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ATM 211: Climate and Climate Change, Fall, 2003, Tad Anderson




day date topics activities handouts assignments


Week 1: Earth System and Global Change
Readings: KKC Chap 1 (all); Popper article "Knowledge without authority"
M 29-Sep Course introduction math/chem quiz syllabus, surveys
T 30-Sep Earth system intro: three global scale problems discuss class survey HW #1; Popper article
W 1-Oct The nature and role of scientific knowledge
T 2-Oct stratospheric ozone depletion: introduction
F 3-Oct tutorial: math/chem




Week 2: Earth-System Example - Stratospheric Ozone and CFC's
Readings: KKC (1999) Chap 14 (all)
M 6-Oct ozone and radiation


T 7-Oct ozone chemistry
W 8-Oct ozone control
T 9-Oct ozone lessons
F 10-Oct tutorial: math/chem




Week 3: The Science of Systems
Readings: KKC Chap 2 (all)
M 13-Oct global temperature (GAAST), system basics room temperature HW #2 HW #1 due
T 14-Oct daisy world concepts graphs Mann article (report format)
W 15-Oct feedback loops and self-regulation
T 16-Oct radiation and planetary energy balance

F 17-Oct tutorial: measuring GAAST room temperature



Week 4: Greenhouse Effect
Readings: KKC Chap 3 (all)
M 20-Oct sun, earth, and radiation IR thermometer
T 21-Oct planetary energy balance
Lorius article
W 22-Oct atmospheric composition and structure
T 23-Oct greenhouse: chemistry and clouds
HW #3 HW #2 due
F 24-Oct tutorial: albedo IR thermometer



Week 5: Energy balance theory of climate change
Readings: Climate Modeling (Chap 6 of KKC 2003 edition),
    Lorius article "The ice-core record..."

M 27-Oct climate feebacks, sensitivity, inertia
T 28-Oct climate modeling simple climate forecast
W 29-Oct climate modeling exercise
T 30-Oct history of global warming science: Prof. Robert Charlson

F 31-Oct Midterm exam - class split into two sections as normal
paper #1 due



Week 6: Earth Circulations and Regional Climates
Readings: KKC Chap 4(all),  
    Chap 5(p79-top82, p85 (last  paragraph), p88-95, Key Figs 5-2, 5-3, 5-8, 5-14, 5-16),
    Chap 6(p97-98:Intro/Overview, p116-117:Plate Tectonics driven by radioactive decay, p123-125:Wilson Cycles of continental drift; Key Figs 6-19, 6-21, 6-26, 6-27)
M 3-Nov atmospheric circulations: earth as a heat engine
HW #4 HW #3 due
T 4-Nov local circulations and weather
W 5-Nov regional climates (Prof Steve Warren)
T 6-Nov ocean and solid earth circulations
F 7-Nov lab tutorial: reservoirs and cycles



Week 7: Ancient Climates

Readings

Topic (Book Section)

pages

Figures

Introduction/Overview

8:152-153

8-1

Formation of Early Atmosphere

8:158-159

8-7

Faint Young Sun paradox

8:159-161

8-8, 8-9

Long Term Climate Record

8:161-164

8-10, 8-11

Low Latitude Glaciations Box

8:165

 

Warm Mesozoic Era

8:167-169

8-15

Cooling During Cenozoic Era

8:169-170

8-17

Modern Controls on Atmos. O2

9:188-189

9-17

additional required reading...

Hoffman and Schrag article "Snowball Earth"


M
10-Nov Earth history, paleo indicators
Snowball article
T 11-Nov Holiday
W 12-Nov Earth history, major events, Faint Young Sun paradox
HW #5 HW #4 due
T 13-Nov Breakdown of stability: Venus, Mars, and Snowball Earth

F 14-Nov Tutorial: Review



Week 8: Recent Climates and Climate Variability

Readings

Topic (Book Section)

pages

Figures

Geological Evidence of glaciations

11:212-215

11-2, 11-3, 11-4

Milankovitch Cycles (orbital theory)

11:215-219

11-5, 11-7, 11-9

Glacial-climate feedbacks

11:219-221

11-10, 11-11

Time Scales of Change

12:229-232

12-1, 12-2

Volcanoes and Climate

12:236-240

12-6

Solar Variability

12:240-242

12-7, 12-8

El Nino-Southern Oscillation

12:244-247

12-10, 12-16



M 17-Nov Astronomical theory of ice-ages globe and flashlight
T 18-Nov [TAD GONE] Evidence of ice-ages, movie movie
W 19-Nov [TAD GONE] Volcanic and solar influences on recent climate
T 20-Nov [TAD GONE] El Nino (Dr. Nate Mantua)
HW #6 HW #5 due
F 21-Nov Tutorial: Review



Week 9: Global Warming Science
Readings: KKC Chap 7(p128-138), Chap 13(all),
    IPCC 2001 "Summary for Policymakers"
M 24-Nov Carbon cycle - natural


T 25-Nov Carbon cycle - perturbed
W 26-Nov Climate forecasts
T 27-Nov Holiday
F 28-Nov Holiday



Week 10: Global Warming Debate
Readings: KKC Chap 13(all); Seattle Times Pro/Con debate
M 1-Dec Detection and attribution of global warming
Seattle Times debate
T 2-Dec Arguments of the "skeptics"
W 3-Dec Evidence for global warming (Prof Richard Gammon)
HW #6 due
T 4-Dec A skeptical view of the current global-warming paradigm (Tad)
Azar and Rodhe article
F 5-Dec Tutorial: Review for final



Week 11: Global Warming Impacts and Solutions
Readings: Azar and Rodhe article "Targets for CO2 stabilization"
M 8-Dec Climate impacts in the Pacific NW (Dr. Philip Mote)
T 9-Dec Effects of global warming forecast wrap-up
W 10-Dec Nature of environmental science course evaluation


no class (additional review session?)
F 12-Dec FINAL, 8:30-10:20, Rm 64 JHN

paper #2 due



additional possible topics:

water and conflict

The way we burn: energy futures, soot, and climate change

Geoengineering


































































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