11:670:461 Climate Dynamics

http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/climdyn2014/

Prerequisites: 11:670:324 DYNAMICS OF THE ATMOSPHERE and 11:670:431 PHYSICAL METEOROLOGY

Required Text:

Cook, Kerry H., 2013: Climate Dynamics, (Princeton University Press, Princeton), 200 pp.
Resources for textbook, including color versions of figures.  Errata.

Reference Texts:

IPCC

The Copenhagen Diagnosis

Other climate textbooks:

Goose, H., P.Y. Barriat, W. Lefebvre, M.F. Loutre, and V. Zunz, 2010:  Introduction to climate dynamics and climate modelling.  Online textbook available at http://www.climate.be/textbook

Pierrehumbert, Raymond T., 2010:  Principles of Planetary Climate, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK), 680 pp.

Neelin, J. David, 2011:  Climate change and climate modeling, (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge), 282 pp.

Archer, David, and Raymond Pierrehumbert (Editors), 2011:  The Warming Papers, The Scientific Foundation for the Climate Change Forecast, (Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK), 419 pp.

Hartmann, Dennis L., 1994: Global Physical Climatology, (Academic Press, San Diego), 411 pp.
Home page for Physical Climatology at the University of Washington, taught by Prof. Harrmann using this book.

Peixoto, José P., and Abraham H. Oort, 1992: Physics of Climate, (American Institute of Physics, New York), 520 pp.

Trenberth, Kevin E., Ed., 1992: Climate System Modeling, (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge), 788 pp.

For links to other important global warming source material, visit the US Global Change Research Program web page, http://www.globalchange.gov/

Learning Goals:

Upon completion of this class, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of anthropogenic impacts on atmospheric chemistry and climate and their potential environmental and societal consequences.
  2. Exhibit critical thinking when confronting new information.
  3. Communicate clearly orally and in writing, including by electronic means.
  4. Apply the mathematical and physical foundations of meteorology and climatology to solve problems using analytical and computational methods.

 

Professor Alan Robock
Room 225, Environmental and Natural Resources Building
Phone: 848-932-5751, E-mail: robock@envsci.rutgers.edu

Classes in Room 223, Environmental and Natural Resources Building
Monday and Thursday, 12:35 p.m. to 1:55 p.m.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Date

Subject

Reading*

Sept. 4

Introduction

C1, IPCC WG I Summary for Policymakers

Sept. 8

Observed Climatology

C2

Sept. 11

Observed Climatology

C2

Sept. 15

Observed Climatology

C2

Sept. 18

Observed Climate Variations

C3, Hansen et al. (2010)

Sept. 22

Radiative Processes

C4

Sept. 25

IPCC, Thermodynamics

IPCC, C5

Sept. 29

Dynamics, Atmospheric General Circulation

C6, C7

Oct. 2

Oceanic General Circulation, El Niņo Term Paper Topic Due

C8, McPhaden et al. (2006)

Oct. 6

Long-range Weather Forecasting

see handouts

Oct. 9

Hydrologic Cycle, Soil Moisture

C9, Oki and Kanae (2006), Robock et al. (2000), Robock et al. (2003a)

Oct. 13

Exam 1

 
Oct. 16

ENSO, QBO, AO, teleconnections (lecture by Corey Gabriel)

 

Oct. 20

Radiative Forcing

C10

Oct. 23

Climate Change Processes

C11

Oct. 27 Climate Models C12
Oct. 30 Global Warming  Term Paper Outline Due AR5 WG I Technical Summary

Nov. 3

Global Warming, Volcanic Eruptions and Climate

Robock (2000)

Nov. 6

Agricultural Impacts of Climate Change (lecture by Lili Xia)

 

Nov. 10

Volcanic Eruptions and Climate 

 

Nov. 13

Geoengineering

Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering

Nov. 17

Ozone Hole

Montreal Protocol, YouTube

Nov. 20

Nuclear Winter

http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/nuclear/

Nov. 24 Impacts of Climate Change, Policy Responses  Term Paper Due AR5 WGII, Poland Coal, Carbon Offsets, Exxon report

Nov. 25, TUESDAY

Policy Debate   

 

Nov. 27

THANKSGIVING

 

Dec. 1

Term Paper Presentations

 

Dec. 4

Term Paper Presentations  
Dec. 8 Final exam review  
Dec. 11, 9 am - noon Final Exam  

*C = Chapter in Cook

Course grade will be determined by:

Homework

    20%

Term paper

    30% (paper 20%, oral 10%)

Exam

    20%

Final exam

    30%

 

  100%


Prepared by Alan Robock (robock@envsci.rutgers.edu) - Last updated on September 29, 2014