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Each group project will focus on a specific region, of a prescribed size. Regions that might be considered are (1) North America, (2) Tropical North and South America, (3) the western United States, (4) a state in the western United States, (5) a well defined region of a state such as Puget Sound or the Columbia Basin.

In addition to the regional focus there should be a focus upon some particular aspect of the climate.  For example a study of regions (1)-(4) might focus on spatial contrasts between temperature or rainfall observed during a particular season, or it might look at how rainfall varies with season in different parts of the region.  (For example, in Seattle, winter corresponds to the rainy season, whereas in many parts of the world winters are dry and summers are wet.)  Studies of smaller regions (5)  might incorporate focus on other variables such as snowfall, fog or air quality and how they vary.  Another possibility for the smaller size regions is to focus on extreme events such as high summer temperatures or low wintertime temperatures.  Groups may either propose a topic or be assigned one.  In either case they are encouraged, in their first meeting to consider what topics might be of interest to them.

Content and format of the group project:

All group projects should have a descriptive title and should start with an introductory page defining the scope of the project and indicates why it is either of scientific or practical of interest.  The introductory page should be followed by a sequence of pages documenting the features of interest.  The climate data should be presented in the form of tables, graphs or maps.  These descriptive pages should be followed by one or more interpretive pages relating the climatic features emphasized in the previous section to the physical geography of the region (latitude, coastal geometry, mountain ranges) and indicating whether analogous features are observed elsewhere on earth.  The final page should summarize the major conclusions of the study. The total number of pages is limited to ten. Clear readable graphics are essential for an effective presentation, either on the web page or in the classroom.  Lettering should be large enough to be readable from the back row of the classroom (e.g., 12 point Times font or larger).  Material copied or adapted from the internet or from books is acceptable, so long as the source is identified, but often the best strategy is to design your own graphics highlighting just those features you want to focus on.  Freehand drawing and lettering is acceptable, provided that it is clearly legible.
 

Topics for individual papers:

Individual papers must be related in some way to the group presentation.  A paper could provide a more thorough written explanation of the ideas expressed in the group presentation.  It might focus on other climate statistics the same geographical region or it might look at analogous climate statistics but in one or more analogous (or contrasting) regions.  If you want to check on whether the topic you're considering is appropriate, feel free to contact the instructor or TA.

The paper should start with a paragraph or two summarizing the highlights of the group project in the student's own words and defining his/her role in it.  Then the objective of the paper should be defined, with perhaps a few words of motivation. From here the paper could go in a number of different directions, depending on just how the student intends to expand upon the group project.

Double spaced print is preferred; neat handwriting is acceptable.  Be sure to document whatever references you use.

Due dates:
 
 

Group Presentation:	Web page:	Individual reports:
Group1:    10-14-1998 Group2:    10-15-1998 Group3:    10-16-1998 Group4:    10-19-1998 Group5:    10-20-1998 Group6:    10-21-1998 Group7:    10-22-1998 Group8:    10-23-1998 Group9:    10-26-1998 Group10:  10-26-1998	First version:  10-19-1998 Final version: 10-26-1998	10-27-1998

 
 

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Each group project will focus on a specific time frame starting some time in the past and ending with the present.  The time spans will differ in length by about an order of magnitude: Group 1 the past 1-2 years; Group 2 the past 10-20; Group 3 the past one or two centuries; Group 4 the past one or two milennia; Group 5 the past 10,000-20,000 years; Group 6 the past 100-200 thousand years; Group 7 the past one or two million years; Group 8 the past few hundred million years and (skipping an order of magnitude) and Group 9 covering the past few billion years, which corresponds to the lifetime of the earth.

As in the first project, most groups will need to focus on some particular aspect of the climate variability that has occurred within their time frame.  Discovering what to focus on is part of the task.
 

Content and format of the group project:

All group projects should have a descriptive title and should start with an introductory page defining what is interesting about the time frame that the group has been assigned. It might also place the assigned time frame in context by relating it to the climate phenomena in the neighboring scales. The introductory page should be followed by a sequence of pages documenting what is known about the variability within that time frame, using graphs or illustrations as appropriate.  These descriptive pages should be followed by one or more interpretive pages speculating on the reasons for the variability described in the earlier section  The final page should summarize the major conclusions of the group project. The total number of pages is limited to 10.
 

Topics for individual papers:

The individual paper must be related in some way to the group project.  It could provide a more thorough written explanation of the ideas expressed in the group presentation or it might cover aspects of the climate or climate variability during the assigned time frame that were not reported on in the group project.  If you want to check on whether the topic you're considering is appropriate, or if you need help in choosing a topic, feel free to contact the instructor or TA. The paper should start with a paragraph or two summarizing the highlights of the group project in the student's own words and defining his/her role in it.  Then the objective of your paper should be defined, with perhaps a few words of motivation. From here the paper could go in a number of different directions, depending on just how you intend to expand upon the group project.

Due dates:
 
 

Group Presentation:	Web page:	Individual reports:
Group1:    11-18-1998 Group2:    11-19-1998 Group3:    11-20-1998 Group4:    11-23-1998 Group5:    11-23-1998 Group6:    11-24-1998 Group7:    11-24-1998 Group8:    11-25-1998 Group9:    11-25-1998	First version:  11-18-1998 Final version: 11-25-1998	11-25-1998