Geography of Global Change (GGC) is an all-encompassing (global) course designed to consider critically many aspects of environmental threat today, most especially climate change. The course begins with basic principles by which all topics need to be evaluated, including spatial and temporal scales, principles of “change”, and much more.
We then proceed with distinct impacts spheres of the Earth, including the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. Special attention will be applied to the oceans given the particular importance of this realm on our blue planet Earth.
Two field trips will occur in the GGC course, including to Barcelona to discuss many aspects of urban global change, and to an on-campus research institute for environmental sciences, in a very unique and relatively new building installation.
Block 1 Introduction to Global Change
The Earth as a System
Spatial and temporal scales (e.g. human, geologic, and all in between)
Global change vs. climate change, similarities and distinctions
Block 2 The Atmosphere
Defining the structure and composition (baseline for change)
Greenhouse gases
Industrial pollution
Block 3 The Oceans
Role in global and climate change
Non-climatic global changes (e.g. fisheries, pollution, exotic species invasions)
Specific global change issues (monsoons, ENSO, hurricanes, etc.). Concrete look at the 2017 and 2020 Atlantic hurricane events
Block 4 Terrestrial Impacts
The nature of land surfaces
Specific terrestrial-based concerns (e.g. biosphere)
Causes for concern and likely futuristic developments
