FEEDBACK Geog3600 – Geography of Utah –

HW A07 – Atlas for a Utah School – Chapter 6: Weather and Climate: expressions of the atmosphere, one of five subsystems of Earth systems. .

GENERAL COMMENTS

Purpose of the homework assignment:

Apply concepts of geography to Utah and to Utah places.

Geography is the web of relationships among people, places, and environments.

Your atlas chapter presents information about your area’s, and Utah’s, weather and climate. How are weather and climate part of the web of relationships that defines your school / community? How do your region’s patterns differ across the county, and why? And how are they similar / different from those of the state as a whole, and why? Discuss weather and climate as significant elements of physical geography and the atmosphere as one of five subsystems of Earth systems.

Expectations:

1. Present information, also known as observations

2. Analyze information in the context of course lectures

3. Interpret information showing relationships between human and physical geographies.

CONCEPTS of the ATMOSPHERE from lectures include:

· PRECIPITATION, EVAPORATION, Minimum and Maximum TEMPERATURES defines the climate and weather of Utah

· PATTERNS, and reasons for the PATTERNS of sunshine, temperature, evaporation, precipitation, and wind.

· CLIMATE REGIONS … Utah has four regions based on climate. .

· UTAH's climate varies significantly across the state because three different climate patterns infringe on the state... discuss them.

· CLIMATE CHANGE. Ice Age Lake Bonneville and glaciers in high terrain.

· CLIMATE CHANGE and concerns of global warming and effects on Utah’s economy.

· CLIMATE drives geomorphic processes of erosion and deposition and, therefore effects scenery and resources.

· HUMAN geography and climate: economics (skiing in mountains; farming in valleys; salt extraction from closed basin lakes; seasonal climate and life style, even clothing; political debates over climate change; psychological depression of weather inversions; sociology of team sports related to climate… connect weather and climate of Utah to the 7 fields of social and behavioral sciences).

Assessment:

Approximately:

25% on map files.

75% on cover page discussion…

(a) Observations of geographic characteristics of your area’s atmosphere;

(b) Analysis and discussion of those patterns

(c) Recognition, description and discussion of Ice Age conditions.

Supporting files (____ of 10)

Complete -- at least 5 attached files (maps, graphs, illustrations, and images)

Tell a story. Present substantial information.

Basis for your observations, analyses, and interpretations.

Show initiative -- sources in addition to those of course website.

Sources attributed.

Cover page ATMOSPHERE – weather and climate

Observations:: present information about significant characteristics of the weather and climate of “your” community.

Analysis of information and interpretation

Connect to course lecture; themes of geography (location, place, interaction, migration, and regions.

Discuss of aspects of the weather and climate in the context of geosphere (elevation, rain shadow, … ); hydrosphere (water cycle, patterns of precipitation and evaporation); climate changes of Ice Ages; climate and effects on biosphere (seasonality, freezing or not).

Interpretation… webs of relationships… people, places and environments. Weather and Climate:

Critical thinking: impacts and relationships of ATMOSPHERE (physical geography) with human geography.

· Ties to subsystems of Earth systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere) … expansion of analysis sections

· Connect human and physical geographies… social and behavioral systems (anthropology, economics, family and consumer studies, (geography), political science, psychology, and sociology.

· Discussion of issues of global warming.

Observations (weight = 10) ____ of 10.

Terrific: abundant, meaningful, show an understanding of what is special or important about spatial patterns of weather and climate, such as patterns of greatest precipitation and lowest temperatures.

Identification of Ice Age features of your county (Lake Bonneville / terrain below 5300 ft a.s.l., and glacial terrain above approximately 10,000 ft a.s.l.).

Very good: important information provided. A “local” person would recognize key characteristics of local and regional climate

Just fine: at least observations… some diversity… evidence that you understand that general patterns of weather can be explained

Not quite: observations aren’t quite observations (might be interpretations, or feelings); or lack of diversity (five observations of exactly the same theme); or narrow focus. Trouble: concepts not understood, such as, observations are not about the weather and climate.

Analysis (weight = 10) ____ of 10. Explanations of your observations.

Terrific: conveys concepts of geography… climate zones are analyzed in the context of other subsystems of Earth systems and themes of geography. Big concepts of location and climate: Utah located mid-latitude; from the oceans; and along the west side of the Rocky Mountains, a huge mountain range..

Concepts of changed climate are explored. Global ice ages. Lake Bonneville could exist because of closed basin of Great Basin. Glaciers in high terrain because colder and wetter.

Very good: concepts of geography presented; discussion of climate zones. Word such as evaporation, precipitation, seasonal, monsoon, elevation appear in your write up. Evidence of thoughts about effects of geosphere, hydrosphere, changed atmosphere, biosphere, and / or anthrosphere. Terrific if discuss winter-low-pressure-systems from the north; and spring / summer monsoonal moisture from southwest.

Ice Age conditions identified: Location of your school / county and shorelines of Lake Bonneville; or glaciers of mountains.

Just fine: concepts are clear… weather, climate, climate change.

Not quite: analysis is minimal or superficial… or your analysis does not tie to your observations or other supporting files. Not quite clear how your analysis defines your place, specifically its physical geography and weather and climate

Troubles: concepts jumbled, atmosphere-weather-climate terminology confused; or … discussion is missing.

Interpretation (weight = 10) ____ of 10.

Terrific: the web of relationships is explored WITH RESPECT to climate change… specifically, global warming. I looked for the “17 words/phrases I am delighted to see” in your discussions… a few (2 or 3)are explored with some depth or a bunch (4-8) are explored superficially. The 17 key words are:

Themes of geography: location, place, interaction (human and physical environments), migration, and regions;

Subsystems of Earth systems (physical geography): geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere (weather and climate), biosphere, and anthrosphere

Fields of social and behavioral sciences (human geography): anthropology, economics, family/consumer studies, (geography), political science, psychology, and sociology.

Very good: weather / climate setting discussed as part of the web of relationships, or as big part of the physical geography of a place. Issues of climate change discussed. Themes of geography are there, and / or aspects of physical geography, and / or aspects of human geography. Ties to effects of global warming and / or Ice Age are explored (scenery, resources (sand and gravels of Lake Bonneville)

Just fine: clear evidence that you’ve thought about what matters about your area’s weather; and climate of the present. Understanding that weather and climate make a difference to your place. Would have been good to read about past climate change.

Not quite: connections aren’t clear, discussion is missing

Troubles: I’m concerned that the fundamental concept that every thing is related to everything is missing… that you may not see connections between characteristics of weather and climate and your locale and that global warming is a “hot topic” (!!) politically as well as academically..

Assessment… ___________ OUT OF A TOTAL OF 40 points…