INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE DYNAMICS

The course will offer an introduction the concepts of climate, climate system and climate change and to the underlying dynamics and thermodynamics.

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Lectures plan
No 1: Introduction and overview: The Earth system
No 2: Basic atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics
No 3: The climate system, complicated and complex systems, radiation and radiative balance, the equilibrium temperature of a planet.
No 4: Natural climate change and the ice ages: Milankovich theory
No 5: Climate dynamics and the general circulation of the atmosphere-part 1
No 6: Climate dynamics and the general circulation of the atmosphere-part 2
No 7: Natural and anthropogenic climate changes-part 1
No 8: Natural and anthropogenic climate changes-part 2

Required readings:
• J.M. Wallace and P.V. Hobbs, Atmospheric Science, an introductory survey. 2nd ed., Academic Press., Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 (with many omissions).
• D.L. Hartmann, Global Physical Climatology, Academic Press. First two chapters.
Recommended Readings:
• Robert Henson, The thinking person’s guide to climate change, American Meteorological Society, 2014
• State of the Climate 2015, Bullettin of the American Meteorological Society, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate/

English

Academic honesty is an important part of university training. While students may discuss assignments with their classmates and others, they are expected to make sure any written material they submit is their own work. Students are expected to know how to cite the work of others and present a bibliography of the research texts that were used.

The students will be required to participate in the seminar activities and deliver the reports that will be assigned during the course.