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Course Descriptions

GEG 203 - Climatology Lab

1 Credit

Central to understanding the predictions for future global warming is identifying the key components that operate within the climate system. This laboratory is designed to provide students with the tools necessary to understand the science behind global warming. Students will take the role of climate investigators and learn how changes in the climate system are analyzed through the use of simple models. Ultimately students will gain an understanding of how factors that affect climate are used to construct a geographical pattern of future warming on a global scale.

Prerquisite(s): GEG 204 completed or concurrently enrolled in

New SUNY General Education: SUNY - Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning)

Retiring SUNY General Education: SUNY-NS - Natural Sciences (SNSC)

*NOTE: This course only meets SUNY General Education requirements when both GEG 203 and GEG 204 are successfully completed.*

MCC General Education: MCC-CT - Critical Thinking (MCT), MCC-SCI - Scientific Reasoning (MSCI)

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Use a spreadsheet to perform calculations on climate data and be able to graphically display them.
2. Calculate simple statistical values (mean, median, standard deviation, regression coefficient), and make conclusions from these numbers.
3. Use trends in time-series data to interpret past and future climate conditions.
4. Plot spatial data on a map and describe the trends and patterns observed.
5. Compare the solar radiation absorbed to the energy re-radiated for a given location to understand how the radiative balance affects surface temperature.
6. Locate on a map and identify major physical features important to the study of climate.
7. Analyze glacial features to understand the process of glaciation and calculate rates of glacial retreat.
8. Use simple climate models to predict the geographical pattern of future global warming and understand the limitations of such models.
9. Measure changes in cyclic climate archives, such as tree rings, lake sediments, and ice cores, to learn the climate history of a region.
10. Evaluate the climate of a landmass given geographical and climatic parameters.

Course Offered Summer

Use links below to see if this course is offered:
Fall Semester 2024
Spring Semester 2024
Summer Session 2024