MATH5421

Earth's climate is changing rapidly, creating a crisis for humanity. This course investigates the changing climate from a mathematical perspective by studying simple models, comparing them to data, and using them to predict future changes. Questions studied include these: What determines Earth's surface temperature? What is the role of greenhouse gasses, and why are they increasing so dramatically? What is the role of ocean circulation? When will the Arctic Ocean become ice free? How fast will the permafrost melt, and how will its melting affect the climate? Mathematical topics include: basic energy balance models, box models of ocean circulation, and basics of radiative transfer in the atmosphere.

prereq: Two years of calculus, including differential equations and linear algebra.