AOSC401
Global Environment
Fridays
10-12:15 Room: CSS 2416
Credits: 3 Instructor: Prof. Ning Zeng Course
web: http://www.atmos.umd.edu/~zeng/AOSC401/
Outline
This course is really about Global Environmental Change.
It's about changes that are of global scale or of global implication.
For
instance, we will talk more about climate change than air pollution.
Background of the global environment: climate, biosphere,
biogeochemical cycles, geophysics. Natural variabilities on
shorter timescales (ENSO etc.). Changes throughout the Earth's history
(the rise of oxygen, glaciations, extinctions, Gaia Hypothesis,
...). Climate change and ancient civilizations. Human induced
environmental changes: global warming, sea-level rise, ozone depletion,
deforestation,
loss of biodiversity. Impacts of global environmental change on economy
and society. Future of Energy. Engineering and policy options to combat
climate and environmental changes.
The course has broad scope, but we will focus on selected specific
issues, partly depending on students' interest. In particular, students
will read selected chapters of the upcoming IPCC Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and present it to the
class. There will also be a course project.
Syllabus
1. A survey of the global environment (1-2 weeks)
Weather and climate
Biogeography
Ocean ecosystem
Biogeochemical cycles
2. Processes underlying the natural variability (3 weeks)
Solid Earth
Ocean
Land
Atmosphere
3. Short-term variability (1 week)
ENSO
Drought
Disturbances such as fire
4. Environmental changes in the past (3 weeks)
Holocene: environmental change and the rise and fall
of civilizations
Glacial-interglacial cycles
Last 500 million years and beyond
5 Human induced changes I (1 week)
Sea-level rise
Acid rain, Ozone
Land-use: deforestation
Biodiversity
6. Human induced changes II: global warming (3-4 weeks)
Recent changes
Projections
Integrated assessment
7. Impact of climate change on future energy use and options (1-2 weeks)
Rnewable energy resources
9. Geoengineering (1 week)
Grading
Method
Students will be evaluated based on two in-class quiz, 1-2
reading/presentation, and a hands-on project.
Reference books (no
required text book)
The Earth System, Second Edition (Paperback)
by Lee R. Kump, James F. Kasting, Robert G. Crane
Earth's Climate: Past and Future
William Ruddiman
Instructor:
Prof. Ning Zeng
Office: CSS 2421
Phone: (301)
405-5377 Fax: (301) 314-9482
Email: zeng@atmos.umd.edu
http://www.atmos.umd.edu/~zeng/
Office Hour
Fridays from 12:15 or by appointment
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