Course Syllabus - Department of Geography - Texas A&M University

Processes in Physical Geography (GEOG 604)
Synoptic Climatology
Spring 2011
Instructor: Dr. Steven M. Quiring
Office: CSA 305C
Office Hours: TR 9:30–11:00 a.m. and by appointment
Phone: 458-1712
Email: squiring@geog.tamu.edu
Web: http://geog.tamu.edu/~squiring/
Class Meeting Time and Place: TR; meeting time will be determined based on the
schedules of the students enrolled
Online Course Information: http://elearning.tamu.edu/
Course Objective:
The objectives of this course are to:
(1) Develop a conceptual understanding of synoptic climatology including the relevant
theory and commonly used data and methods
(2) Read, discuss and critically evaluate key publications and contemporary research in
the field of synoptic climatology
(3) Apply this knowledge in an individual research project. The topic of this project
should be relevant to your graduate research and must be approved by the instructor. The
background, data & methods, and results of your project will be summarized in paper
written in the format of Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology (e.g., American
Meteorological Society format).
Course Description:
Synoptic climatology involves the study of local and regional climates and their relation
to the large-scale atmospheric circulation. Synoptic climatology requires an
understanding of the basic controls of atmospheric circulation and the resulting general
circulation. Synoptic climatology utilizes climatic data and statistical and dynamical
modeling to understand the relationship between atmospheric circulation and nearsurface
processes, and to solve a wide range of environmental problems.
This course will cover the fundamental theory necessary to understand synoptic
climatology and introduce a number of data sets and methodologies that are commonly
utilized by synoptic climatologists. This class will be taught using a mixture of lecture
and discussion (seminar style). Each topic will be introduced through a lecture given by
the instructor that will cover core concepts and relevant theories. This introduction will
be followed by student-led discussions of relevant peer-reviewed papers. The research
project will provide students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge that they have
gained over the semester to focus on a topic of their choosing. It is expected that students
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will have a basic understanding of climatology (such as GEOG 324) and statistics (such
as GEOG 652) prior to taking this class.
Learning Objectives:
As a result of taking this course you should know (knowledge objectives) and be able to
do certain things (skill objectives).
Knowledge objectives (Things you should know by the end of the course):
• Define climatology and synoptic climatology and discuss its role in climate
science
• Summarize the current state of knowledge about synoptic climatology and
selected sub-components thereof
• Critique published research on synoptic climatology and be able to describe the
strengths and weaknesses of the data and methodology utilized by the authors
• Describe the limitations and biases of commonly used climatic data sets (e.g.,
station data, reanalysis data)
• Describe the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used synoptic methods (e.g.,
weather typing, subjective & objective classifications, composites, self organized
maps)
Skill objectives (Things you should be able to do by the end of the course):
• Interpret formulas, graphs, tables, and schematics, and draw inferences from them
• Locate and analyze climate data sources (including NCDC climate division and
station data, NCEP/NCAR renanalysis data, TRMM precipitation (or other
satellite data), paleoclimate data (e.g., IODP, tree rings), GCM data from IPCC
AR4 models, and teleconnection data)
• Create graphics (line graphs, pie graphs, box plots, etc.) that effectively
communicate information and support your arguments
• Represent climate information symbolically, visually, numerically, and verbally
• Import, summarize, and analyze climate data
• Calculate and interpret statistics
• Analyze variability and trends in climate data
• Develop synoptic classifications and explain the results
• Analyze climate data using a variety of tools/methods (for example: scientific
programming, statistical methods (regression, multiple regression (including stepwise),
data reduction (PCA, EOF), model evaluation and cross validation,
compositing, clustering and self-organized maps, time series analysis, CCA,
trend, bootstrapping and Monte Carlo simulation), and modeling (statistical
models, dynamical models)
• Perform library research
• Write a literature review (synthesis of the literature)
• Critically evaluate the published research
• Proof-read and edit your own work
• Critically evaluate your own writing and the writing of your peers
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• Write a scientific research paper that conforms to the accepted standard for
publication in a peer-reviewed journal
• Deliver clear and concise oral presentations
Course Outline:
Tentative schedule of topics to be covered (subject to change).
Part I: What is synoptic climatology? January 18 and January 20
Part II: Global climate and the general circulation January 25 to February 17
Basic controls of atmospheric circulation; global circulation; jetstreams; planetary waves;
zonal flow and zonal index; blocking flow and blocking mechanisms; low-frequency
circulation variability and persistence; global teleconnections
Part III: Synoptic systems February 22 to March 3
Climatology of cyclones and anticyclones; development of cyclones; storm tracks
Part IV: Synoptic climatology: methods March 8 to April 7
synoptic pattern classification (airmasses and circulation); subjective/manual
classification; objective/automated classification
Part V: Synoptic climatology: applications April 12 to April 26
Droughts and floods; air quality; human health; wildfire activity; other topics will be
selected based on the interests of the students
Part VI: Student presentations April 28
Grading:
Participation: class discussions and paper presentations 30%
Exams (2 x 15%; March 31 and May TBD) 30%
Project presentation (April 28) 10%
Research Paper (Tuesday, May 3) 30%
The grading system follows the Texas A&M University grading system:
A = Excellent
B = Good
C = Satisfactory
D = Passing
F = Failing
Grades will be assigned based on the following cutoffs: A = > 90%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-
79%, D = 60-69%, F =

(1) Article reviews (10%)
(2) Paper presentations (10%)
(3) Class discussions (10%)
(1) Article reviews: Students are expected to pay detailed, close and critical attention to
readings. For each class meeting, all students will read the assigned material and bring to
class a summary with critique notes and discussion questions in response to the readings
(up to about one page). These exercises will be turned in as part of the participation
grade, and they will enable informed in-class discussion.
(2) Paper presentations: Each student will be responsible for presenting and leading a
number of discussions on the papers that are covered in class. The schedule will be
arranged in consultation with the instructor. The student leader(s) for each discussion will
give a short presentation summarizing the article(s) and lead the subsequent discussion.
Lead students are expected to obtain and read additional articles where appropriate and
synthesize all the relevant information in their presentation and discussion. Students are
required to prepare formal presentations following the guidelines that will be discussed in
class.
(3) Class discussions: True participation during each class meeting, as well as diligence
on assignments and readings before and after each class, are essential. Simply attending
class and/or attempting to participate by making ad-hoc comments will result in a low
participation grade, as will poor or incomplete weekly assignments.
Exams (30%):
There will be two exams in this course. A mid-term exam worth 15% of your final grade
(March 31) and a final exam worth 15% of your final grade. The final exam will be held
during during the final exam period in May at a date and time to be determined. The
exams will be essay-based exams and will require students to synthesize the material
covered in readings, discussions and lectures. The final exam is not cumulative (it only
examines the content covered since the mid-term exam).
Research Paper (30%):
The research paper will summarize the background, data & methods, and results of your
project will be summarized in paper written in the format of Journal of Applied
Meteorology and Climatology (e.g., American Meteorological Society format). The topic
of the research paper will be selected by the student in consultation with the instructor.
The paper should be approximately 15 double-spaced pages excluding references, figures
and tables. Papers are due on Tuesday, May 3.
Research Presentation (10%):
Each student will be required to give an AMS-style presentation of their results on April
28. Each presentation will be 10 minutes with 5 minutes for questions at the end. A
presentation rubric will be handed out in class.
Required textbook: none
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Required readings: The required readings for this class will be assigned by the professor
on a weekly basis. These readings will be drawn from peer-reviewed articles in
climatology, atmospheric science and geography journals.
Excused Absences
This class will follow the University’s policy for excused absences. For more information, please see
Section 7 of the student rules: http://student-rules.tamu.edu
Scholastic Dishonesty
It is my hope that academic dishonesty will not be a problem in this class. Texas A&M does, however,
have a Scholastic Dishonesty policy to which both students and faculty must comply. If you have any
questions about the University’s Scholastic Dishonesty policy please review the Student Rules or see me.
The Aggie Honor program is the new program that will handle all cases of academic dishonesty. The Aggie
Honor program website is located at http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor
The materials used in this course are copyrighted. These materials include but are not limited to syllabi,
quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets. Because these
materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy the handouts, unless permission is expressly
granted.
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, etc.,
which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the
work of another person and turn it in as your own, even is you should have the permission of that person.
Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without
which research cannot be safely communicated.
If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest issue of the Texas A&M
University Student Rules, http://student-rules.tamu.edu, under the section “Scholastic Dishonesty.”
Aggie Code of Honor: “An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do”
http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/
Student Support
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for
reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an
accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in
Room B118 of Cain Hall. The phone number is 845-1637.
Services for Students with Disabilities
Room B118 of Cain Hall, 845-1637, http://studentlife.tamu.edu/ssd/
There are numerous other student support organizations on campus including:
Center for Academic Excellence and Academic Assistance Clearinghouse
525 Blocker, 845-2724, http://www.tamu.edu/cae
Student Counseling Service
Henderson Hall, 845-4427, http://www.scs.tamu.edu/
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