Just The Facts.

More coming soon. For now, just the slides.

Physical Geography Lecture 17 - Oceans and Coastal Geomorphology 120716 from angelaorr

Down To The Wire.

Today (12/5)
Chapter 11 - Fluvial Geomorphology

Wednesday (12/7)
Chapter 12 - Coastal Geomorphology and Final Exam Review.
Lab (earthquakes and volcanoes) and study guides (extra credit) due.

Monday (12/12)
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Exam #3. Subtotals handed out.

Wednesday (12/14)
1 - 3 p.m.
Comprehensive Exam (optional).
Grade justifications due.
Final grades given out.

Physical Geography Lecture 16 - Fluvial Geomorphology 120516 from angelaorr

Rain, Rain, Rain. Weathering Happening in 3...2...1...

Holy smokes we managed to fit in a lot of activities while it poured rain, today: Exam #2, review of the graded exams, a lab, and a lecture. (If you weren't able to finish it in class, today's lab will be due during the review for Exam #3.) Thank you to those who stuck it out to the end. Here are the slides:

Pg lecture 13 -weathering and mass wasting 113016 from angelaorr

Volcanoes and Earthquakes: Perfect Metaphors For The Run-up To Finals Week

Today's lecture was filled with enough information to make your head explode. Or erupt. Or cause stress, strain, and a tension headache.

It took longer than planned to get these loaded onto the blog, as I felt some clarifications and additions to today's slides were needed (more examples and diagrams, a few edits of photos that were hidden, etc.). Please check out the slides, below, to see what's new and exciting.

While we weren't quite able to finish the last of the slides on earthquakes, I'm posting them here and will finish up the lecture after Exam #2 on Wednesday. We will also be working on lab materials in class and, hopefully, run quickly through a lecture on Weathering and Mass Wasting.

Thanks again for your fantastic questions and your enthusiasm. (If you're faking the latter, you've all got me well fooled, so keep up the great acting.) Don't forget to review some more before the exam. By now, you should all be very well prepared!

Have a great week, All.

Physical Geography Lecture 13 - Volcanoes 112816 from angelaorr

Physical Geography Lecture 14 - Folding, Faulting, and Earthquakes 112816 from angelaorr

Geography Class Is My Happy Place, Thanks To You

REMINDERS:

• Review for Exam #2 is next week on Monday.
• Bring your most recent labs to check off, your completed study guides for extra credit, and your lecture notes to go over in class.
• Exam #2 is next week on Wednesday. Same scantron, same format. 60 questions, max.

I think we knocked it out of the park, today, folks. Thank you for your comments, your on-the-spot research, and your enthusiasm. Our classroom is officially my Happy Place, lately, thanks to all of you. 😊

Here's the Wikipedia entry on the Laurentian Abyss (also known as the Laurentian Fan), which Jack asked about today. It's approximately 3.7 mi (~19,685 ft) deep. For comparison, within the Mariana Trench, it is ~6.8 mi (~36,000 ft) to the bottom of the Challenger Deep (its lowest point); the Puerto Rico Trench is 5.2 miles (27,500 ft) deep; and the Java Trench is 4.4 miles (23,377 ft) deep, on average. The Laurentian Abyss also features in the Transformers movies and in the 1990 film, The Hunt for Red October (it is an abyssal plain, and so is identified on the bathymetric chart in this scene as the Laurentian Abyssal).



Also, apologies to Tristan: I wrote on the board the wrong name for the Reddit channel mentioned in class. It's this one, folks. Just a few posts in on the "New" page, I found this very cool set of photos from the aftermath of the recent New Zealand earthquake. When we get to the sections on earthquakes and uplift, you can bet I'll be referencing them!

Waipapa Bay before and after November 14, 2016 earthquake

Finally, here are your slides. Have a great weekend!

Physical Geography Lecture 12 - Plate Tectonics 111616 from angelaorr

The Lithosphere and A Pre-Turkey Day Exam

Yes, to answer your most pressing question, Exam #2 will be on Wednesday, November 23rd. It will cover Chapters 5 - 8 and half of Chapter 9 (through Plate Tectonics). I am happy to give you the exam early, but I will not give a make up.

