GEOG 321 Climatic EnvironmentsThis course provides an introduction to the theory and techniques used in microclimatological research. The lecture material focuses on the nature of the exchanges of energy and trace gases between the earth’s surface and the atmosphere. We will explore how the transfer of radiative energy through the earth-atmosphere system results in earth’s regional and microclimates and how the transfer of heat and humidity to the atmosphere is influenced by local features. The course largely focuses on microclimatology and the exchange processes of energy, mass and momentum within the earth-atmosphere boundary layer that result in the local climates that we experience. Students completing this course should have gained an understanding of: how exchanges of energy, gas and momentum are made within the lower atmosphere and the basic principles of such exchanges; how the surface influences, and is influenced by, shorter-term changes in atmospheric patterns. Students should have attained an appreciation of the complexity and elegance of the world’s diverse landscapes from a climatic perspective, and be well placed to apply this understanding in their degree programs and future career choices.
|
|
|
