Spring
2006
W4930y
Earth’s oceans and atmosphere
Instructor:
Prof. Arnold L. Gordon
Schermerhorn 558,
Tuesday/Thursday
1-2:15pm
[Note: We are now taking the advantage of Columbia Courseworks to organize course materials. Please login Courseworks for lecture powerpoint files, reading/homework assignments, etc., which will no longer be updated here.]
W4930y presents the basic description of
the structure and circulation of the ocean and atmosphere, an
introduction to the governing physics, oce/atm interaction and
resultant climate. It is intended for our graduate students who are not
specializing in physical oceanography, atmosphere science or climate
modeling. It is similar in style and purpose to W4001
“advanced general geology” which is directed at
graduate students with good backgrounds in the physical sciences but
none in geology. It also serves the advanced undergraduate students,
who have taken the 2100 Earth Climate course. W4930 provides a view of
the ocean and atmosphere as required to promote a broader understand of
the Earth system for those working in the solid Earth topics, chemical
or biological oceanography, or climate proxy research. It
combines the fundamentals of the W4925 “principles of
physical oceanography” and W4008 “introduction to
atmospheric science” which are directed more towards the
specialist.
4930 Earth’s oceans and atmosphere Bulletin description:
EESC W4930y Earth’s oceans and atmosphere; 3 pts. A. Gordon.
Physical properties of water and air. Overview of the stratification
and circulation of earth's ocean and atmosphere and their governing
processes; ocean-atmosphere interaction; resultant climate system;
natural and anthropogenic forced climate change.
Syllabus
Useful links
Professor Arnold L. Gordon
Office: 203
Oceanography Building,
Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory
Palisades, New
York, 10964-8000
Telephone :
(845) 365 8325
FAX:
(845) 365 8157
Office Hours: Office hours at Columbia, faculty lounge: 11:30 to 1:00
on the day of the class meetings.
Atmosphere:
Global Physical Climatology, Dennis L. Hartmann
Academic Press, 411 pp., 1994
ISBN 0-12-328530-5 . . . . QC981.H32 1994
Ocean:
Open University
Text,
2001 Ocean Circulation, 2nd edition Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0 7506
5278 0
Useful resource is the 2001 IPCC Climate Change 2001 & 2005 The
Scientific Basis and more, see: http://www.ipcc.ch.
There will be a Mid-Term and a Final Exam. The mid-term will contribute
40% of the course grade, the final exam is 60%. If the class
is small <10, there will be a term paper [written and oral
presentation]. If so, the term paper, the mid-term and the final will
share equally in determining the course grade.
There will be occasional homework assignments.
This
year the TA, who maintains the website is :
Daiwei (David) Wang Graduate Student
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
103B Oceanography
61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000
Voice: (845) 365-8694