Physical Geography
Spring 1999
Instructor: Dr. Randall Schaetzl
Office: 413 Natural Science
Office Hours: 12:30-2:30 M,W and by appt.
Mailbox: 315 Natural Science; Phone: 353-7726 email: schaetzl@pilot.msu.edu
Text: McKnight, T.L. Physical Geography A Landscape Appreciation. 6th edition. Prentice Hall.
Lectures: T,Th 12:40-2:00 pm, Rm. 128 Nat Sci Bldg.
COURSE GOALS: This course is designed to provide a survey of the many
aspects of the physical planet Earth. Major topics of consideration are: weather
(meteorology), vegetation and plant ecology, rocks and weathering, landforms, surficial
processes, and soils. Emphasis is placed on explaining and appreciating the physical
landscape and environment. There are no prerequisites.
A laboratory course (GEO 206L) that stresses applications of the material discussed in GEO
206 (primarily map and aerial photo reading and interpretation) may be taken concurrently,
or during any ensuing term. Students do NOT need to enroll in the lab to receive credit
for GEO 206.
EXAMS and QUIZZES : There will be two hourly examinations and a final exam---dates for which are provided below. The exams will usually consist of T/F and multiple choice questions, as well as short essays and possibly some fill-in-the blank questions. You will have 100 minutes to complete each of the first two exams and 2
2 hours to complete the final. The final exam is comprehensive but stresses the last section of the course. Four short, 20 point quizzes will be administered randomly throughout the term. These will occur at the immediate start of lecture, will be unannounced, and will ONLY cover the information from the previous lecture and/or related material in the text. The student's quiz with the lowest score will not be counted toward the final point total (i.e., it will be dropped). Make-up quizzes will not be allowed. Similarly, if you arrive late for a quiz, extra time will not be provided. Makeup EXAMS are only allowed in cases where a physician's excuse is presented. If an exam is missed due to a family funeral, a newspaper obituary (with the date of the newspaper issue clearly shown) must be presented to the instructor within four class days of the missed exam. In all cases the make-up must be done prior to the regularly-scheduled exam. If the student cannot take the make-up exam early, it will be dropped and the remaining exams will be weighted appropriately. Extra credit points are not given.GRADING: There are 400 possible points to be earned in Geography 206. All grades will be curved. Except for extreme cases, a final point total of 50% is the minimum point total for a passing grade in GEO 206. First Exam: 100 points
Second Exam: 100 points
Final Exam: 140 points
Three Quizzes: 60 points
Total: 400 points
LECTURE OUTLINE: GEO 206
DATE LECTURE TOPICS TEXT READINGS
THE EARTH-SUN CONTEXT
Jan 12 Introduction, earth-sun geometry 1-4; 9-23
THE ATMOSPHERE
Jan 14 The atmosphere; ozone 57-62; 64-65
Jan 19 Radiation, insolation 73-87
Jan 21 Temperature, air pressure 62-63; 87-94; 103-105
Jan 26 Moisture, uplift, air pollution 95-96; 114; 135-141; 156-158
Jan 28 Fog, wind 105-115; 147
Feb 2 Global circulation 97-100; 115-132
Feb 4 Air masses, fronts and cyclonic storms, jet streams 167-181
Feb 9 Jet streams, thunderstorms 189-192
Feb 11 Hail, lightning
Feb 16 Tornadoes, hurricanes 181-189; 193-195
Feb 18 Catch up
Feb 23 FIRST EXAM
Feb 25 Global climate patterns 200-236; 240
Mar 2 Exams back Global climate change
THE HYDROSPHERE
Mar 4 Groundwater, water uses and abuses 260-266
SPRING BREAK!!!
THE BIOSPHERE
Mar 16 Biogeographic concepts 269; 292-300
Mar 18 Succession, biomes 309-316Mar 23 Biomes 316-321
visit http://www.desertusa.com/desert.html
visit http://portia.advanced.org/2988/original/text/ecosystemstxt.htm
Mar 25 Biomes and plant geography
visit http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Colleges/LFSC/life_sciences/.plant_biology/PBIO/pbio41.html
Mar 30 SECOND EXAM
THE LITHOSPHERE
Apr 1 Geomorphology concepts, rock types 361-373
Apr 6 Exams back Faulting, folding, vulcanism 400-420; 502-509
Apr 8 Weathering, mass wasting 423-439
visit http://www.gg.uwyo.edu:8888/
Apr 20 River systems 447-465
Apr 22 Human modifications to river systems
Apr 27 Glacial systems: concepts and alpine glaciers 513-525
visit http://www.uwsp.edu/acaddept/geog/faculty/lemke/vgd_alpine/contents.html
Apr 29 Glacial systems: continental glaciers, eolian systems 498-501; 501; 525-531
Monday, May 3 FINAL EXAM 12:45-3:00 pm