GEOG8280 (Decadal climate variability and terrestrial systems) tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012-09-05:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521 2012-11-29T05:22:47Z Can we anticipate how key aspects of the climate system and the terrestrial environment are likely to behave over the coming decades? Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en Peer feedback on progress reports tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.377828 2012-11-29T05:21:23Z 2012-11-29T05:22:47Z Each of you are working towards writing a short report (10-pages, double spaced, not including references, tables or figures) on one aspect of decadal variability. Before submitting your final report on December 11, each of you will have the opportunity... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Each of you are working towards writing a short report (10-pages, double spaced, not including references, tables or figures) on one aspect of decadal variability. Before submitting your final report on December 11, each of you will have the opportunity to report your progress to your peers during class. As part of this exercise, you also have the responsibility to provide constructive feedback that will help other students improve their final research project.

I don't expect each of you to write extensive and exhaustive comments for each person (that's my job). I do ask that, for each person, you send me one or two targeted questions related to their individual research report.

  • These questions should be relatively brief ( a few sentences or, at most, a short paragraph).
  • It should be possible to address your question by reviewing the appropriate literature or conducting a limited set of new analysis (don't ask to see results from an entirely different project).
  • Ask questions that will challenge the researcher to consider new and interesting questions, but try to avoid posing questions that could be perceived as rude or hurtful (asking tough questions while remaining respectful can be difficult, but it's a skill that can be practiced and improved).

Please send me your comments on each individual progress report no later than 5PM on Friday, November 29. I will remove the identity of each questioner, collate the results and send peer feedback (along with my own comments) before I leave for AGU.

]]> Manabe and Delworth, 1990 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.376178 2012-11-15T01:59:05Z 2012-11-15T02:02:28Z Hi folks, I just noticed that one of the readings for tomorrow's class may not be included in the package I circulated at the beginning of the course. In case you've had trouble tracking down the Manabe and Delworth paper,... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Hi folks,

I just noticed that one of the readings for tomorrow's class may not be included in the package I circulated at the beginning of the course. In case you've had trouble tracking down the Manabe and Delworth paper, the direct link to the paper is right here.

Sorry about my oversight.

]]> IRI Data Library tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.372763 2012-10-23T19:59:16Z 2012-10-23T20:01:34Z As an additional example for our work with the IRI Data Library, here is Will's code that maps the correlation between precipitation in the Sahel region of Africa with sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean. http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/expert/SOURCES/.UEA/.CRU/.TS3p1/.monthly/.pre/X/%2820W%29%2820E%29RANGEEDGES/Y/%2810N%29%2820N%29RANGEEDGES/T/%28Jan%201950%29%28Dec%202009%29RANGEEDGES/yearly-anomalies%5BX/Y%5Daverage/SOURCES/.NOAA/.NCDC/.ERSST/.version3b/.anom/X/220.0/384.0/RANGEEDGES/Y/-75/75/RANGEEDGES%5BT%5Dcorrelate/X/219./385./RANGEEDGES/ expert SOURCES .UEA .CRU... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge As an additional example for our work with the IRI Data Library, here is Will's code that maps the correlation between precipitation in the Sahel region of Africa with sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/expert/SOURCES/.UEA/.CRU/.TS3p1/.monthly/.pre/X/%2820W%29%2820E%29RANGEEDGES/Y/%2810N%29%2820N%29RANGEEDGES/T/%28Jan%201950%29%28Dec%202009%29RANGEEDGES/yearly-anomalies%5BX/Y%5Daverage/SOURCES/.NOAA/.NCDC/.ERSST/.version3b/.anom/X/220.0/384.0/RANGEEDGES/Y/-75/75/RANGEEDGES%5BT%5Dcorrelate/X/219./385./RANGEEDGES/


expert
SOURCES .UEA .CRU .TS3p1 .monthly .pre
X (20W) (20E) RANGEEDGES
Y (10N) (20N) RANGEEDGES
T (Jan 1950) (Dec 2009) RANGEEDGES
yearly-anomalies
[X Y]average
SOURCES .NOAA .NCDC .ERSST .version3b .anom
X 220.0 384.0 RANGEEDGES
Y -75 75 RANGEEDGES
[T]correlate

]]> Meeting this week: Alternate time and place tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.372541 2012-10-22T15:20:55Z 2012-10-22T15:23:02Z As a reminder, this week, our class meeting will be held on Tuesday (Oct 23) between 1 and 3:30PM. Because of the alternative meeting time, we'll convene two floors down in Room 414A in Social Sciences Tower. Access to this... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge As a reminder, this week, our class meeting will be held on Tuesday (Oct 23) between 1 and 3:30PM.

Because of the alternative meeting time, we'll convene two floors down in Room 414A in Social Sciences Tower. Access to this room is available through the Geography Main Office.

