38:250 Weather and Climate
Instructor: Dr. Dion J. Wiseman
Office: Brodie Room 4-07
Office Hours: M, W, F; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm via Zoom; or by Appointment
Phone/Text: (204) 727-9774
Email: wiseman@brandonu.ca
Course Resources
Recommended Text:
Ross, Sheila. Weather and Climate: an introduction, 3rd edition. Oxford University Press, 2024.
Course Description
This course is an introductory physical geography course that investigates the physical characteristics of Earth and Earth’s orbit around the Sun that affect seasonality and the processes operating in the atmosphere that determine short-term weather patterns and long-term climatic characteristics. There are three broad areas of study: 1) processes in the atmosphere, which determine variations in temperature, precipitation, and humidity; 2) atmospheric in motion, which dictate weather patterns; and 3) the global distribution of climates and climate change.
Grading Scheme
| Test I | 25%* | > 90% | A+ | 70 – 72% | B- | ||
| Test II | 25%* | 85 – 89% | A | 67 – 69% | C+ | ||
| Quizzes/Assignments | 25%# | 80 – 84% | A- | 63 – 66% | C | ||
| Final | 25%* | 77 – 79% | B+ | 60 – 62% | C- | ||
| Total | 100% | 73 – 76% | B | 50 – 59% | D | ||
| Optional Extra Credit 3% | < 50% | F | |||||
* Variably weighted, best exam vs. worst exam +/- 5 percent.
# Best x-2/x are counted for marks. For example, if there are 15 quizzes, the best 13 out of 15 will be counted for marks.
Tentative Course Outline
| Topic | Description | Chapter(s) |
| 1 | Composition and Behavior of the Atmosphere | 1, 2, 3 |
| 2 | Energy and Radiation Balances | 4, 5, 6 |
| Test 1 | Wednesday, February 26th | |
| 3 | Humidity and Adiabatic Lapse Rates | 7 & 8 |
| 4 | Condensations and Precipitation | 9 & 10 |
| Test 1 | Wednesday, March 19th | |
| 5 | Global Atmospheric Circulation and Local Winds | 11 & 12 |
| 6 | Air Masses, Fronts, and Mid-latitude Cyclones | 13 & 14.1 |
| 7 | Global Climate Systems | — |
| 8 | Climate Change | 15 |
| Final | Thursday, April 17th |
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