Potential Course Projects

• Mathematical Modeling of Climate Change (Norris): Use simple mathematical models to explore how surface temperature is affected by changes in internal and external components of the climate system

• Albedo, Greenhouse Effect, and Temperature (Norris): Use glass jars and thermometers to investigate how albedo and absorption of IR affect temperature

• Clouds and Temperature (Norris): Examine daily meteorological observations to see how daytime and nighttime temperature is related to cloud occurrence

• Global Dimming, Global Brightening, and Global Warming (Norris): Undertake a literature search to understand how reflection of solar radiation by pollution haze is temporarily offsetting regional greenhouse warming

• The effect of acidification on oxygen production in water weeds (Lai)

• Oxygen consumption as a function of temperature in either invertebrates or vertebrates (Lai)

• Oxygen consumption as a function of acidification in either invertebrates or vertebrates (Lai)

• Oxygen production as a function of light intensity (Lai)

• Heart rate changes as a function of temperature in vertebrates (Lai)

• Heart rate changes as a function of reduced salinity in vertebrates (Lai)

• Mussel ecology and recruitment from a man-made structure (Lai)

• Similitudes and differences between the Gulf of Alaska and ther California Current System in responding to climate changes (Auad): not limited to Global Warming (bibliography research topic)

• Societal implications of the global warming trend: adaptability, ethics, economy (Auad): basics of model errors, range of predictions, discussion of implications

• Data analysis of El Nino impact on San Diego (Auad): Download the El Nino indices and compare different El Nino's to precipitation time series from Linderberg Field. Compute climatologies for precipitation, visual inspections, trends, correlation, etc.

• Open Topic: student selects a topic for investigation through lab experimentation or literature research (subject to approval)