Physical Climatology
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters Autumn
- Course code
- GEOF212
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
Objectives
The course aims to provide an understanding of the Earths climate, and the factors that cause it to change.
Content
The course covers present day climate, as well as climate variations in the past, present, and future. It focuses on the physical principles governing the global energy budget, the role of the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, and interactions between the different components of the climate system. The course investigates the physical mechanisms governing changes in climate related to land surface properties (ice, snow, vegetation, etc.), atmospheric composition (gas and particles), clouds and orbital parameters. It also introduces climate variability that results from interactions within the climate system (e.g., El Niño). In addition, the concepts of natural climate variability and anthropogenic climate change are discussed.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:
Knowledge
The student
- will know the main features of the atmospheric and ocean general circulation, and understand the energy transports associated with each
- will know the fundamental physical mechanisms for large scale climate variability and change
- can explain the physical mechanism behind large-scale variations and changes in climate, including external climate drivers and internal climate variability
- will know the main feedback mechanisms in the climate system
Skills
The student
- can calculate and interpret the global energy budget
- can use climate models to calculate changes in the climate caused by external factors such as the sun, volcanoes, and changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
- can calculate changes in the climate due to external factors such as the sun, volcanoes, and changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
- can discuss the causes and outcomes of natural climate variability and human-induced climate change, including uncertainties in model projections
General competence
The student
- can use scientific programming tools to process global data
- can prepare and deliver presentations of, and defend, scientific results in accordance with scientific practice
- can participate in scientific discussions]
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Autumn.
Enrolment to this course is based on application. Application deadline is wednesday in week 33 for the autumn semester. Please see this page for more information: www.uib.no/en/nt/53431/admission-courses-limited-capacity
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
2 lecture of 2 hours per week including exercises with Teaching Assistant
Problems will be solved with active involvement of students; Term project will be presented to the class, and
this will be followed by discussion. Students will be asked to evaluate each others projects. Lecturer and assistant will perform the final evaluation and grading.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Forms of Assessment
Portfolio assessment
The portfolio consist of
- presentation of a term assignment counts 30 % of the final grade
- 4-hour written exam counts 70 % ofthe final grade
The term assignment is valid the semester it is approved and in the following semester.