Hmm...That reminds me of a story about three guys on a road trip right before a final exam...I'll share it with you in class. Once you hear the story, consider yourself warned!

Below are the slides from the first section of Chapter 9. We will have a lab on rocks and minerals as soon as I can get a hold of some samples.

Physical Geography Lecture 11 - The Lithosphere 111416 from angelaorr

Climate Change Is Bigger Than Any Election: BEFORE THE FLOOD

I encouraged you in class to talk about this film with others after we watched it. Here is the link to watch Before The Flood through the National Geographic Channel (it's no longer streaming for free, but you're all resourceful and media savvy, so I'll leave the rest to you). Don't forget what you've seen. Share what you know.

Climate Change is the biggest topic of our time. Nearly every issue discussed during this election cycle is impacted by these global resource changes; our very survival as a species depends on us taking action. As you are aware, because there is a lag time with regard to weather and climate, and because it's not a clear and immediate danger, it's difficult for many people to see the real impacts of our actions as modifiers of Earth on a massive scale.

Movies like this make it easier for everyone to see places and impacts that are not easily seen by the average person; tar sands operations in Canada and melting glaciers in Greenland aren't something we can all hop in a car and see during a one-day field trip. That doesn't change the fact that "Mordor" is more real today than J.R.R. Tolkien could ever have imagined. Keep talking about it and keep holding your elected officials' feet to its fires--we cannot afford complacency in the face of Big Business interests. It doesn't matter how rich the oil barons or their respective countries are--if there's no one to buy their gas or their oil, if the climate becomes unlivable, they won't stay rich for long. Everyone will suffer together.

Let's not go there.

Physical Geography Lecture 10 - Global Climates 110916 from angelaorr

Water, Water, Everywhere

Today's discussion was fantastic! Thank you for all of your in-depth questions and comments. Even if I couldn't answer with deep knowledge, I hope that your curiosity will keep you searching for answers well beyond our classroom, in both space and time. Below are the slides from today for you to continue to study.

If you were intrigued by today's lecture topics, PLEASE come to class on Wednesday! I have a mind-blowing film for you to watch. I'm watching it for the first time as I write this. Quote from this powerful film: "[E]verything in the future will be different."

Until then, enjoy the weather.

Physical Geography Lecture 09 - Water Resources (Ground water and ice) 110716 from angelaorr

Stormy Weather

The things you've learned this week will help you understand what's going on when the rain returns again, this winter. Pay attention to the weather report! Look for Highs and Lows, note the location of the jet stream, pay attention to relative humidity and barometric pressure. Does it make more sense to you, now? It should! If it doesn't...maybe it's time to crack the books again and have a chat with the professor. Just saying'.

Here's another good website for review and a little bit of supplemental lecture material. It's very thorough! Click through the pages in the nav bar for more goodies.

Here are the images that were missing from today's slides on the Four Causes of Uplift. These are the ways that clouds form in the atmosphere as the air is forced to rise. (click to enlarge)

Also, remember: if any one of these is happens during uplift, the rest are also occurring:

The Big 5:

SATURATION

CONDENSATION

RH = 100%

DEW POINT TEMPERATURE reached

LIFTING CONDENSATION LEVEL reached

For the rest of the lecture, see the slides, below. If you missed class, today, make sure you get notes from someone who was here. (There was no lab handout, today.)

Physical Geography Lecture 08 - Precipitation, Air Masses, and Storms 110216 from angelaorr

You CAN Do Geography. I Believe In You.

Below are the slides from the last two class days. If class seemed too slow, today, then I appreciate you sticking it out and working through the lab problems with those who needed more time to process the material. If it was too fast, then I hope you'll contact me in one way or another so we can find a way, together, to get the material stuck in your brain. I know you're all capable--and I know you know it, too!


One thing I will ask is that you try hard to keep from getting distracted by social media, texts, email, or websites that are not related to the things we're doing in class. If you would be embarrassed to share it with everyone if I asked you to, then it's probably best to fight the urge. (I know, I know...it's as addictive as crack...but you can do this.)

