Mountain Weather and Climates

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.