Climate and Global Change
Code: 106786Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences | OB | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Ariane Arias Ortiz
- Email :
- ariane.arias@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Graham Mortyn
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites.
Objectives
This course explores the physical processes determining Earth's climate, focusing on anthropogenic climate change. It will study the components of the Earth's climate system and the history of climate change. It will also discuss how climate change is measured and evidenced through instrumental observations, documentary data, and environmental proxies. The causes of climate changes, including factors such as ocean currents, volcanic and solar activity, orbital variations, and greenhouse gases, will also be analyzed.
Additionally, the course will cover future climate prediction using global and local models. Finally, the anthropogenic climate change will be addressed, focusing on the impacts of global change related to temperature, sea level, and rainfall patterns, as well as on human population, economy, consumption, development, and energy and land use. The consequences of climate change, including pollution, migrations, biodiversity, food security, and health will be discussed.
By the end of the course, students should be able to understand the scientific foundations of climate change, climate variability, and various basic climate phenomena, the reliability of climate predictions, and their consequences. This course aims to provide basic insights into the Earth's climate system and how its functioning affects and is affected by human activities.
Learning outcomes
- CM44 (Interpret the social, economic and environmental impact of issues related to demographic flows, global change or management in companies.) Interpret the social, economic and environmental impact of issues related to demographic flows, global change or management in companies.
- CM46 (Contrast the different current and future options for environmental risk management, especially in the context of resource management, human health, and global and climate change.) Contrast the different current and future options for environmental risk management, especially in the context of resource management, human health, and global and climate change.
- KM57 (Identify the complex network of knowledge necessary to comprehensively address the main contemporary challenges in environmental science.) Identify the complex network of knowledge necessary to comprehensively address the main contemporary challenges in environmental science.
- KM58 (Recognise the relationship between human activity and processes of global and climate change, in particular the actors involved in this relationship and the possible strategies for adaptation/mitigation.) Recognise the relationship between human activity and processes of global and climate change, in particular the actors involved in this relationship and the possible strategies for adaptation/mitigation.
- SM55 (Integrate different types of scientific, technological and social knowledge necessary for the in-depth analysis of environmental processes related to human health, climate change, and environmental management in companies, among others.) Integrate different types of scientific, technological and social knowledge necessary for the in-depth analysis of environmental processes related to human health, climate change, and environmental management in companies, among others.
Contents
- The Earth's Climate System
- The atmosphere, oceans, atmosphere-ocean interactions, the cryosphere, the lithosphere, and the biosphere.
- Solar radiation and the Earth's energy balance. The Earth's climate zones.
- Radiative forcing and climate system feedbacks.
- Causes of Climate Change
- Brief history of climate changes over the last 5 million years up to the present.
- Solar activity. Orbital variations.
- Changes in atmospheric composition.
- Time Scales
- Measuring and Evidencing Climate Change
- Instrumental observations, documentary data, and indirect (proxy) records.
- Predicting Future Climate
- Global climate models.
- Climate change prediction: scenarios.
- Global Change (possibly taught in English)
- Global change vs. climate change.
- Human population, demography, urbanization, development, land-use change.
- Consequences of Global Change (possibly taught in English)
- Acceleration of the hydrological cycle.
- Hurricanes.
- Arctic amplification.
- Pollution.
- Biodiversity loss and invasive species.
- Migration.
- Agriculture and food security.
- Human health.
- Project on the Impacts of Climate and Global Change
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practicum | 10 | 0.4 | CM46, KM57, SM55 |
| Readings | 86 | 3.44 | CM44, CM46 |
| Lectures | 38 | 1.52 | CM44, CM46, KM57, KM58 |
| Tutoring sessions | 2 | 0.08 | CM44, KM57, SM55 |
Lectures and discussion of topics in class between students and professors. The idea is to facilitate active and inclusive participation. The topics covered in class will be controversial points, current events, and local phenomena whenever possible. The course will include other researchers in conferences in addition to the formal lectures.
The course will also include practical cases, solving exercises in the classroom, and the completion of a group project related to the causes and consequences of climate and global change.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second term exam | 35/100 | 2 | 0.08 | CM44, CM46, KM58, SM55 |
| Group Project | 30/100 | 10 | 0.4 | CM44, KM57, KM58, SM55 |
| First term exam | 35/100 | 2 | 0.08 | CM44, CM46, KM58, SM55 |
70% of the final grade is calculated based on the average grades from two independent midterm exams.
The remaining 30% of the final grade corresponds to the grade for submitting and presenting a group project on the impacts of climate change and/or global change. Assignments will be checked using Turnitin or an equivalent tool. The purpose is to verify originality and prevent plagiarism.
To pass the course, the average grade must be equal to or greater than 5 (out of 10), and the grade for each midterm exam must be equal to or greater than 4 (out of 10). Otherwise, each assessment with a grade below 4 must be retaken in the recovery exam. To attend the recovery exam, the student must have previously been assessed in continuous assessment activities equivalent to 2/3 of the final grade.
Single evaluation: The single evaluation consists of a single exam covering all the theoretical content of the course. The exam will be held on the same date scheduled for the second midterm exam, and the same recovery system will apply as for the continuous evaluation. In any case, the student must have completed and submitted the project. The grade of the single exam must be equal to or greater than 4 for it to be averaged with the project's grade in the final grade. Students who wish to opt for this evaluation must request it through the Academic Office.
The final grade will be NOT EVALUATED if the student has not attended any of the exams.
Bibliography
Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future
https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1eqfv2p/alma991011069808406709
Sixth IPCC Report: \"The Physical Science Basis\".
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
Global Physical Climatology, D.L. Hartmann, Academic Press
https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1eqfv2p/alma991008482769706709
Atmosphere, ocean, and climate dynamics: an introductory text, John Marshall and R. Alan Plumb.
https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1eqfv2p/alma991010898081306709
Physics of climate, José P. Peixoto and Abraham H. Oort
https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1eqfv2p/alma991007575649706709
Intro to R
https://datacarpentry.org/R-ecology-lesson/
Intro to Python
Software
Apart from the basic software, the rest will be free software, such as R or Python.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 2 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |