GEOG211-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

Mountain Weather and Climates

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

This course provides a field and practical based approach to understanding contemporary mountain climates. Investigating how mountains modify weather systems and impact the local climate is essential in forecasting how New Zealand will be impacted by climate change. The course is centered on lectures and a residential field trip to the Cass Basin, Arthurs Pass. The learning is mostly project oriented and includes the development of a project from the initial idea, through the development of the skills and techniques required to conduct the fieldwork and produce a written project report. Assessment is based on a combination of assessed practicals and the field work research project report.

This course provides a field and practical based approach to investigating processes that control the climate system in mountainous landscapes. It is centred on a residential field trip to the Cass Basin Arthurs Pass. The learning is project oriented and includes the development of a project from the initial idea, through the development of the skills and techniques required to conduct the fieldwork and produce the written project report. Assessment is based on a combination of assessed practicals and the field work research project report.

Learning Outcomes

  • Familiarity with, and competence in, a range of field techniques used in collection and analysis of climatological data;
  • Familiarity with, and basic competency in, the use of spreadsheet and related software for data analysis, including introductory statistical work, bivariate analysis, and time series analysis;
  • Ability to conduct a climatological field research project, to analyse data collected during the research, and to communicate it effectively in the form of a presentation and a written research report.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

GEOG106 or ENVR101 or 15 points from CHEM, PHYS, GEOL, BIOL, ASTR, MATH at 100-level

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 12:00 - 13:00 E16 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 11:00 - 12:00 Ernest Rutherford 140
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Field Trip A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01-P1 Sunday 09:00 - 00:00 Cass
7 Apr - 13 Apr
01-P2 Monday 00:00 - 00:00 Cass
14 Apr - 20 Apr
01-P3 Tuesday 00:00 - 00:00 Cass
14 Apr - 20 Apr
01-P4 Wednesday 00:00 - 00:00 Cass
14 Apr - 20 Apr
01-P5 Thursday 00:00 - 12:00 Cass
14 Apr - 20 Apr
Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 16:00 - 18:00 Ernest Rutherford 164 Geog/Geol Lab
3 Mar - 30 Mar
02 Wednesday 16:00 - 18:00 Ernest Rutherford 164 Geog/Geol Lab
3 Mar - 30 Mar
03 Friday 13:00 - 15:00 Ernest Rutherford 164 Geog/Geol Lab
3 Mar - 30 Mar

Timetable Note

• 24 hours of lectures
• 3 2-hour tutorials
• 3-day residential field trip (Cass Field Station) dates to be confirmed but the 3-day field trip will be between April 13 to 17 inclusive.

Course Coordinator

Peyman Zawar-Reza

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Labs 15% Due dates TBA
Mid-semester Quiz 30% Quiz will be run on first day of second term
Field Notebook and Participation 15% Due date at the end of the field trip
Final Report 40% Due 1pm last day of semester

Notes

Prerequisites: 15 points from GEOG105 or ENVR101

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $998.00

International fee $5,188.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All GEOG211 Occurrences

  • GEOG211-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025