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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
METD020L
Course Title (CB02)
Climate Change Laboratory
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
The course is an introductory climatology lab developed in collaboration with the American Meteorological Society which places students in a dynamic learning environment where they investigate Earth's climate system using real-world data used by professional climatologists to study and forecast future changes in Earth's climate system. Lab sessions will include current computer graphics products downloaded from the American Meteorological Society's "Online Climate Studies" homepage which has been specifically designed for this course. Students will practice the analytical skills used by climatologists in assessing the world's climate and will examine the factors that produce critical changes in climate such as "global warming." While focusing on science, students will also address many of the social and societal impacts of impending climate change.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is an introductory level laboratory focusing on the field of climatology. The laboratory conforms to the standards established by the American Meteorological Society and provides the student with an overview of the fields of climate and climate change. This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSU GE, and IGETC. It is UC and CSU transferable.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GBX°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area B - Natural SciencesApprovedThis is a stand-alone lab course that must be completed with or after the corresponding lecture course for GE credit.
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGB3CSU GE Area B3 - Science Laboratory ActivityApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG5CIGETC Area 5C - Science LaboratoryApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
1.0
Maximum Credit Units
1.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours0.00.0
Laboratory Hours3.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
0.0
Laboratory
36.0
Total
36.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
0.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
0.0

Prerequisite(s)

MET D010. or MET D012. (may be taken concurrently)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

  • ESL D272. and ESL D273., or ESL D472. and ESL D473., or eligibility for EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.
  • Pre-algebra or equivalent (or higher), or appropriate placement beyond pre-algebra

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Laboratory experience which involve students in formal exercises of data collection and analysis

Laboratory discussion sessions and quizzes that evaluate the proceedings weekly laboratory exercises

Discussion of assigned reading

Assignments

  1. Required readings from the assigned textbook.
  2. Individual and collaborative laboratory exercises from the appropriate lab manual.
  3. Lab Quizzes based on reading assignments, concepts, and methods used in laboratory manual exercises.
  4. Written comprehensive final examination

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Quizzes and examinations, including a comprehensive final examination, evaluated by accuracy, will test the student's understanding of various climate concepts listed in the course objectives and student learning outcomes section.
  2. Completion and accuracy of responses on laboratory assignments and weekly quizzes.
  3. Demonstrated understanding via written examination of assigned readings and discussion of the historical development of Meteorology, including the contributions of scientists to the field. Student responses will be evaluated for clarity, completeness, and accuracy by comparison to grading rubrics.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • Access to the American Meteorological Society's Climate Database and °®¶¹´«Ã½ College's Automated Weather Station's Database for each student.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Chad M. KauffmanOur Changing Climate: Introduction to Climate ScienceAmerican Meteorological Society2015
Climate Studies Investigations ManualAmerican Meteorological Society2020-2021
American Meteorological Society Education Department Online Weather Studies Data BaseBoston, Mass.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Weather Studies e-Investigations e-Manual
Exercises for Weather and Climate

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Describe Earth's climate system including its interacting components and compare and contrast the complimentary empirical and dynamic definitions of climate.
  • Explain how the Sun's energy enters, flows through and exits the Earth climate system.
  • Interpret and explain how to access climate data collected from a local National Weather Service Office and from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
  • Distinguish between what is meant by climate variability and climate change and describe how human activity can result in climate change.
  • Explain the role water plays in Earth's climate system including the Hydrologic Cycle, Latent Heat Transfer and its impact on geographical temperature variation.
  • Interpret the role of topographic relief on precipitation including the causes of the difference in precipitation patterns on the windward and leeward side of mountain ranges.
  • Relate how Rossby Waves that develop in the wind belt of the mid-latitude westerlies affect local and regional climate.
  • Identify how synoptic-scale features of climate - semi-permanent areas of high and low atmospheric pressure - form and how they affect local and regional climate.
  • Explain ocean upwelling and downwelling in coastal areasincluding its impact on marine productivity and California's coastal climate.
  • Define the paleoclimatic event called PETM (Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum) and describe how it was discovered and its relation to the current release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels.
  • Define methane hydrates, explain what role methane hydrates might have played in causing the PETM (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum), identify the possible impacts on atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide levels and any possible similarities between the PETM and the current upward trends in atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide.
  • Explain how volcanism influences climatic conditions and how long its influence is felt.
  • Identify the impacts that snow and ice albedo have on climate and explain whether and to what degree snow and ice on Earth are decreasing.
  • Describe the processes of climate change and radiative forcing and identify the mechanisms and magnitude of the various factors which cause climate change.
  • Portray how the unique climate characteristics of different locations on Earth can be routinely displayed so their climates can be systematically compared.
  • Describe the process of climate mitigation and adaptation and describe what strategies can be applied to lessen the effects of climate change.
  • Identify how heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced through a cap and trade program.

CSLOs

  • Identify the primary reasons for studying Earth's climate system and how it functions and to become more aware of the significance of climate, climate variability and climate change for our well being wherever we live.

  • Distinguish the main anthropogenic and natural causes of climate change, and to determine the main causes of current climate change.

