Advanced Climate Dynamics
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters
- Spring
- Course code
- GEOF348
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
Objectives:
The course aims to provide a theoretical understanding for climate variability and change
Content:
Our climate is determined by radiation from sun and the interaction among various components of the climate system. Climate Dynamics is the study of these processes, and it provides the theoretical basis for understanding variations and changes in climate. This course will cover the interaction among ocean, sea ice, land, and the atmosphere, as well as the hydrological cycle, including clouds, and key feedback mechanisms. The leading theories for climate variability, including those for the El NiƱo Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability will be presented. They will learn about climate extremes, climate prediction, and future climate change, and how climate dynamics is critical to improving understanding and reducing uncertainties in these fields. The student will have hands on experience in performing diagnostic and mechanistic analysis, and in using climate models.
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
- has knowledge of how ocean, atmosphere, sea ice, and land interact on time scales from a month to a century
- has understood the leading theories for climate variability
- has a climate dynamics perspective on climate extremes, climate prediction, and climate change
- has basic knowledge of key components of climate models
Skills
The student
- is able to use theory to explain key patterns of climate variability and change
- is able to diagnose the influence of ocean, sea ice, and land surface conditions on the atmosphere
- is able to perform experiments with a simplified climate model
General competence
The student
- can discuss the major uncertainties in climate prediction and change
- can analyse large gridded data
- can perform numerical model experiments
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Enrolment to this course is based on application. Application deadline is wednesday in week 2 for the spring semester.
Please, see this page for more information: www.uib.no/en/matnat/53431/admission-courses-limited-capacity
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
2 hours of exercises per week involving scientific programming, including a term project
Lectures and exercises will include regular group presentations and discussion.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
The compulsory project are valid for one subsequent semesters.
Forms of Assessment
- Term project will form 30% of total grade
- Oral examination (30 minutes), 70% of total grade