GEOS 102 Our Changing Environment: Climate and Ecosystems

Description

This course provides an introduction to two areas of the Geographical Sciences: climatology and biogeography.

Climatology is the study of the heat and moisture states of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Biogeography is the study of the distribution and dynamics of organisms and their environments.

Our approach will be an Earth Systems one, emphasizing not just major discernible features, but underlying processes, energy flows and cycles. Specific topics include atmospheric structure and composition, global wind patterns, severe weather and climate systems; soil profiles, processes and classification; and ecosystems and biomes. A major objective of this introductory course is to provide you with an understanding of the foundations of Geographical Sciences. This will allow you to better appreciate the environment around you and enable you to critically evaluate the implications of changes on the physical, natural environment.

Learning Objectives

1. Develop a scientific understanding of earth’s atmospheric and biological systems
2. Examine the specific processes that operate in and among these systems
3. Appreciate the role of humans in shaping, and being shaped by, these systems
4. Develop and improve basic skills of numeracy, graphical representation and interpretation
5. Critically evaluate environmental information in the news and other (e.g., social) media