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Teaching - Geo101: Earth System Science I (Spring Semester)

Instructor: Chris S. Renschler (rensch@buffalo.edu)

Audience: Undergraduate Students of all disciplines.

Objectives: The lecture introduces the main concepts and theories in Earth System Science and investigates the complexity and interaction of physical, chemical and biological processes in geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and ecosphere. The goal of this class is to gain the fundamental understanding of environmental processes and their local, regional and global impacts. The lecture creates an interdisciplinary learning environment that supports the communication among various disciplines about environmental systems issues and problems.

Required Textbook: Strahler and Strahler, 2005. Physical Geography: Science and Systems of the Human Environment, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (ISBN 0-471-48053-3).

Course Format: The course consists of lecture presentations with computer-projected text, figures and tables mostly derived from the textbook. All slides shown in class are available on UBlearns in PDF format and students are encouraged to take additional notes. Students are encouraged to bring their textbook to class. As the textbook, the lectures have five distinctive parts with interactive review sessions after each part:

Part 1 - Introducing Physical Geography – Spheres, Scales, Systems, and Cycles

Part 2 - Weather and Climate Systems

Part 3 - Systems and Cycles of the Solid Earth

Part 4 - Systems of Landform Evolution

Part 5 - Systems and Cycles of Soils and the Biosphere.

Exams: There will be four exams with 50 multiple-choice questions (50 minutes time limit). There will be no final exam. Make-up exams will be only given where a student contacts me before or at the day of the scheduled test and offers an acceptable excuse with written documentation. In case of an illness or accident a medical certificate from either a doctor or student health services is required. Make-up exams will be given at Noon on Wednesdays in the week following the scheduled exam date (except where prolonged illness prevents this).

Grading: Your grade is based on the results of the four exams (25% each). Extra credits (1% or more) can be gained in each class session by answering correctly (prepare especially for the exam review sessions). The final letter grades: A (90-100%), A- (85-89%), B+ (80-84%), B (75-79 %), B- (70-74%), C+ (65-69%), C (60-64%), C- (56.6-60%), D+ (53.3-56.6%), D (50-53.3), F (0-50%). There is only one test exam that will allow students to get some practice (only if test score is better than the average of the four exams and you are less than 1% shy of the next higher letter grade you will get the better grade).

Class Schedule:(Note: the only valid and continuously updated class syllabus and schedule is posted on UBlearns!)

Week	Dates	Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
Part 1 - Introducing Physical Geography – Spheres, Scales, Systems, and Cycles (Ch.1-4)
1		Introduction (Ch.1) Spheres, Scales, Systems, and Cycles (Ch.2)
2		No classes - Martin Luther King Day Observed The Earth as a Rotating Planet (Ch.3) The Global Energy System (Ch.4)
Part 2 – Weather and Climate Systems (Ch. 5-9)
3		Review Session Part 1 WEDNESDAY: Test Exam Part 1 (Ch.1-4) Air Temperature & Air Temperature Cycles (Ch.5)
4		Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation (Ch.6) Winds & Global Circulation (Ch.7)
5		Weather Systems (Ch.8) Global Scope of Climate (Ch.9) Â
Part 3 – Systems and Cycles of the Solid Earth (Ch.12-15)
6		Review Session Part 2 WEDNESDAY: 1^st class exam: Part 2 (Ch.5-9) + Part 1 (Ch.1 & 2)* Earth Materials and the Cycle of Rock Change (Ch.12)
7		The Lithosphere and the Tectonic System (Ch.13) Volcanic and Tectonic Landforms (Ch.14)
8		Weathering and Mass Wasting (Ch.15) Video: The Next Pompeii
		No classes - Spring Break
Part 4 – Systems of Landform Evolution (Ch.16-20)
9		Review Session Part 3 WEDNESDAY: 2^nd class exam: Part 3 (Ch.12-15) + Part 1 (Ch.1 & 2)* The Cycling of Water on the Continents (Ch.16)
10		Fluvial Processes and Landforms (Ch.17) Landforms and Rock Structure (Ch.18)
11		Waves and Wind (Ch.19) Glacier Systems and the Ice Age (Ch.20) Review Session Part 4
Part 5 - Systems and Cycles of Soils and the Biosphere (Ch.21-24)
12		MONDAY: 3^rd class exam: Part 4 (Ch.16-20) + Part 1 (Ch.1 & 2)* Soil Systems (Ch.21)
13		Systems and Cycles of the Biosphere (Ch.22) Biogeographical Processes (Ch.23)
14		Global Ecosystems (Ch.24) Earth System Science Summary (Concluding Remarks) Review Session Part 5
15		MONDAY: 4^th class exam: Part 5 (Ch.21-24) + Part 1 (Ch.1 & 2)*

*Note that, each exam includes the basics learned in Part 1 Ch. 1 and 2 ("Introducing Physical Geography" & "Spheres, Scales, Systems, and Cycles").