The following is a list of links to reading material from a variety of sources. Use of some of this material is password protected and restricted to use by students currently enrolled in Environmental Science 102. This material may only be used for the purpose of completing the required reading assignments. All copyright laws apply. Electronic copying and distribution of this material is prohibited.

Some of the articles below are password protected on Blackboard. To access this material, login to myBlackHawk. Once into myBlackHawk go to My Courses and click on the Descriptive Astronomy course link, then click on the Reading link.

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Section I: Atmosphere, Temperature and Precipitation

• The Atmosphere - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Early History of the Earth - Fundametals of Geography

• Layers of the Atmosphere - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather

• Humidity - Fundametals of Geography
• Clouds - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Cloud Formation Processes - Fundametals of Geography

• Precipitation - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Precipitation Types - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Precipitation and Fog - Fundametals of Geography

Section II: Weather, Climate, Pollution, Global Warming

• Origin of Wind - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Air Masses and Fronts - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Norwegian Cyclone Model - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather

• Climate - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Climate Zones - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather

• History of Air Pollution - Enviropedia.org web page.
• Changing Air Quality & Clean Air Acts - Enviropedia.org wweb page.
• The Key Air Pollutants - Enviropedia.org wpage.
• Dimming the Sun - NOVA Transcript.
• What is Global Dimming? - CFF: Conserve Energy Future web page.

• The Earth-Atmosphere Energy Balance - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Greenhouse Effect - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration web page (PDF file)

• Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report - IPCC Fifth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2014
• Relationship between Climate and Weather - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• How are Temperatures on Earth Changing? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• Is Sea Level Rising? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• Is the Amount of Snow and Ice on the Earth Decreasing? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• What Caused the Ice Ages? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• How do Human Activities Contribute to Climate Change? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• Is the Current Climate Change Unusual? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)
• Can the Warming of the 20th Century be Explained by Natural Variability? - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (PDF file)

Section III: Hydrosphere, Surface Water and Groundwater

• The Hydrologic Cycle - National Weather Service: JetStream - An Online School for Weather
• Hydrologic Cycle - Fundametals of Geography
• Physical Properties of Water - Fundametals of Geography

• Streamgaging - U.S. Geological Survey (PDF file)
• What is a watershed? - U.S. Geological Survey web page
• Questions and Answers About Floods - U.S. Geological Survey web page
• 100-Year Flood–It’s All About Chance - U.S. Geological Survey (PDF file)
• How much water flows during a storm? - U.S. Geological Survey web page

• Streams and Drainage Systems - Dr. Stephen A. Nelson EENS1110 web page
• Lakes and Reservoirs - USGS Water Science School

•National Geographic's "Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest": View the video (An edited version of this video will be shown in class).
• Seasonally flooded river basins of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia - World Wildlife Fund
• Journey into Amazonia - a PBS web page.
• Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforests and CO₂ - a University of Michigan web page.

• Groundwater - Dr. Stephen A. Nelson EENS1110 web page
• Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know - National Resource Defense Council
• Iowa Water Pollution - Iowa Association of Naturalists publication (PDF file)

Section IV: Erosion, Soil, Natural Resources, Recycling and Energy

• Types of Erosion - New South Wales, Australia, Department of Primary Industries (PDF file)
• Indicators of Erosion - New South Wales, Australia, Department of Primary Industries (PDF file)
• Gully Erosion - New South Wales, Australia, Department of Primary Industries (PDF file)
• The Erosion Process - Iowa Stormwater Partnership web page
• Stream Processes for Watershed Stewards - by George Zaimes & Robert Emanuel, University of Arizona Master Watershed Steward Program (PDF file)
• Natural Stream Processes - Ohio Stream Management Guide, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (PDF file)

• Soil - Fundamental Concepts - U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resource Conservation Service (PDF file)
• What is Soil? - Fundamental Concepts - U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resource Conservation Service web page
• Soil Formation and Classification - Fundamental Concepts - U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resource Conservation Service web page

Section V: Soil Conservation, Natural Resources, Recycling and Energy

• NSEFP Fact Sheet: Soil Conservation Practices - Nova Scotia Environmental Farm Plan web page

• Natural Resources Management - World Bank (PDF file)
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency web page
• Puzzled About Recycling’s Value? Look Beyond the Bin - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (PDF file)

• Energy Explained: Your Guide to Understanding Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration web page
      On this site, pay particular attention to the following articles (linked on the left side menu):
            • What Is Energy?
            • U.S. Energy Facts
            • How We Use Energy
            • Energy and the Environment
            • Nonrenewable Sources: Oil and Petroleum Products
            • Nonrenewable Sources: Natural Gas
            • Nonrenewable Sources: Coal
            • Nonrenewable Sources: Nuclear
            • Renewable Sources: Hydropower
            • Renewable Sources: Biomass
            • Renewable Sources: Biofuels
            • Renewable Sources: Wind
            • Renewable Sources: Geothermal
            • Renewable Sources: Solar
            • Secondary Sources: Hydrogen
• What is the United States’ share of world energy consumption? - U.S. Energy Information Administration
• What is U.S. electricity generation by energy source? - U.S. Energy Information Administration
• Annual Energy Outlook 2018 - U.S. Energy Information Administration (PDF file)
      In this document, pay particular attention to the "Overview/Key Takeaways" section, pages 5-32.
• International Energy Outlook 2018 - U.S. Energy Information Administration

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