Outline

  1. Describe Earth's climate system including its interacting components and compare and contrast the complimentary empirical and dynamic definitions of climate.
    1. Describe Earth's climate system and its interacting components.
    2. Relate, compare and contrast the complimentary empirical and dynamic definitions of climate.
    3. Explain the AMS (American Meteorology Society) Climate Paradigm.
    4. Discuss the contributions of scientists from diverse backgrounds, such as Eunice Foote, Warren Washington, and Akira Kashara to modern-day Climate Science.
  2. Explain how the Sun's energy enters, flows through and exits the Earth's climate system.
    1. Describe fundamental understandings concerning:
      1. The global flow of energy between Earth and space.
      2. The impact of the atmosphere on the flow of energy to space.
      3. The effect of incoming radiation on Earth's energy budget.
      4. The likely effects of energy concentrations and flows on Earth system temperatures.
    2. Describe the process of solar insolation and quantify the amounts of solar radiation reflected, scattered, and absorbed as it passes through Earth's atmosphere.
    3. Explore the role that greenhouse gasses, including Carbon Dioxide and Methane, have played in changing Earth's energy budget, and their relation to Global Warming
  3. Interpret and explain how to access climate data collected from a local National Weather Service Office and from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
    1. Describe and interpret information appearing in Local Climatic Data, Annual Summary with Comparative Data based on data collected at a National Weather Service office.
    2. Explain how to access climate data from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
  4. Distinguish between what is meant by climate variability and climate change and describe how human activity can result in climate change.
    1. Describe one instance of climate change likely to be caused by human activity.
    2. Explain how stopping particular human activity may have resulted in a return of the climate to its original state.
  5. Explain the role water plays in Earth's climate system including the Hydrologic Cycle, Latent Heat Transfer, and its impact on geographical temperature variation.
    1. Describe temperature changes resulting from heat transfer to different substances.
    2. Explain the role of heat energy in the phase changes of water.
    3. Determine how much heat is involved in temperature and phase changes of water substances.
  6. Interpret the role of topographic relief on precipitation including the causes of the difference in precipitation patterns on the windward and leeward sides of mountain ranges.
    1. Compare precipitation amounts at locations on the windward and leeward sides of a mountain range.
    2. Explain how and why precipitation totals vary on the windward and leeward sides of a mountain range.
    3. Describe the implications of topographically-induced variations in precipitation for activities that depend on a freshwater supply.
  7. Relate how Rossby Waves that develop in the wind belt of the mid-latitude westerlies affect local and regional climate.
    1. Depict the planetary-scale upper-air flow pattern called Rossby waves.
    2. Demonstrate how Rossby waves are detected by interpreting radiosonde-based data displayed on an upper-air constant pressure map.
    3. Explain the general relationships between Rossby wave ridges and troughs and surface weather and climate.
  8. Identify how synoptic-scale features of climate - semi-permanent areas of high and low atmospheric pressure - form and how they affect local and regional climate.
    1. Identify the synoptic-scale high and low-pressure systems that play major roles in determining local and regional climates of middle and high latitudes.
    2. Describe short-term and seasonal changes in the weather patterns which imply boundary conditions of weather and climate at different times of the year.
  9. Explain ocean upwelling and downwelling in coastal areas

    including its impact on marine productivity and California's coastal climate.
    1. Demonstrate the causes of coastal upwelling and downwelling.
    2. Describe the influence of the prevailing wind and Coriolis Effect on upwelling and downwelling.
    3. Portray the impacts of upwelling and downwelling on coastal climates.
  10. Define the paleoclimatic event called PETM (Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum) and describe how it was discovered and its relation to the current release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels.
    1. Describe ways in which analysis of deep-sea sediment cores are employed in reconstructing past climates, using PETM as an example.
    2. Compare the possible similarities between PETM and modern climate change.
  11. Define methane hydrates, explain what role methane hydrates might have played in causing the PETM (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum), identify the possible impacts on atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide levels and any possible similarities between the PETM and the current upward trends in atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide.
    1. Describe the chemical and physical characteristics of methane hydrate and its distribution in the Earth environment.
    2. Demonstrate how methane hydrates could be major sources of atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide.
    3. Compare possible similarities in the role of methane hydrates in atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide concentrations during PETM and modern climate change.
  12. Explain how volcanism influences climatic conditions and how long its influence is felt.
    1. List several natural forcing agents and mechanisms of Earth's climate system.
    2. Identify how one mechanism, volcanic activity, affects the system.
    3. Demonstrate how a series of proxy data can be used to explain observed climate variability.
  13. Identify the impacts that snow and ice albedo have on climate and explain whether and to what degree snow and ice on Earth are decreasing.
    1. Describe polar amplification and the observed changes in snow and ice cover in recent decades.
    2. Explain the concepts of positive and negative feedback and provide examples of such feedback resulting from different Earth surfaces including snow cover, ice, bare ground, and open water.
  14. Describe the processes of climate change and radiative forcing and identify the mechanisms and magnitude of the various factors which cause climate change.
    1. Describe climate change and how it is objectively determined.
    2. Explain the IPCC concept of radiative forcing as a way to commonly describe the various factors that can cause climate change.
    3. List and explain the principal causes of climate change, including their relative impacts leading to warming or cooling.
  15. Portray how the unique climate characteristics of different locations on Earth can be routinely displayed so their climates can be systematically compared.
    1. Portray the statistical climate values of mean monthly temperature and average total monthly precipitation in a graphical form called the climograph.
    2. Compare and contrast temperature and precipitation distributions on climographs from different locations.
    3. Explain how climograph patterns can be related to climate forcings.
    4. Relate certain patterns of temperature and precipitation to particular climate classification types.
  16. Describe the process of climate mitigation and adaptation and describe what strategies can be applied to lessen the effects of climate change.
    1. Describe climate change mitigation and adaptation.
    2. Present mitigation and adaptation strategies for reducing the impacts of climate change within the context of sustainable development.
  17. Identify how heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced through a cap and trade program.
    1. Describe the relationship between global greenhouse gas emissions and the predicted average global temperatures during the 21st century.
    2. Explain the fundamentals of the cap and trade system for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
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