INTRO TO EARTH SCIENCE
COURSE DESCRIPTION
ASSIGNMENTS
WIKI
INSTRUCTOR CONTACT
INFO
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE
ESCI 121
Fall 2010
Section 06
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DAILY OBJECTIVES |
IMPORTANT UPDATES:
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An assignment is due
one week from today (Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010).
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All weather-tracking
maps are due no later than Tuesday, Dec. 7,
2010.
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We will not have class this
Thursday, Dec. 2. (I will be in Washington
DC meeting with the USDA.)
By the end of
today's class, you should be able to do the
following:
WEATHER
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Explain the difference between climate
and weather.
Air Masses
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Explain what
humidity is and tell how humidity
measurements are expressed.
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Explain
what an air mass is.
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Explain how
moisture content and temperature of an air mass
affect its density.
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Describe
continental polar (cP),
maritime tropical (mT),
continental Arctic, (cA),
and other air masses that affect the continental
United States. (See
http://okfirst.mesonet.org/train/meteorology/AirMasses.html
and
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wamsorce/wamsorce.htm.)
Clouds
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Explain what the term dew point
means.
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List the steps that lead to the formation of
a cloud.
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Explain the terms condensation
and condensation nuclei
as they relate to cloud formation.
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Describe the characteristics of cirrus,
cumulus, and stratus
clouds. See
http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/tutorial/clouds/cloudtypes.swf
for more information.
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Tell
what cumulonimbus and
nimbostratus clouds have that ordinary
cumulus and stratus clouds don't.
Fronts and Precipitation
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Explain
what a front is.
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Explain the processes that lead to
orographic ("relief"), convective,
and frontal precipitation, and
sketch a diagram illustrating each one.
See
http://www.curriculumbits.com/prodimages/details/geography/types-of-rainfall.html
.
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Make
a sketch of a warm front and use it to explain
why precipitation is associated with these
fronts.
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Make
a sketch of a cold front and use it to explain
why precipitation is associated with these
fronts.
Barometric Pressure
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Explain the meaning of air pressure
/ barometric pressure.
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Describe the characteristics and movement of air
in a high pressure zone and a
low pressure zone. |
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