ATM S 211 Fall Quarter 2004
Climate and Climate Change
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/2004Q4/211/schedule.html
Detailed Course Schedule
Day-to-day topics and required readings are subject to change! Supplementary reading material will be added at times. Please check the schedule often. Lecture notes are being added shortly after the lectures. When I am a behind, I will post the lectures themselves at first.

Date Lecture topic Required reading Assignt. due
  WEEK 1: Climate of the Earth System Chapter 1 and 2
  
W 9/29 Introduction, Global change versus Greenhouse Effect

Th 9/30 Synopsis of Chapter 1 Chapter 1
F 10/1 Introduction to systems and feedbacks, Daisyworld Chapter 2 (skip p 22)
  WEEK 2: Local energy balance
 Chapter 3
  
M 10/4 Daisyworld, Radiation
 Chapter 3 p 34-41
Tu 10/5 The greenhouse effect (4mb pdf of lecture)
 Chapter 3 p 41-54
W 10/6 Clouds and convection  (OR 1mb pdf of lecture)
 Auxilary Notes
 #1
Th 10/7 Snow and ice
 Chapter 15 312-315
Fr 10/8  Review session, project coordination

  WEEK 3: Atmospheric heat transport and global climate patterns
 Chapter 4  
M 10/11 The general circulation of the atmosphere (Or 1mb pdf of lecture)
 Chapter 4 p 55-66
Tu 10/12 The seasonal cycle, monsoons, etc
 Chapter 4 p 67-72
W 10/13 Global climate patterns
 Chapter 4 p 72-81
Th 10/14 Energy Balance Modeling

Fr 10/15 EBM demonstration and Review session

  WEEK 4: The oceans' role in climate
Chapter 5    
M 10/18 Ocean structure; Wind-driven ocean circulation Chapter 5 p 83-91
  
Tu 10/19 The thermohaline circulation Chapter 5 p 91-103
W 10/20 El Nino Chapter 15 p 306-312
 #2
Th 10/21 Pacific northwest climate

F 10/22 Review session for midterm #1

  WEEK 5: Carbon cycle Chapter 7 and 8   
M 10/25 Midterm #1    
Tu 10/26 Shaping Earth's surface Guest Lecture: Greg Balco
 Chapter 7 p126-132, 141-145
W 10/27 Carbon cycle I Chapter 8 p147-158
Th 10/28 Carbon cycle II Chapter 8 p158-169
Fr 10/29 Review session

  WEEK 6: Climate change on many time scales Chapter 9-12 and 14
 
M 11/1 Biota and the early history of life on Earth
 Chapter 9 p 180-185, Chapter 10
p 193-195 and 201-205
Tu 11/2 The rise of oxygen and ozone
 Chapter 11 (all but p217-218 and p224)
W 11/3 Milankovitch, meet in groups and plan poster
 Chapter 14 p 271-279
Th 11/4
Special exercise


F 11/5 Review Session, Work on Posters

  WEEK 7: Climate change on very long timescales
 Chapter 12
  
M 11/8 The deep past
 Chapter 12
Tu 11/9 Poster Symposium I

W 11/10 Poster Symposium II

Th 11/11 VETERANS DAY - NO CLASS
 
F 11/12 Turn in Project Report and Poster Reviews, Coordinate debates
project due
  WEEK 8 - More recent climate change
  
 
M 11/15 More of the deep past and the last 500 million years
 Chapter 12
  
Tu 11/16 The past 3 million years or so
 Chapter 14 p280-288
W 11/17 The Holocene
 Chapter 15 p289-305
 #3
Th 11/18 The Holocene
 Chapter 15 p289-305
F 11/19 Review session, organize debate teams  
  WEEK 9 - Human influence on climate in the 20th and 21st centuries Chapter 6 and 16  
M 11/22 Midterm # 2

Tu 11/23 Climate Modeling
 Chapter 6
W 11/24 Global warming - what does the future hold?

Th 11/25 THANKSGIVING - NO CLASS

Fr 11/26 THANKSGIVING - NO CLASS

  WEEK 10 - Other aspects of climate change Chapter 16
  
M 11/29 Global warming - is there a natural way out?
  
Tu 11/30 Global warming - uncertainty

W 12/1 Global warming - impacts

Th 12/2 The economics of global warming

Fr 12/3 Debate
#4
  WEEK 11 - Other modern atmospheric problems
 Chapter 17
  
M 12/6  Climate change policy

Tu 12/7  Ozone Hole I  Ozone Chemistry Movie (for billiards fans)

W 12/8  Ozone Hole II

Th 12/9  Wrap up

F 12/10 Review session for final
Final drafts of W papers due
M 12/13  FINAL EXAM 8:30-10:20 am

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Last Updated:
09/25/2004
Contact the instructor at: atms211@atmos.washington.edu