Welcome to Oceanography Online

(OCEA101)

Instructor: Keith Meldahl
Office phone: 760-757-2121, ext. 6412
Office: Oceanside Campus room 4621


 

STUDENTS MUST PROVIDE AN ACTIVE EMAIL ADDRESS IN “SURF” WHEN THEY REGISTER.  The instructor will contact all registered students by the course start date with information about access to the course.

If the course is full, you may email the instructor at kmeldahl@miracosta.edu about being placed on the wait list.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK (purchase before the first day of class):

Essentials of Oceanography (9th edition, 2008) by Alan Trujillo & Harold Thurman

ISBN-10:

0132401223

 

ISBN-13:

9780132401227

 

Click here for the textbook web site.

 

NOTE: YOU SHOULD PURCHASE THE NINTH EDITION OF THE TEXTBOOK FOR THIS COURSE. Substantial revisions and chapter updates mean that, if you use the 8th edition you may miss some information on the weekly quizzes. 

 

The textbook is available at the college bookstore, and through online vendors.

 

COURSE INFORMATION

Oceanography 101 Online (OCEA101) is an introduction to the scientific study of the oceans taught over the internet. It is a 3-credit physical science course, and is equivalent to other sections of OCEA101 for transfer credit, general education credit, and graduation requirements. It is intended to achieve the same learning outcomes as a traditional 3-credit classroom-based introductory oceanography course. There is an optional lab associated with the course (OCEA101L, 1 credit, and not taught online). The course may be taken either with or without the lab.

In this course students will learn about the modern scientific study of the oceans. Specific topics include:

  • Studying the major geographic features of the ocean basins and their origin. Particular emphasis is placed on plate tectonic concepts and processes.
  • Examining the processes that produce atmospheric circulation, weather (including severe storms), and oceanic circulation, including studying the role of the oceans in regulating climate and climate change.
  • Studying the origins and dynamics of wind waves, tsunamis, tides, and coastal processes, and analyzing their effects on people.
  • Studying the ecology and adaptations of various types of marine life, including plankton, benthos, nekton, deep-sea organisms, and marine mammals.
  • Exploring the use of the oceans as a resource for people, and examining the impact of people on ocean environments.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The following learning outcomes summarize the skills and knowledge that you should expect to achieve in this course. 

·        You will be able to use plate tectonic concepts to describe the formation of major sea floor features and the geologic history of the ocean basins.

·        You will be able to reconstruct the circulation patterns of the atmosphere and oceans, and explain their causes & interrelationships. 

·        You will be able to explain the formation and behavior of waves and tides, and evaluate their effects on coastline processes.  

·        You will be able to explain key principles of marine ecology, identify major types and features of marine life forms, and analyze the relationships between marine life and physical ocean processes.

 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

I'm Keith Meldahl. I think there are few things more interesting than exploring the geologic and oceanographic world around us. I have taught college earth science for most of my career, first at Oberlin College in Ohio and now at MiraCosta College, where I have been since 1997.

In addition to teaching geology and oceanography at Mira Costa, I study the geology and historical development of America’s mid-nineteenth century overland trails, in particular the Oregon-California Trail.  I recently finished a book about geology and history along the trail that the California forty-niners took west during the gold rush of 1849-1852.  The picture shows me at Roller Pass, one of the high passes over the Sierra Nevada—the final great barrier that stood between overland emigrants and their dreams and hopes of gold!!

Academic Credentials:

  • Ph.D. in Geosciences, 1990, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona.
  • M.S. in Geosciences, 1986, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona.
  • B.A. in Geology, 1983, Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago.

 

WORKLOAD & REQUIREMENTS: PLEASE READ THIS!!!

If you are thinking about registering for this course because you think it will be easier and less work than a traditional classroom course, please do yourself a favor and do not take this course. 

This course will require MORE SELF DISCIPLINE and MORE COMMITMENT from you than a traditional course. Because the course has no scheduled meeting times and no required lectures, you will be almost entirely responsible for your own education in this course. This course involves MUCH MORE READING and MUCH MORE WRITING than most traditional classroom-based science courses. The type of work is different, but the overall workload will be equal to or even greater than that in a traditional classroom course. You must be prepared to give this course the same weekly time commitment required of regular classroom-based courses, and you must keep up with all the weekly deadlines without being prompted. You must also be sure that your computer hardware and software function properly throughout the semester.

Should you take this course? Students who do not succeed in this course (i.e. they eventually either drop or fail the course) usually have one or more of the following things in common:
- The student cannot keep up with deadlines -- he/she is the type of person who needs a lot of outside prompting to get things done.
- The student has never been particularly interested in science, and sees this course as an obstacle rather than a learning opportunity.
- The student has general difficulty with either reading or writing.

On the other hand, if you are a motivated person with a history of self-discipline and the ability to get things done without outside prompting, you are likely to succeed in this course. Furthermore, if you are the type of person who gets easily interested in many things, especially science, this class will probably be a great experience for you. Many (though not all) students find the independent, self-educational approach of this course to be as fruitful, and perhaps more rewarding, than a traditional instructor-lead classroom course.

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There are no required in-class meetings for this course. All assignments, quizzes, and exams are completed independently. However there is one required field trip meeting (you may choose among several weekend field trip options during the semester). Students unable to attend any of the scheduled field trips will be required to write a comprehensive term paper to make up the credit.

Your work in this course will consist mainly of the following:

  • Completing weekly chapter reading assignments from the textbook.
  • Taking weekly quizzes based on the corresponding instructor lessons and chapter readings.
  • Completing weekly writing assignments involving sources beyond the lessons and textbook. These sources may include online scientific articles, oceanographic internet sites, or other types of resources as specified by the instructor.
  • Posting information for group discussion, and responding to group discussion questions.
  • Attending a field trip and writing a report on the trip (or alternatively writing a term paper if you cannot attend the one of the scheduled field trips).
  • Completing a comprehensive, essay-based Final Exam.

 

HOW TO GET STARTED IN THIS COURSE

1. REGISTER FOR THE COURSE THROUGH MIRACOSTA COLLEGE at http://surf.miracosta.edu/. The instructor cannot register students.  Be sure to provide an active email address when you register. 

2. BUY THE REQUIRED TEXTBOOK BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF THE COURSE (information about the book is given at the top of this page).

3. BE SURE YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS, HARDWARE, and SOFTWARE:

  • Regular access to an internet-enabled computer.
  • A fast and reliable internet connection (cable or DSL connection strongly recommended).
  • An up-to-date Internet browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, with an up-to-date version of Javascript turned on (enabled). 
  • An email account.

REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH READING COMPREHENSION OR WRITING, YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS COURSE. You will be much better off taking a traditional classroom-based course.