Schedule
This schedule shows the subject matter and assigned reading for every class day, along with expected homework dates. Please check back here frequently as the schedule is subject to change.
Note, the numbers under Reading refer to sections in the Climate Modelling Primer 4th ed. unless otherwise stated.
Readings must be completed before class on the day indicated.
Date | Lecture topic | Reading | Homework | Notes |
01/21/2016 | Introduction, syllabus and 'What is a climate model?' | |||
01/26/2016 | The planetary energy budget, and Fun with Python | 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 | ||
01/28/2016 | The Zero-dimensional energy balance model and numerical time-stepping | 1.4, 1.5 | Assignment 1 out | |
02/02/2016 | Components of the climate system | 2.1 | ||
02/04/2016 | A history and taxonomy of climate models | 2.2, 2.3 | ||
02/09/2016 | Feedback and climate sensitivity | 2.4 | Assignment 1 due | |
02/11/2016 | Exercises on feedback and climate sensitivity | 2.5, 2.6 | Assignment 2 out | |
02/16/2016 | Solar radiation | 3.1, 3.2 | ||
02/18/2016 | Orbital variations, insolation and the ice ages | 3.3 | Assignment 2 due | |
02/23/2016 | The Jupyter notebook format, and orbital calculations with climlab | 3.4 | Assignment 3 out | |
02/25/2016 | Orbital calculations, continued | 3.5 | ||
03/01/2016 | Poleward heat transport: observations and parameterization | 3.6 | ||
03/03/2016 | The 1D diffusive Energy Balance Model | 3.7, 3.8 | Assignment 3 due | |
03/08/2016 | Albedo feedback in the EBM | Assignment 4 out | ||
03/10/2016 | Midterm exam | |||
03/15/2016 | NO CLASS (Spring Break) | |||
03/17/2016 | NO CLASS (Spring Break) | |||
03/22/2016 | Blackbody radiation and the greenhouse effect | 4.1, 4.2 | ||
03/24/2016 | Two-level leaky greenhouse model | 4.3 | Assignment 4 due | |
03/29/2016 | Lapse rate and convective adjustment | 4.4 | ||
03/31/2016 | Radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE) | 4.5 | ||
04/05/2016 | Ozone and water vapor in RCE | 4.6 | Assignment 5 out | |
04/07/2016 | Working with gridded data in the NetCDF format | 4.7, 4.8 | ||
04/12/2016 | Transient climate change, ocean heat uptake and committed warming | 5.1, 5.2 | ||
04/14/2016 | Intro to GCMs | 5.3 | Assignment 5 due | |
04/19/2016 | Planetary energy budget in the CESM | 5.4.1 - 5.4.3 | ||
04/21/2016 | Cloud radiative effect and climate sensitity in the CESM | 5.4.4 - 5.4.6 | Final project proposal due | |
04/26/2016 | Comprehensive models and their skill: CMIP5 | 5.5, 5.6 | ||
04/28/2016 | Climate projections in CMIP5 | 5.7 | ||
05/03/2016 | Summary and review | Chapter 6 | Final project due | |
05/12/2016 | Final exam | 1:00pm - 3:00pm in ES 328 | University exam schedule |