to the GEOS 300W, Earth System Science, webpage for the Spring 2020 semester.



Above: three very important graphs that we discussed often this semester: the Keeling curve, the Hockey stick, and the Dome C ice core data.

Spring 2020 Lectures: MWF, 9:00 - 9:50. Location: PHSC 130

Click here for a PDF of the Syllabus.

Required book: The Earth System, 3rd Edition by L. Kump, J. Kasting, and R. Crane.

Weds., 22 Jan., Review syllabus and begin Chapter 1: Global Change. Earth system science, Keeling curve, and the pumphandle movie.
Fri., 24 Jan., Continue Chapter 1: changes in atmospheric CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, CFCs and O₃, and the GMST.
Mon., 27 Jan., Continue Chapter 1: changes in sea-ice, ice sheets, sea-level; deforestation and loss of species; and then TED talk by David Christian.
Weds., 29 Jan., The Anthropocene; the Little Ice Age; The Great Dying; recent articles in Nature; the K-T (or K-Pg) boundary; effects of volcanoes.
Fri., 31 Jan., Faint Young Sun; Gaia hypothesis; combustion of gasoline; IPCC and key items in AR5; radiative forcing; NCA; weather versus climate.
Mon., 3 Feb., Quiz #1 on Chapter 1. Then, micro-, meso-, macro-, and global climate; types of models; box models; begin Chapter 2 on Daisyworld.
Weds., 5 Feb., Chapter 2: feedback loops, stable and unstable equilibria; albedo; Daisyworld. (pp. 23-33).
Fri., 7 Feb., Conclude Chapter 2. Begin Chapter 3: Global Energy Balance. electromagnetic radiation. (pp. 36-42).
Mon., 10 Feb., Quiz #2 on Chapter 2. Then, board work on planetary energy balance without and with greenhouse gases. (pp. 44-45).
Weds., 12 Feb., Composition and vertical structure of the atmosphere. Barometric law. Convection. Begin discussion of selective absorbers (pp. 46-48).
Fri., 14 Feb., GHGs as selective absorbers; atmospheric windows; global energy budget; role of clouds in the global energy budget (pp. 48-52).
Mon., 17 Feb., Quiz #3 on Chapter 3. Global climate models (GCMs) versus radiative-convective models (RCMs); feedbacks. (pp. 52-55).
Weds., 19 Feb., Dr. Kristen Kaczynski lectures on Ecosystems.
Fri., 21 Feb., Exam #1 on Chapters 1 - 3.
Mon., 24 Feb., Begin Chapter 4: Derive ideal gas law. Discussion of independent and dependent variables, slopes, and derivatives.
Weds., 26 Feb., Discussion of writing assignment #3 due March 13. Also discussion of peer-reviewed periodicals, citations, and references.
Fri., 28 Feb., Continue looking through issues of Nature and other peer-reviewed journals for subjects and articles of interest.
Mon., 2 Mar., Continue Chapter 4: hydrostatic balance, vertical air motion, distribution of insolation, 3-cell model, Hadley, Ferrel, and polar cells.
Weds., 4 Mar., Continue Chapter 4: Seasonal variability of 3-cell model, Coriolis effect, geostrophic wind, and tropospheric polar vortex.
Fri., 6 Mar., Quiz #4 on Chapter 4 up to page 70.
Mon., 9 Mar., The atmospheric "friction layer", convergence and divergence, heat capacity, thermally induced circulations.
Weds., 11 Mar., Lecture: Remarkable properties of water and the hydrologic cycle (pages 75 - 79).
Fri., 13 Mar., Class cancelled due to COVID-19. Writing assignment #3 due.
Mon., 16 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Weds., 18 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Fri., 20 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Mon., 23 Mar., Class cancelled due to COVID-19. Writing assignment #3 accepted until midnight.
All lectures after this date were done on Zoom.
Weds., 25 Mar., Discussion of precipitation (pages 79 - 80) and then stratospheric circulation (not in book).
Fri., 27 Mar., Begin Chapter 5: The Circulation of the Ocean. Ocean Ekman spiral and major ocean gyres.
Mon., 30 Mar., Convergence/divergence and downwelling/upwelling in the ocean (pages 86-87).
Weds., 1 Apr., Asymmetry of major ocean gyres; boundary currents, and vorticity (pages 88-91).
Fri., 3 Apr., 1st on-line quiz on Chapter 5 from pages 84 - 91.
Mon., 6 Apr., Complete conservation of absolute vorticity. Begin El Niño/Southern Oscillation. (pages 91-94)
Weds., 8 Apr., Global impact of ENSO. Then, begin salinity and density of sea water (pages 95-98)
Fri., 10 Apr., Essay #4 due at midnight. Begin thermohaline circulation. AMOC. (pages 96-100.)
Mon., 13 Apr., Complete Chapter 5 on ocean circulation. Age of seawater. Net poleward transport of atmosphere & ocean.
Weds., 15 Apr., Opportunity for questions about material in Chapters 4 and 5.
Fri., 17 Apr., Opportunity for questions about material in Chapters 4 and 5.
Mon., 20 Apr., Exam #2 on Chapter 4 and 5.
Weds., 22 Apr., Dr. Dave Carlson from Bozeman MT guest lecture via Zoom.
Fri., 24 Apr., Begin Chapter 6: The Cryosphere. Components of the cryosphere with emphasis on Greenland and Antarctica.
Mon., 27 Apr., Continue with cryosphere: glacial ice flow, ice streams, calving, ice bergs, formation of glacial ice, ice cores, blue ice.
Weds., 29 Apr., Continue with cryosphere: phase diagram of water, snow, permafrost, and sea ice.
Fri., 1 May, Final essay due. Complete the cryosphere. sea ice, feedbacks, katabatic winds, polynya and leads, alpine glaciers.
Mon., 4 May, Oxygen isotope ratio and sea floor sediment. Ice ages, glacials, interglacials, and Milankovitch theory.
Weds., 6 May, More on glacials and interglacials, and then some on total solar irradiance and sunspots.
Fri., 8 May, Quiz on Chapter 6. Last day of Review week
Fri., 15 May, 8:00 - 9:50 AM. Final Comprehensive Exam


Dr. Mayor's page

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