THE SEA AROUND US (GEOSC. 040)

Fall, 2008

LECTURE AND LABORATORY SCHEDULE

 

INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Chris Marone   (cjm@geosc.psu.edu; 536 Deike Building)

                            Lecture Sec. 01  T R 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM                        26 Hosler

                            Lecture Sec. 02  T R 12:20 AM – 1:10 PM                          26 Hosler

 

Office Hours:   

Please stop up before/after class and we can set up a time to meet.  Also: 536 Deike 10:00-11:00 T/R

 

Visit the Geosc. 40 Web Page at  http://www.geosc.psu.edu/geosc040

 

LECTURE SCHEDULE:     Subject                                                                                                Reading

 

PART I: Water--the Key Ingredient

 

Aug 26

1.     Introduction to the Course, The Water Planet

Preface

Aug 28

2.     Scientific Inquiry and the Origin of Water

Chapter   1

Sep 2

3.     Properties of Seawater, The Wonder Substance!

Chapter   6

Sep 4

4.     Properties of Seawater, Why the Sea is Salt

Chapter   6

Sep 9

5.     Properties of Seawater, A Whiff of Gas and other Substances

Chapter   6

Sep 11

6.     Atmospheric Circulation & Heating, Here Comes the Sun!

Chapter   7

Sep 16

7.     Atmos. & Ocean Circ., Wind and Currents   

Chapters 7&8

Sep 18

8.     Ocean Circulation, Stirring Up The Deep  Quiz 1, Covers mat. from 8/26 - 9/16 

Chapter   8

Sep 23

9.     Ocean-Atmosphere-Climate Connection

Chapter   8

 

PART II: Life Goes On

 

Sep 25

10.  Climate: Global Thermostat & Hurricanes!

Chapter   8

Sep 30

11.  Life in the Ocean. Plankton and Primary Production

Chapter  12

Oct 2

12.  Life in the Ocean --you got me floatin'

Chapter  13

Oct 7

13.  Life in the Ocean. Gimme' Shelter

Chapter  13

Oct 9

Exam 1, Covers material from 8/26 to 10/7

 

Oct 14

14.  The Secret Lives of Fishes.

Chapter  14

Oct 16

15.  More Secret Lives of Fishes: Myths and Miracles

Chapter  14

Oct 21

16.  Coral Reefs and Atolls. Beauty and Diversity

Chapter  14

Oct 23

17.  Reefs Imperiled?

Chapter  14

Oct 28

18.  Coastal Environments in Peril: Chesapeake Bay Story

Chapter  14

 

PART III: The Changing Coastline

 

Oct 30

19.  Dynamic Seas. Waves--Surfs Up                                Extra Credit Papers Due!

Chapter   9

Nov 4

20.  Dynamic Seas. Waves

Chapter   9

Nov 6

21.  Dynamic Seas. Tides   

Chapter   9

Nov 11

22.  Dynamic Seas. Tides                 Quiz 2, Covers material from 10/16 – 11/6

Chapters 9&10

Nov 13

23.  Beaches under Siege, The Beaches are Moving

Chapter  10

Nov 18

24.  Beaches under Siege, Where is the beach?

Chapter  11

 

PART IV: The Dynamic Ocean Basins

 

Nov 20

25.  Origin of Ocean Basins: Plate Tectonics, Ridges, Transform Faults, Subduction

Chapter  3

24-28

Thanksgiving Holiday, Enjoy!

 

Dec 2

26.  Sea Floor Spreading, Mysteries of Mid-Ocean Ridges

Chapter  3

Dec 4

27.  Sea Floor Spreading, Island Chains

Chapters 3&4

Dec 9

28.  Ocean Basin Morphology, Continental Margins & Exploring the Ocean Deep

Chapters 4

Dec 11

Exam 2, Covers material from 10/16 - 12/9

 

 


 

 

LAB MANUAL:  The Sea Around Us Laboratory Manual, (5th Ed.) Rooney, T. O., Marone, C. J., and Arthur, M. A., 2006, Thomson.  THIS MANUAL IS REQUIRED.

