Text and Photographs © 2004  Peter J. & Shirley F. Robinson

CLASS SCHEDULE

Text: Robinson "North Carolina Weather and Climate", (2005)  UNC Press

This course aims to introduce you to the major features of the weather and climate of the planet, with a particular emphasis on conditions in North Carolina.  First we shall discuss the physical processes operating to create our temperatures, clouds, winds and rainfall conditions and how they are linked to the rest of the global weather. Next we shall combine all them together to understand the short-term day-to-day weather and its changes.  We shall look at both the common, everyday weather and at the more spectacular extreme weather of hurricanes and tornadoes, floods and droughts. On the longer term, we will investigate why the climate changes, how it has changed in the past and how it may change in the future.  We shall also discuss, mostly in class, ways in which the weather influences our lives, and how we are in turn altering the weather. We shall explore how we might make better decisions to ensure that we benefit from the opportunities the atmosphere provides.

In practical terms, in general part of each day will involve a lecture on the specific topic of the day. Thereafter there will be a "lab" session using weather data to explore the actual conditions resulting from the various processes we have been considering in the lectures.  These labs will form the basis for the required Term Paper.

      Exams

        Quizzes - 3 mid-term (1hr each) - Top TWO will count (20% each)

        Final exam - at university-wide scheduled time (30%)

            Format for all exams: Short essay questions

                A set of questions will be distributed about 2 days before the exam.

                You can use any and all resources to investigate these questions.

                At the exam time, some questions will be selected by the instructor.

                You will be required to answer these question.

                 You will have 1 hour 

                 During the exam, the only materials allowed are pens and a blue book.

    Term Paper

       A report on a specific aspect of the weather & climate of part of the United States, as considered in the various in-class laboratories.

            Written term paper - 30%

    e-mail: pjr@email.unc.edu                

    phone: 919-962-3875  (probably NOT a good way)

    Office Hours: see me after class to sent up an appointment

These are "Lecture notes" which emphasize the situation in North Carolina.  They say less about the processes creating weather and climate than does the material in the text. They are generally a summary of material to be presented in class, where we shall discuss both the processes and the results.

My suggestion is that before class you read the home page notes and the related parts of the text. In class you can then concentrate on those parts you found unclear and ensuring that you understand the material.  Note-taking is probably important here.  Then after the class you can review your notes, the home page and the text to make sure you still remember the processes and the results.