Global Climate and Climate Change Notes

Overview

• Climate is the long-term nature of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces, typically over ~30 years.
• The course will cover topics related to global climate and climate change.

Why Climate Changes

• Changes in Earth's energy balance and temperature over time.
• The sun is the primary driver of Earth's climate by providing energy.
• What the Earth does with the sun’s energy dictates the earth’s temperature.
• Human emissions of greenhouse gases alter Earth's energy balance and temperature

Course Outline

• The course will cover various aspects of climate science, including:
  • The sun's energy and Earth's climate.
  • Earth's energy balance.
  • Human emissions and greenhouse gases.
  • Atmospheric and oceanic movements.
  • Land-atmosphere interactions.
  • Climate-biosphere interactions and the carbon cycle.
  • Past climate variations and their causes.
  • Recent climate changes and concerns.
  • Future climate change projections and impacts.

Key Questions Addressed

• How and why did climate change in the past?
• How has climate changed over the past century?
• How do we expect climate to change in the coming decades?

Climate-Related Events

• Extreme weather events like heatwaves and hurricanes.
• Forest fires, influenced by hydroclimate, vegetation, and society.
• Flooding events and the role of atmospheric rivers.

Course Instructors

• Professor: Dr. Park Williams
• TAs: Jacob Jones & Xiaoyu Ma

Course Requirements and Grading

• Weekly Assignments (40%)
• Midterm Exam (20%)
• Final Exam (40%)

Course Goals

• Foster interest in climate and its interconnectivity.
• Promote understanding of climate processes.
• Encourage participation in climate conversations.

Important Considerations

• Timescales of climate processes vs. human timescales.