| I | 1 |
1/13 |
Course overview, policies and syllabus |
|
| | 2 |
1/15 |
Earth system components, forcing, feedback, and equilibrium |
Ch. 1 |
| II | 3 |
1/20 |
Radiation, energy glux, black body behavior, Stefan Boltzmann |
Ch. 2 |
| | 4 |
1/22 |
Global energy balance, the natural "Greenhouse Effect", radiative forcing and climate sensitivity |
Ch. 3
HWK1 |
| III | 5 |
1/27 |
Chemical composition of the atmosphere, greenhouse gases, temperature and density structure of the atmosphere |
Ch. 4 & 5 |
| | 6 |
1/29 |
Motion of the atmosphere and energy transfer |
Ch. 6 HWK2 |
| IV | 7 |
2/3 |
The coriolis effect, geostrophy, winds and the general circulation of the atmosphere |
Ch. 7 |
| | 8 |
2/5 |
Water in the climate system |
|
| V |
9 |
2/10 |
Upper ocean circulation |
|
| |
10 |
2/12 |
Deep ocean circulation (and pre-exam review) |
|
| VI |
11 |
2/17 |
HOUR EXAM 1 (results) |
|
| |
12 |
2/19 |
The natural carbon cycle |
Ch. 8 |
| VII |
13 |
2/24 |
Fossil fuels and the perturbed carbon cycle |
Ch. 10 |
| |
14 |
2/26 |
case study: CO2, climate, and sea level variation in the deep past |
HWK3 |
| VIII |
15 |
3/3 |
20th century-plus temperature from thermometers, satellites, glaciers, and boreholes |
Ch. 11 |
| |
16 |
3/5 |
case study: Temperatures of the last millenium; radiative forcing from volcanoes, solar variations, greenhouse gases and aerosols |
|
| IX |
17 |
3/10 |
Warming and the cryosphere, polar amplification |
|
| |
18 |
3/12 |
Sea-level rise from thermal expansion of sea water and melting and sliding ice |
|
| X | 19 |
3/17 |
Projections of temperature and precipitation for various emissions scenarios; commitment warming; regional variability and extremes |
Ch. 12 |
| | 20 |
3/19 |
HOUR EXAM 2 (results) |
|
| XI | 21 |
3/24 |
SPRING BREAK |
|
| | 22 |
3/26 |
SPRING BREAK |
|
| XII | 23 |
3/31 |
Documented and projected impacts of warming |
Ch. 9
HWK4 |
| | 24 |
4/2 |
Powering the Planet; Estimating the future global energy demand |
|
| XIII |
25 |
4/7 |
in-class exercise: "Choosing a prudent CO2 cap and estimating the associated C-free energy demand" |
|
| | 26 |
4/9 |
NO CLASS- please attend Dr. James Hansen's lecture (1 PM, Macky): "Climate threat to the planet: Implications for intergenerational and environmental justice" |
extra
credit |
| XIV | 27 |
4/14 |
Energy and emissions pathways to climate safety, pt. 1 |
|
| | 28 |
4/16 |
Energy and emissions pathways to climate safety, pt. 2 |
|
| XV | 29 |
4/21 |
deconstructing the "Great Global Warming Swindle", pt. 1 |
|
| | 30 |
4/23 |
deconstructing the "Great Global Warming Swindle", pt. 2 |
|
| XVI | 31 |
4/28 |
Policy and regulatory responses to the energy-climate problem |
|
| | 32 |
4/30 |
review (EX1, EX2) |
|
| | |
5/4 |
FINAL EXAM MON 1:30 - 4:00 PM (results) |
|