 

CLASSROOM PRS CLICKER:  We will use a student response clicker in lecture and for in-class assignments.  The clicker, which looks and operates like a TV remote, will help us gauge whether critical concepts and lecture topics are getting across and being understood by most students.  The unit will allow you to enter your PSU user ID (email address) and will be used to transmit your answers for in-class exercises. THE CLICKER IS REQUIRED.

 

TEXTBOOK: Essentials of Oceanography, (Penn State Ed.) by Tom Garrison 2006, Thomson.  Many figures used in lectures come from this text.  The text supplements and amplifies lecture topics. Following the reading schedule is immensely helpful in the course!  Note: if you choose to buy a used textbook, get the 3rd, 4th, or 5th edition.

 

 

GRADING:     (see http://www.geosc.psu.edu/geosc040/GradingEC.html )

In-class activities are a substantial part of the course grade. If you do not attend class regularly you will miss these opportunities and your grade will suffer.  We encourage you to attend all lectures.  Prior experience shows that the combination of listening, note taking and reading contributes to higher course grades overall. Because of the highly visual course format, "Nittany Notes" and other conveniences will not be of much utility.  By attending lecture you will benefit from review sheets (which contain sample test questions) that will be displayed during class and are available on the web that day only.  Basic outline lecture notes, graphics, and additional information about Oceanography will appear on the Geosc. 40 web pages: http://www.geosc.psu.edu/geosc040/

 

The final course grade will be compiled as follows:

20% - In-Class exercises (Done using PRS clickers. You must attend lecture for credit. Lowest two scores dropped)

20% - Quizzes (In class; two scheduled; Each quiz deals with material presented since the last exam)

15% - Exam 1 (Covers material from the first half of the course.)

15% - Exam 2 (Covers material after Exam 1. It is not comprehensive.)

30% - Laboratory (based on scores given by Lab Instructors)

 

Note that 20% of your grade is based on IN-CLASS exercises.   Attend lecture!

 

 

"MAKEUP" POLICY:

Quizzes and Exams can only be made up by prior arrangement and/or with proof of an excusable absence (e.g., medical, sanctioned University function).  Our policy is to use a different set of questions for these exams. 

In-class exercises must be completed during the lecture and cannot be made up.

Laboratories must be completed the week they are assigned.  If you miss your regular lab, contact your TA immediately; you may be allowed to make-up the lab if space is available.  Do not attend another lab section without first contacting your TA and the TA coordinator.


 

EXTRA CREDIT:  see http://www.geosc.psu.edu/geosc040/GradingEC.html

Compose a letter in which you intelligently and rationally express your opinion on an issue of significance to oceanography.  You can obtain up to five additional percentage points for your final course grade.  For full credit you must write cogently and coherently and you must follow the instructions explicitly.  Less than five points will be assigned to material deemed less suitable.  No credit will be given for incomplete, shoddy, or plagiarized material. Letters should include references (including books, web sites, or other sources). Reference style is flexible, please choose one that seems appropriate.

All letters will be subject to electronic plagiarism checking.  Do not copy material directly from sources on the web.

Letters are to be submitted via Angel Drop box according to these instructions: 

1) Write your letter and save the file in Microsoft Word format, or if you use another program, as "RTF" or text.

2) Change the name of your FILE to LastnameFirstname_geosc040. 

For example if your name is Jane Doe, your file should be named: DoeJane_geosc40

3) Make sure that your FILE is named correctly.  Do not submit a file named "Extra Credit Letter"

4) Go to the lessons tab on Angel and use the drop box for extra credit papers.

Extra credit letters are due Oct. 30th.

