CLASS SESSIONS – GEOG3330 – URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY – SPRING 2010
References to texts: T&C = Encounter Geosystems; C = Elemental Geosystems
Dates for lectures, presentations, and assignments can be relied on… however detailed information may change.
LINK to summary chart of assignments
LINKS to day’s topics and assignment will be added as the course progresses.
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Session |
Date |
Topics |
Source |
In-Class application / activity / lab / exercise /action. |
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Part 1. Why this course? Definitions and distinctions… urban environmental geography, science, Earth systems, physical geography, history, physical and life sciences. Impacts of cities on environment. Impacts of environments on cities. Google Earth. |
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Earth systems and urban settings. Overview – Urban Environmental Geography Historical Trends: cities, population, environmental impacts of the 20th and 21st centuries. |
McNeill. (2000), Ch 1, e-reserve. Google Earth -- T&C overview. |
HW01--At end of class or 1/13 Hand in 3 sheets – Yellow -- self-assessment White – initial thoughts about cities Green – feedback on lecture Sign up for T&C lab leadership (HW02 – lab presentation) |
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02 |
1/13 Wed |
Earth systems and urban settings. Definitions and distinctions – Earth system science. Systems. Science. Earth systems subsystems: geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere. |
C Ch 1; T&C prologue |
HW03--At end of class, hand in: T&C Prologue exercise; Initial selection of “your urban setting;” and green feedback sheet (GS02) Sign up for T&C lab leadership (HW02 – lab presentation) |
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1/18 – no class - |
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03 |
1/20 Wed |
Earth systems and urban settings. |
T&C Ch 1 C Ch1, 2, and appendix A. |
Green feedback sheet. HW04—Due beginning of 1/27: Contour exercise sheets from 1/20 |
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Part 2. Examine urban settings in the context of the five subsystems of Earth systems: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere. |
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04 |
1/25 Mon |
Earth’s Atmosphere and urban settings. Cities, solar energy, and Earth’s atmosphere. Science: Energy … forms, interchangeable, thermodynamics explained. Solar energy. Seasons. Structure of the atmosphere. Effect on cities … solar energy and seasons Cities effects … anthropogenic gasses and materials into atmosphere. |
C Ch 2 and 3 Background for T&C 2 and 3 |
Examples of Green feedback sheet. |
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05 |
1/27 Wed |
Earth’s Atmosphere and urban settings. T&C Ch 2- Solar Energy, Seasons and the Atmosphere --- PRESENTER 30 minutes T&C Ch 3 – Atmospheric energy and global temperatures – PRESENTER 30 minutes 10 min wrap up and explanation of HW05 |
T&C Ch 3 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW05—Due beginning of 2/3. Your urban setting and consequences of its solar energy. |
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06 |
2/1 Mon |
Earth’s Atmosphere / Hydrosphere and urban settings. Science: energy, heat, gravity, mass, density. Circulation of the atmosphere and oceans Effects on cities … climate, weather, resources, hazards. Cities effects … uneven distribution of pollution, direct effects, indirect effects such as climate change. |
C Ch 4 and 5 Background for T&C 4 and 5 |
Examples of Green feedback sheet. |
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07 |
2/3 Wed |
Earth’s Atmosphere / Hydrosphere and urban settings T&C Ch 4 – Atmospheric and ocean circulation --- PRESENTER 30 min T&C Ch 5 – Atmospheric water and weather --- PRESENTER 30 min 10 min wrap up and explanation of HW06 |
T&C Ch 4 and 5 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW06 – Due beginning of 2/10. Your urban setting in the context of the coupled systems of Earth’s atmosphere and hydrosphere. |
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08 |
2/8 Mon |
Earth’s Hydrosphere and urban settings Science: wondrous water, the water cycle; energy, gravity, mass, density; water balance. Problems with modifiable areal units: spatial scale… global, regional, local. Surface water and cities. Watersheds. Ground water and cities. Cross-sections.
