11:670:461 Climate Dynamics

http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/climdyn2016/

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

Required Text:

Hartmann, Dennis L., 2016: Global Physical Climatology, 2nd Edition (Elsevier, Amsterdam), 498 pp.

Reference Texts:

IPCC

The Copenhagen Diagnosis

Other climate textbooks:

Goosse, Hugues, 2015: Climate System Dynamics and Modelling, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK), 378 pp.

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.

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. 8

Introduction

H1

Sept. 12

Climate System

H1

Sept. 15

Global Energy Balance

H2

Sept. 19

Global Energy Balance

H2

Sept. 22

Climate Variations - Data Analysis Methods

H9, Vinnikov et al. (2002), Vinnikov et al. (2004)

Sept. 26

Climate Variations - Observations, Reananalysis

H9, NAS report, Hansen et al. (2010)

Sept. 29

Radiative Transfer

H3

Oct. 3

Energy Balance of the Surface

H4

Oct. 6

Energy Balance of the Surface  Term Paper Topic Due

H4

Oct. 10

Energy Balance of the Surface

H4

Oct. 13

Hydrologic Cycle

H5, Oki and Kanae (2006)

Oct. 17

Hydrologic Cycle

H5

Oct. 20

Atmospheric and Oceanic General Circulation

H6, H7

Oct. 24

Midterm Exam

 

Oct. 27

Climate Variability, El Niņo, ENSO, QBO, AO

H8, McPhaden et al. (2006), McPhaden (2015)

Oct. 31 Long-range Weather Forecasting   Term Paper Outline Due see handouts
Nov. 3 Future Climate Scenarios, Global Warming

H13, AR5 WG I Technical Summary

Nov. 7

Global Warming

H13

Nov. 10

Geoengineering

Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering

Nov. 14

Policy Debate

AR5 WGII, Poland Coal, Carbon Offsets, Exxon report

Nov. 17

Volcanic Eruptions and Climate

H12, Robock (2000)

Nov. 21

Ozone Hole

Montreal Protocol, YouTube

Nov. 22, TUESDAY

Nuclear Winter    Term Paper Due

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

Nov. 24 THANKSGIVING  

Nov. 28

World Climate Exercise

H13

Dec. 1

Term Paper Presentations

 

Dec. 5

Term Paper Presentations

 

Dec. 8

Term Paper Presentations  

Dec. 12

No class   
Dec. 22, noon - 3 pm FINAL EXAM  

* H = Chapter in Hartmann

Course grade will be determined by:

Homework

    20%

Term paper

    25% (paper 15%, oral 10%)

Midterm exam

    25%

Final exam

   30%

 

 100%


Prepared by Alan Robock (robock@envsci.rutgers.edu) - Last updated on July 24, 2016