ATM 552: Climate Change

This course discusses the current scientific understanding regarding anthropogenic climate change, including uncertainties and inherent limitations. Topics covered will include, among others, modeling aspects of climate change, greenhouse gas forcing and future emission scenarios, the role of aerosols and black carbon in global brightening and dimming, carbon cycle feedbacks, detection and attribution studies (fingerprinting), regional climate change, impacts of climate change on cryosphere, sea-level rise, extreme events, etc. and mitigation and adaptation strategies. The most recent IPCC reports (AR6 -2021/22; SR1.5- 2018; SROCC-2019) will serve as the basis for discussions but will be supplemented with results emerging from more recent studies.

INSTRUCTOR:   

Mathias Vuille  

ETEC 439

ph.: 442-4472

mvuille@albany.edu

TIME AND LOCATION: TBD

CREDITS: 3

TEXTBOOK: no textbook required; we will instead read and discuss relevant papers for each topic. In addition, we will rely on material from the IPCC 6th Assessment report. 

OFFICE HOURS: by appointment.

FORMAT: The class is a mixture of lectures, seminar-style discussions and student presentations. Course material, including class lectures and papers are posted on Brightspace.

EVALUATION: 

1) Homework assignments (10%)  

2) Mid-term exam (35% each)

3) Oral presentation in class (20%)

4) Research or review paper on topic chosen by student (35%)