The impact of urbanization upon atmospheric processes and climates. The energy and water balances of cities. Meteorological effects (urban heat island, precipitation modification, etc.) and their significance. Models of the urban atmosphere.
Meteorology and climatology at the micro-, local, and meso-scales. Interactions between land surfaces and atmosphere. Basics of atmospheric turbulence and transfer processes. Microclimates on scales of a leaf to those of a large valley.
Geographical ecology emphasizing contemporary species distributions at local to global spatial scales, population and community dynamics, and human impacts. Labs emphasize collecting data (sometimes outdoors) and interpreting results.
Energy and water in the Earth-Atmosphere system, global climates and climate change, ecosystem properties and processes, human impacts. Please consult the Faculty of Science Credit Exclusion Lists: www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,414.
Physical and biological characteristics of the circumpolar Arctic, emphasizing terrestrial environments and the impacts on and by humans, including: glacial history; climatology; biogeography/ecology of arctic tundra; human-environment interactions, settlement and exploration; and current environmental, social and economic problems.
Biophysical and human causes of short- and long-term environmental change at various spatial scales, including measurement, interpretation, and policy.
Concepts and techniques employed in environmental research; challenges in the areas of climate change, water use, knowledge translation and natural hazards.
Economic, social, political and cultural structures and institutions that shape contemporary socioecological challenges.
Climates over the geological, historical and instrument periods. Theories of climatic change. Monitoring and modelling the climate system. Impacts of change on environmental and socio-economic systems.
The impact of urban development on the natural environment and vice versa. Study of the ecology and metabolism of cities and green urban design, using global and local case studies.