IS1806 — Bottom Dwellers, Oceans of Air
We live on the bottom of an ocean of a mix of gases and vapors which is kept in constant, chaotic motion by uneven heating and planetary rotation, thus evading our control. We, as humans, are often on the defense or in a role of passive adaptation with regard to weather. Are human beings victims or actors on the stage of global atmospheric dynamics? Striving to assemble an answer to this question, students in the course: (1) mine human history for cases in which significant interaction between human society and climate was found; (2) study individual events in which history and weather were intertwined; (3) learn about palaeoclimate research; and (4) pay particular attention on how this interaction between society and atmosphere is shaped in the modern world. The physical principles of weather and climate are introduced as needed for meaningful discussion. prereq: new college student in their first semester of enrollment at UMM