Extra Credit Opportunities

There are several ways for you to earn extra credit by attending events outside of class. PLEASE NOTE (and accept) that the main benefit of these activities is to extend, stimulate or help rekindle your interest in the subject matter. You should never think that extra credit will change the grade you are earning in class!!

For any of these activities, a written statement of some kind is required, and that statement (a paragraph for short or simple activities, such as stargazing; a page or so for lectures or movies) MUST BE TYPED (double-spaced). You may ALWAYS send your submission by email, as a Word or pdf attachment. Your document MUST be postmarked or handed in BY THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CLASS TIME that lies within a week of the event. For example, if you have a MW class that starts at 8am and you attend a von Karman lecture on Thursday or Friday night, the write-up is due by 8am the following Wednesday. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO TURN IN YOUR STATEMENT SOON AFTER THE EVENT.

There are a few things to bear in mind when taking notes during the event. You should include the following information in your report; this information should be placed at the top (left or right corner, doesn't matter to me):

  1. Your Name

  2. Your class (if you are taking more than one class with me during a semester, credit will go toward the class you write on the report)

    Other information that should be included in the body of your report:

  3. Date and Time of the event you went to

  4. Name of the speaker (for a lecture) or host (for the presentation of a film or planetarium show, for example)

  5. Title of the lecture or show (could be the title of your document!)

Since this is an EXTRA CREDIT adventure, I treat this as an opportunity for you to practice college-level thinking and writing. Therefore, BE FOREWARNED: I will NOT ACCEPT LATE SUBMISSIONS, and will deduct points as follows!!!

Below are listed the events for the current semester. It is possible that more could be added as I find out about them. Please don't ask if you can get credit for an event that you went to but is not on the list; I feel obligated to offer points only when everyone had the opportunity to attend. 

Cabrillo Aquarium Lecture Series

Warming Oceans Melting Ice, and Rising Seas

by Dr. Ian Fenty, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA’s measurements of Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and ice show evidence of accelerating global warming. Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere due to human activity have caused the oceans to warm and the polar ice sheets and high mountain glaciers to melt. Ocean warming, melting glaciers, and melting ice sheets are driving up global sea levels at a rate not seen since the end of the last ice age. In this presentation, I will review the evidence of ocean warming, ice melting, and global sea level rise, discuss current projections of future global sea level rise, and describe some current NASA research to study the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Dr. Ian Fenty received his Ph.D. in Climate Physics and Chemistry from MIT in 2010 and now works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a climate scientist. In his research Dr. Fenty collaborates with JPL oceanographers, glaciologists, and other scientists to reconstruct the circulation of Earth’s high-latitude oceans over the past two decades. In addition, Dr. Fenty is a co-investigator of NASA’s “Oceans Melting Greenland” mission.

Appropriate For: ASTR 7; GEOL 1, 7, 8

Where: Cabrillo Aquarium, San Pedro, CA 
Click here to reserve your free ticket on Eventbrite.

When: Friday, December 7th, 7:00-9:00pm - DON'T BE LATE!!
Report Due By: BEGINNING OF YOUR FINAL EXAM SLOT; SEE TOP OF THIS PAGE FOR REPORT REQUIREMENTS/DETAILS.
 

 

Mt. SAC Ocean Lecture Series

How Earth's early oceans and atmosphere help guide the search for life beyond our solar system

by Dr. Tim Lyons, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, UC Riverside

Abstract: TBA.

Appropriate For: ASTR 7; GEOL 1, 7, 8

Where: Mt. SAC 61-1420 - Science Lecture Hall

When: Wednesday, October 10th, 4:30-5:30pm - DON'T BE LATE!!
Report Due By: BEGINNING OF YOUR CLASS WITHIN ONE WEEK of the event; SEE TOP OF THIS PAGE FOR REPORT REQUIREMENTS/DETAILS.
 

 

2018-2019 National Ocean Discovery Lecture Series

Reconstructing deep ocean circulation during Cenozoic climate transitions

from the marine sediment record

by Dr. Brian Romans, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Please watch this ca. 4 min video to learn more about Dr. Roman’s research and talk: https://vimeo.com/289071921

Abstract: Ocean circulation plays a critical role in the Earth’s climate system through the storage and transfer of heat and carbon dioxide. The North Atlantic and Southern Ocean are of particular interest because these are regions where deep-water components of global circulation develop. Overall patterns and functioning of modern oceanic circulation is relatively well understood, but significant uncertainty remains about circulation in the geologic past and during different climate regimes. Dr. Romans uses the deep-sea sedimentary record to reconstruct past ocean circulation and its relationship to past climatic and tectonic conditions. He integrates information from a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, from seismic-reflection data that reveals regional sedimentation patterns to high-resolution records based on quantitative grain-size analysis from cores. Dr. Romans will present research from the North Atlantic Ocean (Expedition 342, Newfoundland Drifts) that shows how vast deep-sea “drift” deposits relate to the onset of and changes in ocean circulation in the Eocene through Miocene. In addition to his work on the North Atlantic, Dr. Romans will also present preliminary findings from new drilling (January-February 2018) in the Ross Sea (Expedition 374, West Antarctic Ice Sheet History), which aims to study interactions of Southern Ocean circulation and Antarctic ice sheet dynamics during significant climate events of the Miocene and Pliocene.

