GEO 3280/6398 Principles of Geographic Hydrology. Examines the effects of
physical geography on the land-based portion of the hydrologic cycle at the ...
Physical Geography
Geography Department
About the Program We focus on the interactions between the atmosphere, oceans and continents through our combined expertise in the subfields of climatology, hydrology and fluvial geomorphology. Research in this area is strongly complemented by ties with the human-environment interaction and medical geography clusters within the department. There are strong ties on campus with the Florida Climate, Land Use and Environmental Change, and Water Institutes, and faculty from Engineering, Computer Science, Agriculture, and Urban and Regional Planning. This program combines the development of critical thinking with practical experience of real world data sets and modern methodologies in order to prepare students for positions in private sector firms, government agencies, and academic appointments at universities and colleges.
Surveying cross-sectional profile.
Physical Geography Courses Introductory level
GEO 2200 Introductory Physical Geography
A study of the development and distribution of landforms, climates, minerals, soils and water resources. Interrelationships among the physical environment and regional patterns formed by these elements are analyzed against man’s utilization of them.
GEO2200L Physical Geography Laboratory
Laboratory in physical geography, for lab science credit.
GEO 2242 Extreme Weather
Introduction to the science of weather (what we get short term) and climate (what we expect long term) and current scientific developments in such areas as extreme weather prediction, global climate change and improved forecasting of events.
Changes in the magnitude of the 10-yr maximum annual temperature in the last quarter of the twentieth century
Intermediate level GEO 3250/6255 Climatology
Genesis of regional climates and their global distribution. Emphasis on world regional climatology. Secondary topics include applied climatology and climate change.
GEO 3280/6398 Principles of Geographic Hydrology
Examines the effects of physical geography on the land-based portion of the hydrologic cycle at the regional and basin scales. Includes discussion of precipitation, infiltration and runoff.
GEO 3341/6348 Extreme Floods/Floods Seminar
Examines the world’s most extreme floods from the Pleistocene through present due to various causes. Discusses physical and human aspects of flood warning, preparedness, response and recovery throughout the world.
MET 3503/5504 Weather and Forecasting
Provides hands-on experience using weather instruments and making forecasts.
Rainwater cascading down steps on campus during severe storm
Advanced level GEO 4281/6282 Fluvial Morphology and Processes
Examines the nature and variety of fluvial processes and the origin and modification of fluvial landforms. Includes discussion of environmental changes in rivers and human activities in drainage basins.
GEO 4285/6938 Models in Geographic Hydrology
An investigation of the numerical and computational techniques available for the extraction of geographic information from hydrometeorologic data.
GEO 4300/5305 Environmental Biogeography
Part of the Atchafalaya River system, Louisiana.
Description and explanation of spatial patterns of biodiversity, and underlying biophysical factors of human-environment interactions. Past and present distributions of organisms and how patterns of environmental variation influence the organisms. Biogeography is useful for designing nature reserves, forecasting how climate change may affect organisms, and explaining human adaptations to environmental variability. This class takes a mostly ecological approach to understanding biogeography.
GEO5346 Natural Hazards
Multidisciplinary analysis of natural and man-induced environmental catastrophes. Their perception and institutional adjustments.
GLY 4734 Coastal Morphology and Processes Bank erosion and exposed bank profile, Kissimmee River, Florida
Examines the nature and variety of coastal processes and the origin and modification of environmental changes along coasts, including human activities in the coastal zone.
MET 4532/6530 Hurricanes
Meteorological and climatological concepts related to hurricanes. Forecasting current activity, researching past storms and analyzing storm structure, damage and future trends.
MET 4560/6565 Atmospheric Teleconnections
Atmospheric teleconnections are recurring large-scale patterns of pressure and circulation anomalies. They can influence temperature, rainfall, storm tracks and jet stream location and intensity. Course examines how these patterns were discovered, how the index that characterizes the phase of each teleconnection is calculated and the weather associated with different phases.
MET 4750/6752 Atmospheric Data Analysis
Tracks of North American tropical cyclones 1850-2012
How atmospheric data are collected and analyzed for meteorologic and climatologic-scale research. Learn where to obtain various types of data and how to analyze data to answer specific research questions. Lightning and severe storm near St. Petersburg, Florida
Setting up to measure storms associated with the summer seabreeze front, Florida.
Department supporting courses GIS 3043/5107C Foundations of Geographic Information Systems GEO 3162C/6160 Introductory Quantitative Analysis GIS 4037/5038C Digital Image Processing GEO 4167C/6161 Intermediate Quantitative Analysis GEO 6938 Environmental Biogeography GEO 4938/5305 Advanced Methods in GIS
Facilities
GIS/Remote Sensing laboratories Fluvial Geomorphology laboratory
Core Faculty (Alphabetical order) Matyas, Corene, Associate Professor, Email:
[email protected] Areas of Specialization: • Synoptic Climatology for Tropics and Middle Latitudes • Tropical Cyclones • Rainfall • Natural Hazards • Spatial Analysis • Remote Sensing of Rainfall
Students tracking and measuring characteristics of intense storm.
Mossa, Joann, Associate Professor, Email:
[email protected] Areas of Specialization: • Geomorphology • Fluvial and Coastal Geomorphology • Human Impacts and Disturbances on Rivers and Coasts • River Restoration • Fluvial and Coastal Hazards • Riverine-Coastal Interactions Waylen, Peter, Professor, Email:
[email protected] Areas of Specialization: • Hydrology • Hydro-climatological Variability • Flood and Drought Frequencies • Freeze and Heat Wave Hazards • Global-scale Causes of Climate Variability • Precipitation Variability
Surveying bank erosion along the Kissimmee River, Florida
Related Faculty (Alphabetical order) Binford, Michael, Professor Blackburn, Jason, Assistant Professor Fik, Timothy, Associate Professor Southworth, Jane, Professor
Conceptual interactions between atmosphere, oceans and continents over the southern isthmus producing a mid-summer drought.
