Books:
-
Dennis L. Hartmann: Global Physical Climatology (International Geophysics,
Vol 56)
Outline:
The Climate System: Description, Physical processes, and Future
Instructor: Yochanan Kushnir
1. Introduction: definitions and components of the climate system
1. Description of Present Climate
1.1 Mean state of our climate
1.2 Atmosphere
1.3 Oceans
1.4 Land and Biosphere
2 Processes governing climate
2.1 Radiative forcing
2.2 Surface heat budget
2.3 Hydrological cycle
2.4 Circulation systems
2.4.1 The governing laws: conservation of mass, momentum and heat
2.4.2 Atmospheric circulation
2.4.3 Oceanic circulation
3. Climate Variability
3.1 Evolution of the Earth climate on geological time scales.
3.2 Climate variability in the modern record:
3.2.1 The pattern, time scales and cause of natural climate variability.
3.2.2 El Nino
4. Climate Sensitivity and Climate Modeling
4.1 Response of the climate system to external forcing.
4.1 Feedback processes in the climate system.
4.2 Observations of climate sensitivity.
4.3 Climate modeling: methods, achievements and limitations.
5. Climate change
5.1 Human forcing of the climate system.
5.2 Model projections of climate change.
5.3 The climate change debate.