Geography 370
CLIMATOLOGY
Weather and Climate
Spring 2009
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Spring 2009
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Geography 370, Climatology, is offered at Sonoma State
University
on Mondays and Wednesdays 10 to 11:50 a.m. in Stevenson 3036. (4 units)
Dr. Dorothy E. Freidel, Professor.
Office: 3056 Stevenson; 707-664-2314,
email: dorothy.freidel@sonoma.edu
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 1:30-3 p.m., Tuesday 3 to 4 p.m.., or by appointment.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Ever wonder what causes droughts and floods, heat waves, or swarms of tornadoes in the Midwest, or the Siberian Express some winters, or El Nino every few years? What are the variables that play a role in global warming, and what are the effects?
Climatology is the study of the distribution of climate from place to place, and how and why it varies spatially and temporally. The climate of a place is influenced by a great number of factors, including general atmospheric circulation patterns, latitude, location relative to land and water, elevation, topography, vegetation and other surface covers, etc. Beginning with the basics of the forces that drive the weather engine, this course focuses on the major controls on climate differences from the tropics to the poles, and from the oceans to the continental centers. A major theme throughout the semester is global climate change and controls on climate variation through time, particularly regarding global warming. Some of the topics we'll also touch on include El Niño (and La Niña), ozone depletion, and severe weather. Prerequisite: Geog 204 Physical Geography, or consent of instructor
Page last updated 1/16/09