GEOG3421

This is a course on general climatology and the physical fundamentals of climate change that are most relevant to biophysical and socio-environmental processes. It is geared towards students in geography, environmental science, and the liberal arts and humanities who need a foundational understanding of climatology to grapple with social and biophysical dimensions of climate change. In a conceptual but not heavily quantitative framework, course activities (readings, discussion, lectures, computer labs), the course provides a broad-level overview of the physical processes that underlie Earth's climate system and lead to climate variations at global, regional, and local scales, as well as a survey of contemporary topics in climate change science. Course themes include: Earth's atmosphere and ocean; global energy and water balances; general and secondary circulation; controls on regional climate; climate data collection and interpretation; coupled modes of climate variability and related teleconnections; paleoclimatology; climate change; extreme events; climate modeling frameworks; observed and anticipated climate change impacts.