PDF of this syllabus, including Critical Concepts (pdf)
Meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm, Benson 180
Professor: Tom Marchitto, tom.marchitto@colorado.edu
Office hours: Thursdays 12:30 - 2 pm OR 2 - 3:30 pm, depending on the week (Th 4/21: 2-3:30; Th 4/28: 12:30-2), Benson 435
Text: Garrison, Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science, 7th edition. This text is highly recommended as a supplement to the lectures, but is not strictly required. Earlier editions may be viable alternatives, although some material will be out of date, and the section numbers on the readings will be different. Earlier editions are on reserve at Norlin Library (multiple) and the Geology Library (one). You will not need to use the online resources for this book.
Prerequisites: any two-course sequence of natural science core courses
Expectations: comfort with scientific thinking, spatial visualization, simple mathematic equations (algebra), chemical notation, and basic computer skills
Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science (3 credits)
Course description: Investigates the broad-scale features and dynamics of the Earth's oceans. The course is roughly divided amongst the four main disciplines of oceanography: marine geology, marine chemistry, physical oceanography (i.e., circulation), and marine biology. Students will learn that there is much overlap and interdependence between these disciplines. Specific topics include seafloor spreading, marine sediments, salinity, biogeochemical cycles, ocean structure, currents, waves, tides, primary production, marine ecology, climate change, and much more.
Grading: 25% homework, 40% midterm exams, 25% final exam, 10% clicker questions. Letter grades for exams will be based on class-wide curves. Homeworks and clicker questions will not be curved.
Homework: Five homework assignments will allow students to apply what they have learned in class to practical problems. These problem sets are not intended to simply prepare students for exams, but rather are intended to develop problem solving and quantitative skills that are not tested on exams. Some basic (high school level) math and critical thinking will therefore be required. Assignments are to be completed on-line through CULearn. Late assignments will lose 10% credit per day. Computer or internet connection problems are not valid excuses for late assignments, so do not wait until the last minute.
Exams: There will be three in-class midterm exams (20% each), but students may drop their lowest midterm grade. The final, which is cumulative, cannot be dropped. Exams will test students' understanding of oceanographic concepts and facts, and will be multiple choice. Exams missed due to illness may be made up only if a doctor's note is provided. Final Exam is Monday May 2, 1:30-4:00 pm, in Benson 180. Everyone must take the Final. See Registrar's policy on final exam conficts (three on same day).
Exam 1 basic lecture outline (pdf)Clickers: The use of clickers (iClicker, available at the CU Bookstore) is intended to promote student learning by informing the professor about what the students are thinking, and by providing a forum for students to learn from each other. The clicker technology allows for the engagement of all students, allows for increased course-related communication between students, and facilitates the feedback loop between students and professor. Most lectures will require you to answer several questions using the clicker, typically on new concepts arising in class. You will receive two points for answering the question, plus (usually) one additional point for a correct answer. Your five lowest clicker scores (i.e., from five class days) will be dropped from your final clicker score. This five class credit is intended to cover those days when your clicker is misplaced or out of order, and days when you cannot attend class for whatever reason. No other accommodations will be made. It is your responsibility to ensure that your clicker is working properly. Clicker questions will start in lecture on Thursday 1/13 and will begin counting toward your grade on Tuesday 1/18.
Tutoring: The Department of Geological Sciences provides free tutoring services to students enrolled in many GEOL courses. The Tutoring & Study Room is located in Benson 1B57 (basement level) and will be open from 1-4 pm on Monday - Wednesday and 2-4 pm on Thursdays. The following tutors can help with Oceanography: Katie Hayo, Andrew Parker, Nate Sahlin, and Laura Wilson.
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Religious or other obligations: If you have any conflicts with scheduled exams because of religious or other obligations, please notify me at least two weeks in advance of the conflict to request special accommodation.
Disabilities: If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services within the first two weeks of class, so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.
Note on academic honesty: Students are allowed to work together on homework problems, but are not allowed to simply copy each other's work. Copying constitutes cheating under the CU Honor Code.