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C Ch 6 |
Examples of Contours revisited. Green feedback sheet. |
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09 |
2/10 Wed |
Earth’s hydrosphere and urban settings. Watersheds and divides. Drainage basins based on hydrology. Skill: display hydrologic and topographic information on cross-sections. Examples of |
USGS links |
Green feedback sheet. In-class exercise HW07, due beginning of 2/17, along with…. HW08—Due beginning of 2/17. Delineation of the watershed of your urban area and topographic profile. |
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10 |
2/15 Mon |
Earth’s hydrosphere and atmosphere and urban settings. Science: water cycle, climate systems, climate change, water balance, uncertainty. Effects on cities … resources, hazards, quality of life. Climate change. Cities effects … microclimate, regional, global climate change: |
C Ch 7, and Appendix B |
Green feedback sheet. |
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11 |
2/17 Wed |
Earth’s hydrosphere and atmosphere and urban settings. T&C Ch 6 – Water resources --- PRESENTER 30 min T&C Ch 7 – Climate systems and climate change --- PRESENTER 30 min 10 min wrap up and explanation of HW09 |
T&C Ch 6 and 7 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW09 – Due beginning of 2/24. Your urban setting in the context its climate and projected climate change. |
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12 |
2/22 Mon |
Earth’s geosphere and urban settings. Science: tectonics and isostasy; energy, heat, gravity, and structure of Earth’s geosphere. Our dynamic planet. Geologic time and geologic history. Recycling of Earth’s crust. Earthquakes, volcanoes. Landforms and physiographic provinces. Effects on cities… topography, resources, hazards and landscapes Cities impacts… discuss |
C Ch 8 and 9 |
Green feedback sheet Tectonic setting of |
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13 |
2/24 Wed |
Earth’s geosphere and urban settings. T&C Ch 8 – The Dynamic Planet --- PRESENTER 30 min T&C Ch 9 – Tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes --- PRESENTER 30 min 10 min wrap up and explanation of HW10 |
T&C Ch 8 and 9 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW10 – Due beginning of 3/3. Your urban setting in its tectonic setting, . |
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14 |
3/1 Mon |
Earth’s geosphere and urban settings. Science: geomorphology and processes of sedimentation; processes driven by forces working on the outside of the geosphere; energy, gravity, and agents of change (wind, water, ground failure, glacial ice, and humans). Effects on cities … topography, resources, hazards and scenery Cities effects … topography, pollution, hazards, and climate change. |
C Ch 10-14 |
Big topic… Green feedback sheet. |
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15 |
3/3 Wed |
Earth’s geosphere and urban settings. T&C Ch 10 – Weathering, Karst, and Mass movement --- PRESENTER 20 min T&C Ch 11 – River systems and landforms --- PRESENTER 20 min T&C Ch 12 – Wind processes and landforms --- PRESENTER 20 min 10 minute wrap up and explanation of HW11 |
T&C Ch 10-12 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW11 – Due beginning of 3/10. Assessment of geomorphic impacts on your urban setting… hazards, resources, and scenery. |
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16 |
3/8 Mon |
Earth’s geosphere and urban settings. T&C Ch 13 – Oceans, coastal landforms and processes --- PRESENTER 20 min T&C Ch 14 – River systems and landforms --- PRESENTER 30 min 30 minute wrap up and re-discussion of HW11 |
C Ch 13 and14 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW11 – Due beginning of 3/10. Assessment of geomorphic impacts on your urban setting… hazards, resources, and scenery. |
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17 |
3/10 Wed |
Earth’s geosphere and urban settings Geomorphic processes: Effects on cities … materials, hazards, resources, quality of life Cities effects … site-specific changed conditions as well as local and regional, due to warming. |
C Ch 10-14 |
Green feedback sheet. Local ( Global examples. |
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18 |
3/15 Mon |
Review: URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY and 3 of Earth’s subsystems, the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. |
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Expectations for Midterm. Expectations for interim version of your atlas due March 15, assignments after Spring Break, and for final version of atlas (due April 30). |
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19 |
3/15 Wed |
Midterm -- HW12. Submit Atlas – Urban Case History, Phase 1 -- HW13 |
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SPRING BREAK |
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20 |
3/29 Mon |
Earth’s biosphere and urban settings. Science: Earth’s many cycles; the science of life, evolution, adaptation, unintended consequences. The geography of soils, ecosystems, and biomes. . Effects on cities … resources, hazards, quality of life. Cities effects on … local, regional and global effects; ecological footprints; erosion / deposition and soils, |
C Ch 15 - 17 |
Soil science. Soil types and processes that produce them. Soils: resources, hazards, and quality of life Ecological footprint of cities |
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21 |
3/31 Wed |
Earth’s biosphere and urban settings. T&C Ch 15 – Geography of soils --- PRESENTER 20 min T&C Ch 16 – Ecosystems and biomes --- PRESENTER 20 min T&C Ch 17 – Earth and humans --- PRESENTER 20 min 10 minute wrap up and explanation of up-coming homework assignments. |
T&C Ch 16 C Ch 16 |
In Class – complete the workbook exercises as presenters present. Green feedback sheet. HW14 – Due beginning of 4/7. Assessment of the setting of your urban area in the context of biosphere classifications (soils, biomes). |
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Part 3. Synthesis: metabolism of cities. Science: fluid flow, hydrology, geology, and contaminants of urban settings. Water use. Water pollution. Water protection. |
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22 |
4/5 Mon |
Review of Midterm exam. Clarification of urban case history HW 14. Metabolism of cities. Review how groundwater and surface water relationships. Case history: ground and surface water of This session role models what is expected for the case history part of your urban case history / atlas. |
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HW15 - In class – exercise that shows the hydrologic
setting of |
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23 |
4/7 Wed |
Water and urban settings continued. Water supply, surface water sources, watersheds and politics. Additional urban case histories for |
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Coaching for your urban case history |
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FIELD TRIP |
Sat or Sun April 10-11 |
Half-day field
trip. Urban Environmental Geography of a portion of |
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HW 16 -- Field trip
exercise. Due 4/14 at the beginning of class.
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24; 25; 26; 27; 28; |
4/12; 4/14; 4/19; 4/21; 4/26. |
Case Histories - Hydrology: Class discussion and Presentations with Handouts. The case history – hydrology of your urban area will: (a) Briefly describe the hydrologic setting of the urban area. (b) Identify the urban area’s sources of water; (c) Identify how the urban area disposes of solid waste; (d) AND identify and explain one, physical-geography-based, hydrologic, urban environmental problem that challenges your urban area. Friendly quiz each day. |
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HW17a – handout that summarizes your area’s hydrologic setting HW17b – presentation and discussion |
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29 |
4/28 Wed |
REVIEW session |
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HW23 – Post-course self assessment Homework due!! . |
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30 |
5/5 |
FINAL EXAM – 1PM – 3PM (be alert to room change). |
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HW24-Final exam |
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