Climate Modeling (METEO 523, 3 credits)

Course Syllabus for Fall 2006

 

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

Meeting Time/Place: T R 2:30-3:45P (218A HOSLER)

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, 1:30-2:45 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 to be covered:

·        Averaging of the Governing Equations for Climate Studies

·        Coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions

·        The Thermohaline and Wind-Driven Ocean Circulation

·        The El Nino/Southern Oscillation

·        Internal Climate Variability

·        Energy Balance Models

Webpage

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

http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~mann/Mann/courses/METEO523FALL06/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 (60%): There will be several (4-5) problem sets assigned that will involve applications of topics covered in class.

Mid-Term (40%): There will a mid-term examination during class on Tuesday Oct 31.

LECTURE SCHEDULE (tentative and subject to change)                                                                                                                                                                    

 

DATE

LECTURE TOPIC

READING

ASSIGNMENT

1

T Sep 5

Introduction

1; 2

 

2

R Sep 7

Equations of Motion

3.1-3.2.1

 

3

T Sep 12

Equations of Motion (cont); Energy Equation

3.1-3.2.1; 3.4.1

PS #1 Assigned

4

R Sep 14

Equation of State for Atmosphere

3.5;3.5.1

 

5

T Sep 19

Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere

3.2.2

 

6

R Sep 21

Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere (cont)

3.2.2

 

7

T Sep 26

Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation

3.2.2; 7

PS #1 Due

8

R Sep 28

Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation (cont)

3.2.2; 7

 

9

T Oct 3

Hydrological cycle; Salinity; Equation of State for Ocean

3.5.2;12;12.1.1-12.5.2

PS #2 Assigned

10

R Oct 5

Filtering of the equations for Ocean

3.2.3

 

11

T Oct 10

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—Ekman (transport and circulation)

3.2.3;8

 

12

R Oct 12

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—Sverdrup transport

Supplemental Readings

 

13

T Oct 17

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—gyre circulation

Supplemental Readings

 

14

R Oct 19

Large-scale Ocean Circulation—thermohaline circulation

Supplemental Readings

PS #2 Due

 

T Oct 24

No Class

 

 

 

R Oct 26

No Class

 

 

 

T Oct 31

Mid-term

 

 

15

R Nov 2

Energy Balance and Energy Balance Models (EBMs)

6-6.3; 6.6-6.8; 10-10.7

PS #3 Assigned

16

T Nov 7

EBMs (continued)

Supplemental Readings

 

17

R Nov 9

Upwelling-Diffusion Models

Supplemental Readings

 

18

T Nov 14

Atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs)

Supplemental Readings

 

19

R Nov 16

Atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs)

Supplemental Readings

PS #3 Due/#4 Assigned

 

T Nov 21

No Class [Thanksgiving Break]

 

 

 

R Nov 23

No Class [Thanksgiving Break]

 

 

20

T Nov 28

Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models (AOGCMs)

Supplemental Readings

 

21

R Nov 30

Tropical Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics; ENSO

Supplemental Readings

 

22

T Dec 5

Tropical Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics; ENSO

Supplemental Readings

 

23

R Dec 7

ENSO (continued)

Supplemental Readings

PS #4 Due

 

T Dec 12

Course evaluations