Download free Adobe pdf Reader here, if necessary
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T 1/11:
Oceans and oceanography
world ocean, origin, history of oceanography, challenges
1.1-1.2; 1.4-1.5; 1.7; 2.4
HOV Alvin
WHOI Dive and Discover
Th 1/13:
Ocean bathymetry
concept inventory, electromagnetic spectrum, sonar
6.7-6.8; 4.1
NOAA Interactive global bathymetry
T 1/18:
Ocean crust
layered Earth, ocean vs. continental crust, isostatic equilibrium
3.2-3.4; 4.2-4.3
Interactive isostasy demo
Th 1/20:
Plate tectonics
interior heat, convection, paleomag, hotspots
3.1; 3.5-3.7; 3.10-3.11
JPL Plate motion from GPS
T 1/25:
Plate boundaries
mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, transforms
3.8-3.9; 4.4-4.5
Plate boundaries map
Nautilus Minerals seafloor mining
Th 1/27:
Marine sediments
sampling, sizes, Stokes Law, biogenic, terrigenous
5.1-5.6
LDEO Deep-Sea Sample Repository
WHOI Core Lab
NGDC Core Database
T 2/1:
Physical properties of seawater
H-bonds, heat capacity, ice, density
6.1-6.4
Th 2/3:
Earth's energy (im)balance
Greenhouse effect, ocean warming, sea ice loss
18.5-18.6
GISS temperature trends
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
T 2/8: First Exam (covers 1/11-2/3, oceans to energy imbalance)
Th 2/10:
Global atmospheric circulation
Coriolis effect, atmospheric cells, geostrophy
8.3-8.4
T 2/15:
Upper ocean circulation
current measurement, Ekman transport, gyres, ACC
9.7; 9.1-9.3
RSMAS Ocean Surface Currents
NOAA Ocean Surface Current Analyses - Real time (OSCAR)
Th 2/17:
Upwelling and El Nino
coastal and equatorial upwelling, ENSO dynamics
9.4-9.5
IRI's ENSO page
NOAA Climate Prediction
T 2/22:
Deep ocean circulation
density structure, T-S diagrams, thermohaline flow
6.5; 9.6
Seawater density calculator
Th 2/24:
Waves at sea
wave forces, deep vs. shallow, wind waves, sea state
10.1-10.5
Beaufort Scale (wiki)
T 3/1:
Waves at the shore
breaking, refraction, seiche, tsunami
10.6; 10.10-10.11
NOAA tsunami page
2004 Sumatra-Andaman tsunami
1958 Lituya Bay tsunami
Th 3/3:
Tides
Earth-moon-sun gravitation, amphidromic points
11.1-11.6
NOAA tide predictions
T 3/8: Second Exam (covers 2/10-3/3, atmospheric circulation to tides)
Th 3/10:
Coasts
wave erosion, sea level rise, Law of the Sea
12.1-12.4; 12.8; 17.6
United Nations Law of the Sea
T 3/15:
Chemistry of seawater
salinity, steady state, residence time, inputs, outputs
7.1-7.2; 17.2 Mg to Fresh Water
Periodic table of the elements in the North Pacific
Th 3/17:
Ocean pH and the carbon cycle
pH, alkalinity, DIC, air-sea CO2 flux, ocean acidification
7.4; 13.5 Carbon Cycle
Ocean Acidification Network
European Project on OCean Acidification (EPOCA)
T 3/22, Th 3/24: Spring Break
T 3/29:
Life in the sea
taxonomy, habitat & mobility, adaptations for ocean conditions
13.9; Appendix VIII; 13.6; 15.8
Census of Marine Life
Th 3/31:
Biogeochemical cycles
photosynthesis, respiration, Redfield ratios, oxygen
7.3; 13.1-13.5
T 4/5:
Marine pollution
toxicity, Deepwater Horizon case study, plastics
17.2 up to Methane Hydrate; 18.1-18.2
WHOI Deepwater Horizon response
Plastics at SEA
Th 4/7:
Primary producers
production, phytoplankton, seaweeds, limitation, eutrophication
14.1-14.7; 14.9
T 4/12: Third Exam (covers 3/10-4/7, coasts to primary producers)
Th 4/14:
Heterotrophic invertebrates
energy & mass transfer, zooplankton, invertebrate phyla
14.8; 15.2-15.4
Global Plankton Database
T 4/19:
Benthic marine communities
ecology, rocky vs. sandy shores, coral reefs, chemosynthesis
16.1-16.4
NOAA Coral Reef Information System
Th 4/21:
Fishes and fisheries
fish classes, deep sea fishes, maximum sustainable yield, bycatch
15.7; 17.4
MBARI Seafood Watch
T 4/20:
Marine mammals
adaptations, toothed whales, baleen whales, whaling
15.11
NG Marine noise pollution
Th 4/29:
Wrap-up
concept inventory, the future
18.4; Appendix X, if interested
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
M 5/2 (1:30-4:00 pm): Final Exam (covers entire course, with ~40% on material after the third midterm exam)