See you then, Scott

]]> You need to submit a one-page research summary next week. Here are a few guidelines. tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.371821 2012-10-17T17:35:46Z 2012-10-17T17:39:13Z Hi everyone, As you know, each research team needs to submit a one-page summary of their proposal collaborative research project next week. I've prepared a short description of what needs to be included in that summary. I'll pass this out... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Hi everyone,

As you know, each research team needs to submit a one-page summary of their proposal collaborative research project next week. I've prepared a short description of what needs to be included in that summary. I'll pass this out next class (and its contents will guide the discussions within your research team), but if you want a sneak peak, here you go.

Guidelines for collaborative proposals [PDF]

See you tomorrow.

Scott

]]> Collaborative research: Broad questions on decadal variability tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.370488 2012-10-08T20:10:54Z 2012-10-08T20:24:25Z Hi everyone, Like I mentioned last class, this Thursday we will take our first step towards developing collaborative research projects on particular aspects of decadal climate variability and its impacts on terrestrial systems. To help get us there, I've prepared... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Hi everyone,

Like I mentioned last class, this Thursday we will take our first step towards developing collaborative research projects on particular aspects of decadal climate variability and its impacts on terrestrial systems. To help get us there, I've prepared three questions that I'd like you to use as way to prepare for our next meeting.

What aspect of the global biosphere are you most keenly interested (ocean-atmosphere-land surface)? If possible, identify particularly sub-systems or processes that you find most engaging (wildfire? coastal fisheries? large-scale atmospheric circulation? minimum streamflow?).

Identify two or three geographic regions that could be a target for your potential research. Choose a spatial scale that makes sense for your particular interests (for example, the southwestern US, the west coast of North America, Andean South America, or the upper Missouri basin).

Finally, identify two or three themes or issues we've discussed in class that could be used as motivating questions for your research. For example, you might address whether or not decadal-scale shifts in wildfire frequency in the southwestern United States coincide with similarly-timed changes in regional precipitation. Or you might look at whether or not climate models can simulate observed decadal-scale variability in precipitation. Think big!

Please think about these questions before we meet on Thursday morning. I'd also like you to bring in short (1 or 2 sentences only!) responses to these questions. Your answers will help all of us identify potential areas of mutual interest or collaboration. But please prepare written responses (don't just improvise in class).

See you Thursday!

]]> Link to Gray et al., 2003 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.366511 2012-09-25T00:57:32Z 2012-09-25T00:59:26Z Hi everyone, Emily let me know that I forgot to include one of this week's readings in the Dropbox download package. If you're still looking for Gray et al., 2003, the direct link to the paper on GRL's website is... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Hi everyone,

Emily let me know that I forgot to include one of this week's readings in the Dropbox download package. If you're still looking for Gray et al., 2003, the direct link to the paper on GRL's website is here.

]]> Slides: Lecture 2, The role of the ocean tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.365373 2012-09-14T02:47:03Z 2012-09-14T02:52:54Z GEOG8280.02, The role of the oceans from Scott St. George As part of our discussion, I showed a brief segment from a NASA animation of the thermohaline circulation. The full clip showing the complete circuit is available right here.... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge
GEOG8280.02, The role of the oceans from Scott St. George

As part of our discussion, I showed a brief segment from a NASA animation of the thermohaline circulation. The full clip showing the complete circuit is available right here.

The map of global CO2 flux was provided by NOAA's PMEL carbon program. The direct link to their flux maps is here.

]]> Charge to discussion leaders tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.364665 2012-09-09T17:51:43Z 2012-09-09T18:01:03Z To a significant degree, our success in GEOG8280 will depend on our ability to work together to summarize, evaluate and synthesize concepts and results from a diverse set of scientific articles. As discussion leaders, you are responsible for preparing a... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge To a significant degree, our success in GEOG8280 will depend on our ability to work together to summarize, evaluate and synthesize concepts and results from a diverse set of scientific articles. As discussion leaders, you are responsible for preparing a brief 'high-level' introduction to each of the assigned readings. This introduction (which will not take more than 5 minutes) should outline the most important aspects of the article. What was the motivation for the study? What data or tools did it use (observations, proxies or models)? What were its main findings (especially those that relate to decadal variability)?

You are not required to present the group with a detailed summary of each article (and if you try, I'll stop you).

I would generally prefer that you do not prepare extensive sets of slides in PowerPoint or Keynote. The only exception might be cases where you would like to show one or two results from another study not included in our weekly readings.

