Successful completion of this course will provide the following learning outcomes that address the Environmental Awareness Policy criteria:

A basic understanding of physical environmental processes that operate in the earth/atmosphere system

An appreciation of the diversity of physical environmental interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere

An awareness of the dynamic nature of the earth's physical environmental systems, evident across a range of time and spatial scales

Gain an appreciation of the role of human activity in shaping and influencing the behavior of the earth's biophysical systems across multiple spatial scales from local, e.g., bank erosion to global, e.g., climate change. 

Learn how geoscientists investigate geographical phenomena such as earthquakes, severe weather, and sea level rise and use this knowledge to help increase resilience and decrease human vulnerability.

An ability to recognize the reciprocal interactions between human actions, modification of the earth-atmosphere system, and past/future global environmental change

A greater cognizance of the importance of science in the everyday functioning of our planet and its crucial role in informing policy decision-making

This course meets the following General Education Abilities, by accomplishing the specific learning objectives enumerated below:

Computer Literacy is addressed through course administration, student-faculty electronic interaction, and supplemental reading assignments.
 
Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and includes the following elements, which are accomplished through lecture and classroom discussion/inquiry-based learning efforts.

       Consider and engage opposing points of view  
       Support a consistent purpose and point of view  
       Assimilate, analyze, and present a body of information  
       Analyze arguments  

Moral Reasoning (Ethics) is an important element of this course, as it seeks to link an understanding of physical environments with human health and social welfare, as developed through lectures and classroom discussion/inquiry-based learning activities.

Recognize the community and the greater common good in addition to individual needs and goals  

Judge and understand ethical behavior in social applications  

Apply societal ethics to scientific inquiry

Lecture and Reading Schedule:
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.

Course Introduction; Latitude and Longitude  
Earth/Sun Geometry and Seasons  
Composition and Structure of the Atmosphere  
Energy, Heat, and Temperature  
Energy and the Atmosphere  
Global Energy Balance and Temperature Patterns	
Water and the Atmosphere  
Adiabatic Processes and Atmospheric Stability	
Clouds, Fog, and Precipitation  
Hydrologic Cycle and Water Balance 
Air Pressure and Winds	
Global Atmospheric Circulation	
Midlatitude Wave Cyclones  
Upper-level Atmospheric Circulation  
Severe Weather	
Tropical Climates  
Midlatitude Climates  
Polar and Highland Climates 
Global Climate Change: Past, present, and future; mitigation, adaptation, and human impacts
Tectonic Activity and Earthquakes: Related to human activity such as hydraulic fracturing
Global Atmospheric Circulation: Atmospheric teleconnections and associated human impacts 
Properties of Ecosystems  
Vegetation Patterns in the Landscape: Influences of human activity  
Tropical Vegetation Transect: Rainforest to desert  
North American Vegetation Transect: Gulf to Arctic  
North American Vegetation Transect: Atlantic to Pacific	
Disturbance and Vegetation Dynamics: Extreme weather events to human influences  
Physical and Chemical Soil Properties: Impacts on and by agricultural practices  
Soil Forming Processes and Factors  
Soils of Forested Settings  
Soils of Grasslands, Deserts, and Other Settings  
The Nature of the Lithosphere	
Plate Tectonics	 
Volcanic Processes and Landforms  
Tectonic Processes and Landforms  
Weathering, Erosion, and Gravity  
Drainage Basins and Streams  
Hydrographs and Stream Flow  
Stream Dynamics	
Sediment Load and Stream Capacity  
Stream Erosion and Deposition: Influences of past human land use histories	
Arid Landforms	
Coastal Processes and Landforms	 
Glacial Processes and Landforms