GEOGRAPHY 206
Physical Geography
Spring 2005
Instructor: Dr. Randall Schaetzl
Office: 413 Natural Science
Office Hours: Hours: M,W 2:15-4:15, and by appt.
Mailbox: 315 Natural Science; Phone: 353-7726 email: soils@msu.edu
Text: McKnight & Hess Physical Geography A Landscape Appreciation. 8th edition. Prentice Hall.
Lectures: M,W 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:
EXAMS: There will be two hourly examinations and a final exam---dates for which are provided below. The exams will consist of T/F and multiple choice questions, as well as fill-in-the-blank questions. You will have the full class period to complete each of the first two exams. The final exam is comprehensive but stresses the last section of the course.
QUIZZES: 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. Quizzes will have no “bubble sheet” questions but will, instead, have a variety of written response questions. The student's quiz with the lowest score will not be counted toward the final point total (i.e., it will be dropped).
OTHER INFORMATION: 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 in GEO 206.
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
ADDITIONAL GEO COURSES: The Department of Geography offers a number of courses that expand on topics covered in GEO 206.
A selection of such courses is listed below. GEO 206L has GEO 206 as a prerequisite. GEO 203 has no prerequisites. Additional, more advanced courses are not included in the list below. I am always happy to discuss the content of any GEO course with you.
GEO 206L Physical Geography Laboratory GEO 203 Introduction to Meteorology
GEO 208: Physical Geography of the National Parks GEO 333 Geography of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region
GEO 401 Plant Geography GEO 402 Agricultural Climatology
GEO 306 Environmental Geomorphology GEO 407 Regional Geomorphology of the United States
GEO 408 Soil Geomorphology Field Study
LECTURE OUTLINE: GEO 206
DATE LECTURE TOPICS TEXT READINGS
THE EARTH-SUN CONTEXT
Jan 10 Introduction, latitude-longitude, earth-sun geometry 1-4; 11-22
THE ATMOSPHERE
Jan 12 The atmosphere; ozone 55-64
Jan 17 No class: MLK Holiday
Jan 19 Radiation, insolation 71-85
Jan 24 Temperature, air pressure 85-103
Jan 26 Moisture, uplift, air pollution 131-139; 93-95; 110-111; 152-158
Jan 31 Fog, wind 142-145; 103-111
Feb 2 Global circulation 111-129
Feb 7 Air masses, fronts and cyclonic storms, jet streams 163-177
Feb 9 Jet streams, thunderstorms 149-152
Feb 14 Hail, lightning 189-190
Feb 16 Catch up
Feb 21 FIRST EXAM
Feb 23 Tornadoes, hurricanes, El Nino 178-196
THE BIOSPHERE
Feb 28 Exams back Biogeographic concepts 269-279; 285-286
Mar 2 Succession, disturbance, biomes 301-306
Mar 7-11 SPRING BREAK!!!
Mar 14 Biomes 318-319; 306-312
visit http://www.desertusa.com/desert.html
Mar 16 Biomes and plant geography 294-295
Mar 21 Catch up
THE LITHOSPHERE
Mar 23 Geomorphology concepts, rock types 360-374
Mar 28 Rocks: faulting and folding 410-414; 420; 501-508
Mar 30 SECOND EXAM
Apr 4 Vulcanism 394-410
Apr 6 Exams back (and that’s all)
Apr 11 Weathering, mass wasting 425-442
Apr 13 Soils 325-342; 345-353
Apr 18 River systems and running water 445-470
Apr 20 River systems, cont.
Apr 25 Glacial systems 511-535
Apr 27 Glacial systems, coastal systems 541-544; 550-554
Wednesday, May 4 FINAL EXAM 12:45-3:00 pm