This course provides students with a scientific foundation of anthropogenic climate change and an introduction to climate models. It focuses on fundamental physical processes that shape climate (e.g. solar variability, orbital mechanics, greenhouse gases, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, and volcanic and soil aerosols) and on evidence for past and present climate change. During the course they discuss material consequences of climate change, including sea level change, variations in precipitation, vegetation, storminess, and the incidence of disease. This course also examines the science behind mitigation and adaptation proposals.
Each quarter is devoted to current topics in the field of Earth System Science. Topics addressed vary each quarter. For this course, topics discussed include: climate change, biodiversity, demographics, transportation and urban systems, cost-benefit analysis, negative impacts on the environment, environmental policy, and sustainability.
