Weather, Climate & Society

Syllabus

Introduction

Class Outline

Syllabus

Calendar

Lecture Summaries

Lecture Notes

Homework Assignments

Term Paper Info

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1. Introduction -- Does the weather really matter?

2. Atmospheric composition and structure
   Composition of the lower atmosphere
   Water vapor and the hydrologic cycle
   Carbon dioxide and the carbon cycle
   Stratospheric ozone and the ozone hole
   Air pollution and acid rain
   Earth's energy balance and the greenhouse effect

3. The atmosphere and the weather
   Pressure and winds
   Water vapor in the atmosphere
   Temperature, humidity, and human comfort
   Clouds and precipitation
   Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes
   Tropical cyclones and hurricanes
   Lightning and thunder
   Severe weather impacts

4. Climate and the general circulation
   Weather versus climate
   General circulation of the atmosphere and oceans
   Causes of climate change
   Ocean-atmosphere interactions - Monsoon circulations

5. Climate through human history
   Reconstructing climate
   The climate of the Pleistocene
   The climate of the Holocene
   Climate and the rise of man
   Climate of the last Millennium

6. Contemporary Climate
   Weather forecasting
   Modeling climate
   Climate models and their prediction of climate change
   Potential impacts of global warming