Climate Change

General data

Course ID:	4030-CC
Erasmus code / ISCED:	13.0 The subject classification code consists of three to five digits, where the first three represent the classification of the discipline according to the Discipline code list applicable to the Socrates/Erasmus program, the fourth (usually 0) - possible further specification of discipline information, the fifth - the degree of subject determined based on the year of study for which the subject is intended. / (0512) Biochemistry The ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) code has been designed by UNESCO.
Course title:	Climate Change
Name in Polish:	Climate Change
Organizational unit:	Faculty of Physics
Course groups:	(in Polish) Przedmioty 4EU+ (z oferty jednostek dydaktycznych) Sustainable Development, obligatory courses, offered by the Faculty of Physics
ECTS credit allocation (and other scores):	(not available) Basic information on ECTS credits allocation principles: the annual hourly workload of the student’s work required to achieve the expected learning outcomes for a given stage is 1500-1800h, corresponding to 60 ECTS; the student’s weekly hourly workload is 45 h; 1 ECTS point corresponds to 25-30 hours of student work needed to achieve the assumed learning outcomes; weekly student workload necessary to achieve the assumed learning outcomes allows to obtain 1.5 ECTS; work required to pass the course, which has been assigned 3 ECTS, constitutes 10% of the semester student load. view allocation of credits
Language:	English
Type of course:	obligatory courses
Prerequisites (description):	Computational skills are very desired. Science and mathematics on high-school level.
Mode:	Classroom
Short description:	The goal of the course is to provide information on fundamental climatic mechanisms. Particular attention will be paid to the recent climate change (global warming). Students will read most important texts concerning fundamentals and recent developments in climate and climate change research (including key papers in leading scientific journals) and discuss the outcome. Readings will be provided by the lecturer, who will initiate and moderate discussions.
Full description:	The outline of the course is as follows: 1) Climate vs. weather. Climate system: components and parameters. Climate measurements and observations. 2) Energy balance of planet Earth. Solar constant, planetary albedo, greenhouse effect. Climate forcings and feedbacks. 3) Natural climate forcings and climate changes across geological history of the planet. Anthropocentric climate forcing and actual climate change. 4) Human fingerprints on climate: evidence. 5) Climate modeling: principles, verification, projections. Climate scenarios. Carbon budget. 6) IPCC assessment and special reports.
Bibliography:	• Andrew E. Deessler, Introduction to Modern Climate Change, Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (September 19, 2016). • Raymond T. Pierrehumbert, Principles of planetary climate, Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (December 2, 2010). • David Archer, The Global Carbon Cycle, Princeton University Press (November 1, 2010). • David Archer, Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast, Wiley; 2 edition (September 21, 2011). • http://forecast.uchicago.edu/models.html • https://www.noaa.gov/categories/climate-change • https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-guide • http://climexp.knmi.nl/plot_atlas_form.py Selected scientific publications (changing year-to-year).
Learning outcomes:	Understanding differences between weather and climate. Understanding trends and anomalies. Understanding energy balance, radiative forcing, feedbacks, climate sensitivity. Ability to explain greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases. Knowledge about climatic data sources and availability. Understanding natural and anthropogenic climate forcings and their effects in past and present climate. Basic knowledge on climate modeling, application to past, present and future climate. Understanding climate projections and their uncertainties. Knowledge on IPCC reports, public discussion on climate change, media coverage. Ability to distinguish between information and disinformation about climate and climate change.
Assessment methods and assessment criteria:	40% - continuous assessment, 60% - final written assessment
Internships:	-

This course is not currently offered.

Course descriptions are protected by copyright.
Copyright by University of Warsaw.