Appropriate For: ASTR 7; GEOL 1, 7, 8

Where: Mt. SAC Bldg 13 (DTC) Auditorium

When: Monday, October 22nd from 4:45pm - DON'T BE LATE!!
Report Due By: BEGINNING OF YOUR CLASS WITHIN ONE WEEK of the event; SEE TOP OF THIS PAGE FOR REPORT REQUIREMENTS/DETAILS.
About the presenter:

Dr. Romans is an associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech. He received his Ph.D. in Geological & Environmental Sciences from Stanford University, M.S. in Geology & Geological Engineering, and undergraduate degree in Geology at SUNY Buffalo. Brian participated as a shipboard scientist on two IODP Expeditions (Expeditions 342 and 374).

Again, please watch this ~4 min video to learn more about Dr. Roman’s research and talk: https://vimeo.com/289071921

 

Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series

Information about these events (Link takes you to a Jet Propulsion Lab website)

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after JPL's founder, and presented by JPL's Office of Communication and Education, brings the excitement of the space program's missions, instruments and other technologies to both JPL employees and the local community. Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL's Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College's Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7:00 PM. Admission and parking are free for all lectures, no reservations are required, and seating is limited.

The Earth Sciences and Astronomy Department hosts a live streaming of the Thursday evening lectures in the Mt. SAC Randall Planetarium (Building 26-C). During the half-hour before the lecture begins, a Mt. SAC faculty member gives a presentation introducing the subject of the talk. There is no admission fee, and no reservations are required, but seating is limited. Be sure to arrive by 6:30 for the pre-lecture; the talk will begin at 7pm - doors close at 7! These lectures are denoted by "vK" in the titles below.

vK: Deep Space Network

by Suzanne Dodd - Director, Interplanetary Network, JPL and
Leslie Deutsch - Deputy Director, Interplanetary Network, JPL

How does NASA capture the faint whispers of spacecraft voyaging to far flung destinations across the solar system and beyond? The answer involves giant radio antennas, global cooperation, and a LOT of careful planning. NASA’s Deep Space Network is a vital lifeline between Earth and the spacecraft that extend our senses outward. This panel-style discussion will share how the network turns radio waves into science and engineering data, along with plans for the DSN’s future.

Appropriate For: ASTR 7; GEOL 1, 7, 8

Where: Mt. SAC Randall Planetarium, Building 26-C

When: Thursday, November 8th from 6:30 p.m. to about 8:30 p.m. . - DOORS CLOSE at 7:00 pm - DON'T BE LATE!!

(You may also attend the event at Caltech’s Ramo Auditorium - 1200 E California Blvd., Pasadena, CA; the latter will occur at the same time but on Friday, November 9th - click here for an image with information on where to go)
Report Due By: BEGINNING OF YOUR CLASS WITHIN ONE WEEK of the event; SEE TOP OF THIS PAGE FOR REPORT REQUIREMENTS/DETAILS.
 Click here for more info! (takes you off the MtSAC website)

Mt. SAC Observing Nights

Cool Nights Under the Hot Stars

Earn up to 5 points while you view (WEATHER PERMITTING) planets, moons, stars, clusters, galaxies and more!
Mt SAC Astronomers set up 8-in Meade Cassagrain telescopes and point out the night's interesting features.
These are generally on the first Friday of the month, and begin just at dusk on the roof of Bldg 60.
Check the Planetarium Calendar specific for dates and times!
** Free and Open to the Public - Bring Your Friends!! **

Planetarium Shows at Mt SAC!!

Visit the Randall Planetarium website for the Current Show

(up to 5 pts credit)

Come and see a show at the Mt. SAC Randall Planetarium!

Appropriate For: ASTR 7, GEOL 1, 8, 9, 10

When: Certain Fridays and Saturdays - check the website! Showtimes vary; each lasts about an hour - DON'T BE LATE! Tickets can be purchased at the show ($6/adult, $4/student or child), or see the website to purchase them online - they often sell out!

Where: Bldg 26C (just uphill from the Mt SAC Pool; enter on the North side)
Write-up: Explain what you learned / what the show was about. INCLUDE YOUR TICKET STUB!!

Return to: Mark Boryta's Homepage / Mt. SAC

This page was originally posted to a new server on 24 August, 2011.
It has been updated as recently as 5 September, 2018 by Mark Boryta

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