Overview
Laboratory exercises are designed to complement the lecture materials and are a mandatory part of the course. The accompanying laboratory exercises provide hands-on experiences explaining physical principles and introducing biometeorological instrumentation. Labs will be held weekly (excluding the Week 1) in room 102A of the Macmillan building. Days/times for each lab section are listed in Table 1.
- You must be registered for a lab section in order to complete the course, and you may only attend the lab session you are registered for.
Lab Reports
Instructions for lab assignments can be found in the sidebar on the left. All labs will have embedded questions, which you should answer in your lab report. The reports should be uploaded to canvas by the due date.
- Collaboration with classmates is encouraged. However, lab reports must in your own words.
Materials
The labs do not require you to install any specific software. You may benefit from a spreadsheet editor such as Excel or Number to make table and charts for your lab reports, however you may also write/draw tables and charts by hand.
- Any other equipment necessary to conduct laboratory experiments will be provided.
Formatting
Lab reports should be written concisely and uploaded as a Word Document of PDF to Canvas. No need to repeat questions. Number and sort your answers in accordance with questions in lab manual. All questions should be attempted and answered in the order of the lab manual.
- Answers should be presented in tables where applicable, templates will provided if necessary. Procedures and equipment should also not be reported.
- Show your work: any calculations with important results should be clearly indicated. Partial credit may be granted based. In some cases an analysis of errors is appropriate.
- Please always indicate units and follow the SI for units and scientific notation (see more info here).
- The report’s header should list the course number, your name, your UBC student number, your TA’s name, and the number and title of the lab.
Due Dates
All reports should be submitted on Canvas by the due date. Late lab reports will be penalized 10% per day. Lab reports will not be accepted once graded reports have been returned to the class. In cases where a student fails to submit a report due to sickness, they should contact their TA before the deadline to discuss options.
Grading of Reports
Labs will be marked by your TA using a standard rubric and short comments will be provided where applicable. Late lab submissions will be penalized 10% per day days after their due date.
- Lab assignments submitted by the due date will be graded and returned with feedback within 7 days of the due date.
- Late submissions are note guaranteed to be returned within 7 days.
Lab Schedule
The schedule for lab assignments is arranged by day in Table 2. Because of holidays/breaks, the labs sections will not always be in-sync with one another and different sections will have assignments due different dates.
- You will have two lab sessions to complete each lab assignment.
- Labs that are turned in late will be penalized 10% per day
| Week | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 05 - Sep 08 | No Lab | No Lab | No Lab | No Lab |
| Sep 12 - Sep 15 | Lab 1 | Lab 1 | Lab 1 | Lab 1 |
| Sep 19 - Sep 22 | Lab 1 | Lab 1 | Lab 1 | Lab 1 |
| Sep 26 - Sep 29 | Lab 2 | Lab 2 | Lab 2 | Lab 2 |
| Oct 03 - Oct 06 | Lab 2 | Lab 2 | Lab 2 | Lab 2 |
| Oct 10 - Oct 13 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 | No Lab | Lab 3 |
| Oct 17 - Oct 20 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 |
| Oct 24 - Oct 27 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 | Lab 3 |
| Oct 31 - Nov 03 | No Lab | No Lab | No Lab | No Lab |
| Nov 07 - Nov 10 | Lab 4 | Lab 4 | Lab 4 | Lab 4 |
| Nov 14 - Nov 17 | No Lab | No Lab | Lab 4 | Lab 4 |
| Nov 21 - Nov 24 | Lab 4 | Lab 4 | Lab 5 | Lab 5 |
| Nov 28 - Dec 01 | Lab 5 | Lab 5 | Lab 5 | Lab 5 |
| Dec 05 - Dec 08 | Lab 5 | Lab 5 | No Lab | No Lab |
Your TAs
Zoe
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Email: hehanzha@student.ubc.ca
Bio: I received a BSc in Environmental Science from the University of British Columbia in 2022. My undergraduate thesis research investigated the impacts of fire on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes (CO2, CH4, and N2O) within different burned zones of a bog. The methodology incorporated chamber measurements and gas chromatography for the analysis. Currently, as a second-year MSc student, I am examining the impacts of seedling removal — a post-fire management practice — on the GHG fluxes (CO2 and CH4) within the 2016 burned zone of the Burns Bog, Delta, BC. This research utilizes a smart chamber with a portable analyzer. Additionally, I am interested in quantifying the net carbon exchange at the ecosystem scale using eddy covariance techniques and understanding carbon dynamics across varying ecosystem types.
Tzu-Yi
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Email: tzuyilu@student.ubc.ca
Bio: My name is Tzu-Yi. I am a fourth-year PhD candidate collaborating under the guidance of Dr. Sara Knox in Geography. I am interested in understanding the key processes underlying the carbon cycle between the atmosphere and coastal wetland ecosystem. Moreover, I am dedicated to quantifying how greenhouse gas fluxes in coastal wetlands contribute to regional and global carbon cycles. Currently, my research has been conducted in both the Delta and Richmond regions of British Columbia, measuring continuous carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) exchanges in tidal marshes. I’m delighted to be a part of this exciting course as one of the TAs in GEOS200. Learning is a collaborative journey, and I’m glad to support you every step of the way.
Megan
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Email: melkin@student.ubc.ca
Bio: My name is Megan and I am in my final year of Geographical Science at UBC. I have been working this past year on co-op with Environment and Climate Change Canada and am excited to be back in the classroom! My main areas of study are GIS, Geomorphology, and Urban Meteorology. Some of my hobbies include mountain biking, climbing, and swimming and I am very fortunate to call BC my home.