Syllabus and Grading Outline for AATM107 (5964) – The Oceans

Official course description in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

This course fulfills a Natural Science General Education requirement.

There are no specific prerequisites for this class.

 

FALL 2015:   Lecture Center 18 ; Mon/Wed/Fri, 1:40 PM to 2:35 PM

Mike Landin (Office in Earth Science, Room 316-B)

Prof. Landin’s e-mail address:  mlandin@albany.edu

Office Hours:  Monday, Wednesday & Friday:   10:30 AM to Noon

   

Teaching Assistants’ Office Hours:

         Rebecca Steeves (ES 234, Thu, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM)

         Jonathan Blufer (ES 234, Tue, Noon to 2 PM)

 

(Professor Landin and both TAs are also available by appointment.)

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The goals of this course are to provide students with a broad

overview of the characteristics of the Earth's Oceans, the

impact of human activity, and how such activity may lead to

changes in climate.

 

Course web page:  http://www.atmos.albany.edu/daes/atmclasses/atm107/

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Course Text:  "An Introduction to the World's Oceans - Custom Edition

1st Edition" by: Sverdrup, Keith A. and Armbrust, E. Virginia; and, Kudela,

Raphael (ISBN: 9780078124839)

 

10th Edition Website: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073376701/

 

Note: two copies of the text (Custom Edition) are on 3-hour reserve

      from the Circulation Desk in the Main Library

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The following chapters will be covered:

 

Ch.  2 – The Water Planet

Ch.  3 – Plate Tectonics

Ch.  4 – The Sea Floor and Its Sediments            .

Ch.  5 – The Physical Properties of Water

Ch.  6 – The Chemistry of Seawater

Ch.  7 – The Structure and Motion of the Atmosphere

Ch.  8 – Circulation and Ocean Structure            .

Ch.  9 – The Surface Currents

Ch. 10 – The Waves

Ch. 11 – The Tides                                  .

Ch. 12 – Coasts, Beaches and Estuaries

Ch. 15 – Environmental Issues

Ch. 16 – The Oceans and Climate Disruption

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This course is A-E graded.  Four exams will be given.  Exams #1,

#2 & #3 will each be full-class 50-minute exams and the Final Exam

will be a 2-hour, “cumulative” exam.  All the exams will be mostly

multiple choice, along with a number of true/false questions. 

 

THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UPs!  Exceptions made only by obtaining a

“Dean’s E-Mail” from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (located in

the LC concourse near the main library), by providing them proper

documentation as to why you missed the exam.  Have them send the

e-mail to all your professors.  (Athletes are to hand in the

appropriate paperwork as soon as possible to account for any

potential clashes of exam dates and games/meets.)  Special

arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

 

To figure your final grade, each of the first three in-semester

Exams are worth 20% of your grade and the Final Exam will make up

the remaining 40% of your grade:

 

Ex #1: 77.5; Ex #2: 75.0; Ex #3: 87.5; F.Ex: 94.0; Gr=86 (A)

Ex #2: 90.0; Ex #2: 77.5; Ex #3: 87.5; F.Ex: 74.0; Gr=81 (A-)

Ex #3: 90.0; Ex #2: 90.0; Ex #3:    0; F.Ex: 90.0; Gr=72 (B)

Ex #4: 55.0; Ex #2: 35.0; Ex #3: 60.0; F.Ex: 54.0; Gr=52 (C-/U)

 

Cell phones, iPods, MP3 players and any other electronic gadgets

(i.e., anything with an "on/off" switch) are prohibited during

exams. They are to be turned off and out of sight.  Anyone caught

cheating will be granted an automatic "E" in this course and

subject to prosecution by the University's judicial system.  You

are to show your UAlbany photo I.D. card when handing in an exam.

You must know your 9-digit UAlbany student number.

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There are no bonus points or extra credit available in this course.

There will be no arbitrary final grade raises, so please do not ask. 

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Below is the tentative syllabus, by date, using chapter numbers in

the Custom Edition textbook.  As we go through the semester, you

will be able to download a class “Lecture Summary” including daily

class announcements, the sections covered in each edition of the

text, the major topics covered, and a useful "Study Guide".  The

individual daily notes for this course will not be posted, but as

an option, a “Notes Template” will be available for each lecture. 

Daily attendance will not be kept, but you are expected to have

good attendance and are fully responsible for all material presented

in lecture.

 

Dates               Monday            Wednesday             Friday

-----               ------            ---------             ------

Aug 24,26,28:      no class            Intro                  2

Aug 31; Sep 2,4:      2                  3                    3

Sep 7,9,11:        no class              3                    3

Sep 14,16,18:      no class              4              4 (end Part 1)

Sep 21,23,25:         5              no class                 5

Sep 28,30; Oct 2:     5               Exam #1                 5

Oct 5,7,9:            6                  6                    7

Oct 12,14,16:         7                  7                    7

Oct 19,21,23:         7                  8              8 (end Part 2)

Oct 26,28;30:         9                  9                    9

Nov 2,4,6:         Exam #2              10                   10

Nov 9,11,13:         10                 10                   10

Nov 16,18,20:     11 (end Part 3)       12                   12

Nov 23,25,27:      Exam #3           no class             no class

Nov 30; Dec 2,4:     15                 15                   16

Dec 7,9:             16              Review

 

             Final Exam:  Tue, Dec. 15, 10:30 AM

 

There will be a number of video presentations scattered throughout

the lectures.  You are responsible for any additive material.  These

videos will not be available outside of class.  Another good reason

to regularly attend class. 

 

Get ready for a fun, educational and interesting semester!