Welcome to the GEOS 440, Fundamentals of Environmental Instrumentation, webpage for the Fall 2018 semester.

This page will be updated every few days as the course progresses...

Fall 2018 Lectures: MW, 11:00 - 11:50 AM. Location: Holt 113. Lab: F from 2:00 - 4:50 PM. Location: PHSC 130 and 225.

Syllabus

Required Book (available for free through the library): Meteorological Measurements and Instrumentation by Giles Harrison.
Link to book on Amazon.com

Office hours: MW from 1:00 - 2:30 PM and F from 1:00 - 2:00 PM. (Please e-mail me to schedule something.)

Mon., 27 Aug., Review syllabus.
Weds., 29 Aug., Class cancelled. (instructor ill)
Fri., 31 Aug., Lab: purchase kits, begin soldering.
Mon., 3 Sept., Labor Day. No classes.
Weds., 5 Sept., Lecture by Kyle Rocha-Brownell on Arduino Due architecture.
Fri., 7 Sept. Lab: connect Arduino Dues to data shields and personal computers.
Mon., 10 Sept., Dr. Eric Ayars lecture on use of voltage dividers for thermistors.
Weds., 12 Sept., Class cancelled.
Fri., 14 Sept., Lab: Continue programming Arduino Due and using a photoresistor.
Mon., 17 Sept., parameter, sensor, transducer, amplifier, meter, recorder, gain, linearity, non-linearity, sensitivity, signal, noise.
Weds., 19 Sept., Accuracy, precision, quantization, response time, etc.
Fri., 21 Sept., Lab: Writing data to the SD card; using the temperature sensors.
Mon., 24 Sept., Short video. Then discussion on reference environments and measurements, and choices of sensors.
Weds., 26 Sept., Lecture on resolution, and exponential response time. Equations 2.1 and 2.2 in book.
Fri., 28 Sept., Lab: begin experiments with two temperature probes to assess accuracy, precision, resolution, and response time.
Mon., 1 Oct., Begin using Python 3.6: variable types: integers, floating point numbers, strings; if-then statements; loops.
Weds., 3 Oct., Continue Python programming: libraries, functions, reading a CSV file.
Fri., 5 Oct., Lab: Plotting a time-series of your temperature data in Python. Ice buckets out, experiment again if needed.
Mon., 8 Oct., Python programming: plotting time-series and performing exponential curve fit to get exponential time constant.
Weds., 10 Oct., Python programming: exponential curve fitting, interpretation of results, and making scatter plots.
Fri. 12 Oct., Lab: review of what is expected in lab report #1 and use of LaTeX. Then continued data collecting and plotting.
Mon., 15 Oct., Lecture on temperature and non-electronic thermometers: liquid-in-glass and bi-metallic strip. (5.1, 5.2, 5.5)
Weds., 17 Oct., No class. Assignment: work on lab reports due Friday 10/19.
Fri., 19 Oct., Lab: completion of lab reports. Lab report #1 due at 5 PM.
Mon., 22 Oct., Lecture on 5.3: electrical temperature sensors. Then Chapter 9: solar radiation sensors (9.1, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5)
Weds., 24 Oct., Class cancelled.
Fri., 26 Oct., Lab: calibration of the photoresistor.
Mon., 29 Oct., Quiz #1 on temperature and thermometers. Then lecture on IR radiation and IR sensors.
Weds., 31 Oct., lecture: curve fitting.
Fri., 2 Nov., Lab: calibration of the photoresistor.
Mon., 5 Nov., Quiz #2 on radiation and radiometers. Lecture on exponential curve fitting in python.
Weds., 7 Nov., Review of lab report #1 and accuracy, precision, resolution, response time, curve fitting, plotting, etc.
Fri., 9 Nov., Classes cancelled due to the Camp Fire.
Mon., 12 Nov., Veteran's day. No classes.
Weds., 14 Nov., Classes cancelled due to the Camp Fire.
Fri., 16 Nov., Classes cancelled due to the Camp Fire.
Mon., 19 Nov., Thanksgiving break. No classes held.
Weds., 21 Nov., Thanksgiving break. No classes held.
Fri., 23 Nov., Thanksgiving break. No classes held.
Mon., 26 Nov., Lecture on Chapter 6: Humidity and water vapor measurements.
Weds., 28 Nov., Lecture on Chapter 7: Pressure and barometers.
Fri., 30 Nov., Quiz #3 on accuracy, precision, response time, etc. Lab: Work on final projects.
Mon., 3 Dec., Lecture on wind and precipitation.
Weds., 5 Dec., Class cancelled to work on final projects.
Fri., 7 Dec., Quiz #4 on humidity and pressure. Lab: Work on final projects.
Mon., 10 Dec., Student presentations of final projects
Weds., 12 Dec., Student presentations of final projects
Fri., 14 Dec., Lab: Student presentations of final projects
Mon., 17 Dec., Finals week begins.

Dr. Mayor's page

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