 

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:  Cheating will not be tolerated under any circumstances.  Cheating is unfair to your classmates and an insult to curiosity and intellectual inquiry.  Anyone caught talking, looking at, or copying their neighbor's assignments or exams will receive an automatic failing grade on that assignment/exam and will be reported to University officials.  General guidelines can be found in University Policies and Rules, p. 41.  This course follows the guidelines set out for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences for offenses and appropriate punishments --please read these at http://www.ems.psu.edu/students/integrity/index.html. 

Plagiarism is inexcusable--this includes cutting and pasting material directly from sources on the web.  All work and wording of assignments should be your own.  Limited quotation of sources is acceptable (set off with quotations and reference to source and page number). 

All written work will be subject to electronic plagiarism checking. 


 

LABORATORY:  The lab is an essential part of this course.  Labs will be run by an excellent group of Graduate Student Teaching Assistants who are knowledgeable, helpful and accessible.  They will hand out a syllabus and other details about the lab at your first lab meeting. See: http://www.geosc.psu.edu/geosc040/Lab.html for further lab information.

 

 

 

LAB INSTRUCTORS:

Chris Junium

cjunium@geosc.psu.edu

TA Coordinator and
Lab Sections 1 & 2

Office 405 Deike

Colin Carney

cpc163@geosc.psu.edu

Lab Sections

10, 11 & 16

Office 343 Deike

Aaron Regberg

aregberg@geosc.psu.edu

Lab Sections

6, 12, & 14

Office 302 Hosler

Daniel Wheaton

dwheaton@geosc.psu.edu

Lab Sections

4, 8, 15

Office 328 Deike

Rebecca Wieczorek

raw942@geosc.psu.edu

Lab Sections

3, 5, & 7

Office 306 Deike

 

 

 

LABORATORY SCHEDULE (over)

 


LABORATORY SCHEDULE

Lab

Dates

Chapter in lab manual

Location

 

Aug 25-29

NO LABS

 

 

Sep 1-5

NO LABS

 

1

Sep 8-12

Bathymetry

Walker 009

2

Sep 15-19

Geographic Grid and Units

Walker 009

3

Sep 22–26

Physical Structure of Water (Lab Quiz 1)

Walker 009

4

Sep 29-10/3

Salinity

Walker 009

5

Oct 6-10

Ocean Stratification

Walker 009

6

Oct 13-17

The Coriolis Effect               (Lab Quiz 2)

Walker 009

7

Oct 20-24

The Hub Aquarium

HUB AQUARIUM

 

Oct 27-31

Tides

Walker 009

8

Nov 3-7

The Beach                            (Lab Quiz 3)

Walker 009

9

Nov 10-14

Waves

Walker 009

10

Nov 17-21

Deep-Sea Vents I

Walker 009

11

Nov 24-28

NO LABS, Thanksgiving Holiday

Walker 009

12

Dec 1-6

Deep-Sea Vents II                (Lab Quiz 4)

Walker 009

 

Dec 5-9

NO LABS

 

 

Laboratory Sections  (see above for instructor contact information)

Sec #

Time

Instructor

Room

001

M 11:15A - 01:10P

C. Junium

009 WALKER

002

M 01:25P - 03:20P

C. Junium

009 WALKER

007

M 03:35P - 05:30P

R. Wieczorek

009 WALKER

003

M 06:30P - 08:25P

R. Wieczorek

009 WALKER

008

T 10:10A - 12:05P

D. Wheaton

009 WALKER

004

T 12:20P - 02:15P

D. Wheaton

009 WALKER

005

T 03:35P - 05:30P

R. Wieczorek

009 WALKER

010

W 11:15A - 01:10P

C. Carney

009 WALKER

011

W 01:25P - 03:20P

C. Carney

009 WALKER

012

W 03:35P - 05:30P

A. Regberg

009 WALKER

014

R 10:10A - 12:05P

A. Regberg

009 WALKER

006

R 12:20P - 02:15P

A. Regberg

009 WALKER

015

R 03:35P - 05:30P

D. Wheaton