Questions are often the best way to get discussion started. I suggest that you prepare 2 or 3 questions for each article in advance of our class meeting. Your questions could either be 'big' or 'small', either addressing a specific or technical aspect of the study or connecting its findings to broader issues. To get you started, here are three examples of questions related to our first reading:

Garreaud, R.D. and Battisti, D.S. (1999), Interannual (ENSO) and interdecadal (ENSO- like) variability in the Southern Hemisphere tropospheric circulation. Journal of Climate 12, 2113-2123.
If the goal of this analysis is to study decadal and interdecadal variability, why is it necessary to deal with ENSO? How is decadal ENSO-like variability similar to ENSO? In what ways is it dissimilar? What impacts do the authors expect that decadal ENSO-like variability would have on the climate of North America?

You may need to look beyond our assigned readings. it may be helpful to examine the articles' supplementary information (if it has any) or to consult other articles on related topics.

Remember, you're only responsible for guiding discussion. You 're not required to create content to fill our entire 3-hour session.


CHARGE TO DISCUSSANTS (EVERYBODY ELSE)

The discussion leaders are responsible for getting things started. The rest of us are responsible to keep the discussion active and interesting. Read each paper closely so you understand its goals, approaches and main conclusions. If there are terms, concepts or data sources that you haven't been able to figure out on your own, present the problem to the group and we'll work through it together. None of us are experts on all aspects of the research we'll review through the semester but together we should be able to fill in gaps in our individual knowledge.

Be sure to always bring copies of the readings for each week. In my experience, having printed copies (with annotations) makes for better discussions, but I understand if you'd prefer to save paper (and money) by viewing the articles electronically.

]]> Link to readings tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.364663 2012-09-09T17:02:46Z 2012-09-09T17:03:03Z Hello everyone, I've included all the readings listed on the syllabus (plus a few extra) in a single zip file, which I've uploaded to DropBox. You should be able to download the entire set through the following link, but if... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Hello everyone,

I've included all the readings listed on the syllabus (plus a few extra) in a single zip file, which I've uploaded to DropBox. You should be able to download the entire set through the following link, but if you run into any problems, please let me know.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/48688498/8280readings.zip

Reminder - please post your definition of decadal variability to the course blog prior to to Thursday's class.

Best, Scott

]]> Slides for Lecture 1 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.364416 2012-09-06T03:29:43Z 2012-09-06T03:34:39Z If anyone would like to follow along with the slides for tomorrow's lecture, I've embeded the graphics down below. Just don't count on me being organized enough to post anything the night before class ever again. :) The impact of... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge If anyone would like to follow along with the slides for tomorrow's lecture, I've embeded the graphics down below. Just don't count on me being organized enough to post anything the night before class ever again. :)

The impact of decadal climate variability on terrestrial ecosystems from Scott St George

]]> Exercise: What is 'decadal variability'? tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.364384 2012-09-05T20:08:31Z 2012-09-05T20:14:30Z One of the first challenges we need to address in this course is this: what do we mean when we use the phrases 'decadal variability' or 'the decadal timescale'? As you'll see, there is not a strong consensus about the... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge One of the first challenges we need to address in this course is this: what do we mean when we use the phrases 'decadal variability' or 'the decadal timescale'?

As you'll see, there is not a strong consensus about the meaning of these terms. Often, scientists adopt their own definitions as it suits their particular research question. For our first exercise, I'd like you to present a brief (one or two-sentence) description of 'decadal variability' as defined by a particular source.

I'd like you to include your response as a comment to this blog entry. Please choose your own unique source that has not been cited by another student (so the earlier you complete this assignment, the more freedom you'll have to choose).

Please add your contribution prior to our second class meeting (9:30 AM on September 13). I'll get you started with the first entry!

]]> Welcome to GEOG8280! tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/stgeorge/decadalblog//16521.364383 2012-09-05T20:06:28Z 2012-09-05T20:08:00Z Hello everyone and welcome to the 2012 Fall semester. Decadal variability is a hot topic in climate sciences at the moment, as well as in several related disciplines. I'm excited to have the chance to work through the fundamentals of... Scott St. George http://umn.edu/~stgeorge Hello everyone and welcome to the 2012 Fall semester.

Decadal variability is a hot topic in climate sciences at the moment, as well as in several related disciplines. I'm excited to have the chance to work through the fundamentals of this behavior and talk about its potential implications for resources management and long-term planning.

I've attached the syllabus for the class, so please read it closely so you can decide whether this course fits your interests and schedule. I have also attached two readings that we'll discuss in our first meeting (the first is a classic paper from the early days of global climate science, and a second that describes the state-of-the science).

IMPORTANT REMINDER 1: This course has been rescheduled to Thursdays at 9:30AM to 12:30PM.

IMPORTANT REMINDER 2: We'll meet in 609 Social Sciences Tower.

IMPORTANT REMINDER 3: For our first meeting ONLY, class will begin at 10:30AM. For the next week and all meetings thereafter, we'll start at our regular time of 9:30AM.

Again, welcome to the course. I'm excited to get things started on Thursday.

Scott

GEOG8280 syllabus.pdf

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