Climate Dynamics (METEO 470, 3 credits)

Course Syllabus for Spring 2008

 

Instructor: Michael E. Mann, Department of Meteorology, 523 Walker Building, mann@psu.edu

Meeting Time/Place: MWF 1:25-2:15P (110 Walker)

Office Hours: You are encouraged to use email for questions when possible. You are welcome to visit my office for questions during scheduled office hours (Wed, 2:45-4:00 PM), or by appointment.

Motivation:

In order to under and model the climate system, we need to understand the dynamics of the underlying components, including the atmosphere and ocean, and the mechanisms by which they are coupled.

In this course, we will model the dynamics and thermodynamics governing the ocean and atmosphere on spatial and temporal scales appropriate for climate studies. We will investigate the processes by which the dynamics of the ocean and atmosphere are coupled on these timescales, with the goal of understanding the basic mechanisms of climate variability. Topics discussed will include the thermohaline and wind-driven ocean circulation, energy balance, the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), internal and forced climate variability, and climate change.

Webpage

We will regularly draw upon the course homepage as a resource for the course:

http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~mann/Mann/courses/METEO470SPR08/index.html

Aside from links to the course syllabus, there will be links to the readings, problem sets, slides from the lectures, and other course-related materials.

Lectures

Attendance of all lectures is expected. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions and participate constructively in class. Copies of slides from the lectures will usually be made available electronically through the course website (see above) within 2-3 days following the lecture.

Textbook

The course textbook is: 

Peixoto and Oort (1992), Physics of Climate, 2nd Edition, American Institute of Physics Press, 564pp.

Where appropriate, supplementary readings taken from various sources will be posted on the course website.

Grading

Problem Sets (40%): There will be several (4) problem sets assigned that will involve applications of topics covered in class.  You may discuss the problems with each other, but the problem set you turn in should reflect your own individual effort.

Mid-Term Exam (20%): There will be a mid-term examination roughly mid-way through the semester.

Final Exam (40%): There will a final examination for the course at the scheduled time and date.

 

LECTURE SCHEDULE (tentative and subject to change)                                                                                                                                                                    

 

DATE

LECTURE TOPIC

READING

ASSIGNMENT

1

M Jan 14

Introduction

1; 2

 

2

W Jan 16

Equations of Motion

3.1-3.2.1

 

3

F  Jan 18

Equations of Motion

3.1-3.2.1

 

 

M Jan 21

No Class [MLK Birthday]

 

 

4

W Jan 23

Equations of Motion (cont); Energy Equation

3.1-3.2.1; 3.4.1

PS #1 Assigned

5

F  Jan 25

Equation of State for Atmosphere

3.5;3.5.1

 

6

M Jan 28

Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere

3.2.2

 

 

W Jan 30

No Class

 

 

 

F Feb 1

No Class

 

 

7

M Feb 4

Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere (cont)

3.2.2

 

8

W Feb 6

Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere (cont)

 

9

F Feb 8

Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation

3.2.2; 7

PS #1 Due

10

M Feb 11

Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation (cont)

 

11

W Feb 13

Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation (cont)

 

PS #2 Assigned

12

F Feb 15

Hydrological cycle; Salinity; Equation of State for Ocean

3.5.2;12;12.1.1-12.5.2

 

13

M Feb 18

Filtering of the equations for Ocean

3.2.3

 

14

W Feb 20

Filtering of the equations for Ocean (cont)

 

15

F Feb 22

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—Ekman transport

3.2.3;8

 

G1

M Feb 25

Guest Lecture: Use of Tracers to Map Ocean Circulation

 

 

G2

W Feb 27

Guest Lecture: Role of Oceans in Paleoclimate

 

 

16

F Feb 29

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—Ekman circulation

3.2.3;8

PS #2 Due

17

M Mar 3

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—Sverdrup transport

Supplemental Readings

 

 

W Mar 5

Mid-term

 

 

 

F Mar 7

No Class

 

 

 

M Mar 10

No Class [Spring Break]

 

 

 

W Mar 12

No Class [Spring Break]

 

 

 

F Mar 14

No Class [Spring Break]

 

 

 

M Mar 17

No Class

 

 

G3

W Mar 19

Guest Lecture: Glacial Climates

 

 

G4

F Mar 21

Guest Lecture: Greenhouse Climates

 

 

18

M Mar 24

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—gyre circulation

Supplemental Readings

PS #3 Assigned

19

W Mar 26

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—gyre circulation (cont)

 

20

F Mar 28

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—thermohaline circulation (THC)

 

 

M Mar 31

No Class

 

 

G5

W Apr 2

Guest Lecture: Early Earth Climates

 

 

G6

F Apr 4

Guest Lecture: Recent Research in THC/AMOC

 

 

21

M  Apr 7

Energy and Radiation Balance

6-6.3; 6.6-6.8; 10-10.7

 

22

W Apr 9

Energy Balance Models (EBMs)

Supplemental Readings

 

23

F Apr 11

Energy Balance Models (EBMs) (cont)

PS #3 Due

24

M Apr 14

Upwelling-Diffusion Models

 

PS #4 Assigned

25

W Apr 16

Tropical Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics; ENSO

Supplemental Readings

 

26

F Apr 18

ENSO (cont)

 

27

M Apr 21

Atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs)

Supplemental Readings

 

28

W Apr 23

Atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs)

 

 

F Apr 25

No Class

 

 

29

M Apr 28

Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models (AOGCMs)

Supplemental Readings

 

30

W Apr 30

Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models (AOGCMs)

 

31

F May 2

Anthropogenic Climate Change

Supplemental Readings

PS #4 Due