Close that distraction in the other window, turn off alerts, and focus for a bit, this week.

And don't eat all of your Halloween candy (or those leftovers from trick-or-treaters) all at once, tonight. Save some for keeping awake in class! :)

Physical Geography Lecture 07 - Clouds and Transfer of Latent Heat 102616 from angelaorr

Follow The Map To It's Edges And Keep Going

The journey of learning the science that will make your future travels more exciting is unfolding before you...don't miss out on a life more amazingly lived. Study. Right. Now.

The slides for Chapter 4 are posted below. Next week, on Wednesday, Oct. 26th, I'll be testing your knowledge on what we've covered so far. Exam #1 will cover Chapters 1 through 4. You will need to bring Scantron #882 (the long, green one with 50 answers on each side) and a #2 pencil.

There will be a Review Day on Monday, Oct. 24th, complete with sample test questions and a hint about the extra credit question. Bring your completed Labs to the review; I will give them back to you that day. Also bring the study guides and lecture note outlines to class. I'll go over them in detail to let you know which portions you need to focus on.

To prepare for the exam, I recommend going over Chapters 1-4, as well as the slides, lecture notes, and study guides for those sections.

Any questions? Feel free to text (fastest response times), call (not late, though!), or email me.

Have a great weekend!

Physical Geography Lecture 06 - Atmosphere and Ocean Circulation Pt1 101716 from angelaorr

 

Physical Geography Lecture 06.5 - Atmosphere and Ocean Circulation Pt2 101916 from angelaorr

Please Pass The Geography. I Need A Drink.

Well done surviving today's extra long lecture section. Monday should be fun--I plan to do a longer lab with more experiments, the kinds you can observe, touch, hear, even smell and taste. It will be a sensory overload, so prepare accordingly.

Lots of great questions, today. My favorite was, "Why does Indian Summer occur?" We will definitely be discussing global air circulations, soon, but I can tell you it's certainly related to the position of the dominant high pressure zones in the Northern Hemisphere during the autumn months. The one out in the Pacific, called the Hawaiian High, is the main reason we have dry summers and its seasonal shifts, as well as its intensity or weakness, definitely affect when and how our summer shifts into autumn and winter. Its position will also cause changes to the position of the jet stream, which drives the movement of storm systems in the midlatitudes, where you live. More on this, soon!

For now, you can veg out on this mesmerizing Global Wind Map. I think I'm going to project this on the wall at my next party. Very chill. Speaking of chill..

Don't forget to review the slides. And have a great weekend!

Physical Geography Lecture 05 - Atmospheric Energy and Global Temps 101216 from angelaorr

Earth's Atmosphere: Where Is All The Air?

 

Lecture and lab went well, today; thank you all for participating in the demonstrations. I hope all of the walking around and tapping each other helped you understand the concept of conduction and why air is so poor at passing heat from molecule to molecule. Also, if you enjoyed the section on ozone, are curious to learn more, or just want to watch the animations again, check out NASA's Ozone Hole Watch.

We will be keeping a Weather Calendar for the next month, as an experiment. I'm curious to see what we can all learn from the information we'll be recording and sharing. Put in as much data as you can find and don't worry if isn't perfect--I know the symbols are confusing for a first-timer. Just do whatever you can handle. Record date, time, location, and the current temperature; push yourself to try to find the other information, too. Ask someone to help you make entries on days when you're not in class, just to raise the interest level. Who knows what it will lead to?

Here are today's slides. Have a great week!

Physical Geography Lecture 04.5 - Earth's Atmosphere 101016 from angelaorr

Dancing Badly Around The World

What's the point of learning about maps? Perhaps it helps us to realize how connected we all are. Here's a little more inspiration for you. Keep dancing. Badly.

If you enjoy this video, there are more at Matt's website: Where The Hell Is Matt

Meme. Vids. Study, Study. Moar Study.

Once we hit the door of the classroom and head out into the glaring sunlight, something happens to most of us: we mentally move on to other activities and forget all about Geography class.

Oops.

Maybe that was the teacher's fault...because the Monty Python song was so memorable. (BTW, here's a cool version, especially if you like astronomy.)



Okay, so back to studying.

What to do before Monday:

• Focus this weekend on the readings, first. Break them down into manageable sections and read a few pages a night.
• Take notes on the reading material.
• Try answering the study guide questions at the end of the lecture notes.
• Ask someone to quiz you on the study guide questions.
• Review the slides.
• Work on the last of the lab work, if you still have some to finish. You don't want to be pulling an all-nighter to get lab work done before exam day! Read the text on those lab pages--there's good info there to support the lab work.

When you're done with all of that, if you'd like to check out more supporting material, check out the first three videos in this Khan Academy segment on Earth's Rotation and Tilt. Or watch the whole Vsauce video, How Earth Moves, that we saw a very small portion of, today. Most of it is pretty advanced, so consider it dessert after your main study meal.

There are so many resources out there on the Internet and in the Real World, you could totally hack your education and test out of this course, if you were feeling driven. But then I wouldn't have a job. And I know you wouldn't want to make your teacher homeless. O_o

Don't forget, you can email, text, call me, or come by my office if you're ever stuck. I'm here to help!

Here are today's slides:

Physical Geography Lecture 04 - Earth's Energy and Seasons 10.03.16 from angelaorr

Have a wonderful weekend!

Magnetic Migrations and Map Machinations

A quick pivot made a world of difference in today's lab portion of the class. I was exceptionally excited to see everyone up and walking around, helping each other out, sharing information, writing on the board, and really trying to learn the material. Well done, everyone. I look forward to hearing your feedback as the weeks go on; being able to adapt to the class' learning needs and preferences is a critical component of a successful learning environment. Not that you care about pedagogy (there's Jack's word for the week!). Just sayin'. It works.

If you have questions about the last portion of the lab, feel free to write, text, or call. We will be going over the whole thing (quickly) in class on Wednesday, so you can ask questions then, too. Please read the lab worksheets' text--there's a lot in there to provide a good lecture back-up.

FYI: For those of you interested in a deeper look at Earth's magnetic declination, here is a great website showing shifts in magnetic north and south from 1900 to the present and into 2020. The webpage is part of the website for the World Data Center for Geomagnetism in Kyoto, Japan.

And, finally, the part you've all been waiting for: THE SLIDES. We didn't finish the whole presentation, but you can view the last few, here, on your own. They're very much related to the West Wing video we watched (see previous posts for todays vids). Enjoy.

Physical Geography Lecture 03 - Maps 100316 from angelaorr

Travel Will Change You

This guy gets an A+, according to my syllabus. The bar is set. Start walking.

You're Freakin' Me Out

Earth's Countries And Coastlines As Seen From the International Space Station

The Scientific Method - Every Baby Knows It

Earth - Lecture 2 Slide Show

Earth is a crazy place. Figuring out its size and shape took a very long time, which seems even crazier to people living in a time of overwhelming access to knowledge, and the technology to gain and share it. Poor Eratosthenes. Maybe if he'd gotten out of his armchair once in a while, he might have been able to discover--and enjoy--more of this amazing planet. (Note: The link on "Eratosthenes," above, points to the Carl Sagan video we watched in class.) Please review the slides below. And cut up some round fruit for someone! Use it to try to explain the geographic grid.

Which brings us to the lab. Although the lecture went well, the lab was more time consuming than planned. A remedy is forthcoming.

See you in class.

Physical Geography Lecture 02 - Earth 092816 from angelaorr

Physical Geography - Lecture 1 Slide Show

Welcome to the new Foothill Physical Geography blog site!

Class slide presentations, announcements, and extras will be posted here on a regular basis. You can review course material, keep track of what's going on in class, and share additional, Geography-related items with the class.

With no further ado, here is your first slide show.

Physical Geography Lecture 01 - What Is Geography 092616 from angelaorr

Knowledge = Beauty

There's nothing like a time-lapse video of fog over San Francisco. Science is beautiful, isn't it?