Climate
Modeling (METEO 523, 3 credits)
Course
Syllabus for Fall 2008
Instructor: Michael
E. Mann, Department of
Meteorology, 523 Walker Building, mann@psu.edu
Meeting Time/Place: T R 2:30-3:45P (101 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, 2:30-3:45 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/METEO523FALL08/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 Thursday Oct 30.
LECTURE
SCHEDULE (tentative and subject to change)
#
DATE
TOPIC Reading Assignment
|
1 |
T Aug 26 |
Introduction |
1; 2 |
|
|
2 |
R Aug 28 |
Equations of Motion |
3.1-3.2.1 |
|
|
3 |
T Sep 2 |
Equations of Motion (cont); Energy Equation |
3.1-3.2.1; 3.4.1 |
|
|
4 |
R Sep 4 |
Equation of State for Atmosphere |
3.5;3.5.1 |
PS #1 assigned |
|
5 |
T Sep 9 |
Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere |
3.2.2
|
|
|
|
R Sep 11 |
Guest
Lecture – App. to Hurricane Power Dissipat. |
supplementary readings |
|
|
6 |
T Sep 16 |
Filtering of the equations for Atmosphere (cont) |
3.2.2
|
|
|
7 |
R Sep 18 |
Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation |
3.2.2; 7
|
|
|
|
T Sep 23 |
Guest Lecture – Hurric. impact on ocean heat trans. |
supplementary readings |
|
|
|
R Sep 25 |
Guest Lecture – Climate influences
on Hurric. |
supplementary readings |
|
|
8 |
T Sep 30 |
Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation (cont) |
3.2.2; 7 |
PS #1
Due |
|
9 |
R Oct 2 |
Hydrological cycle; Salinity; Ocean Eq. of State |
12;12.1.1-12.5.2 |
PS #2
assigned |
|
|
T Oct 7 |
No Class |
3.5.2 |
|
|
10 |
R Oct 9 |
Filtering of the equations for Ocean |
3.2.3 |
|
|
11 |
T Oct 14 |
Large-scale Ocean Circulation |
3.2.3;8 |
|
|
12 |
R Oct 16 |
Large-scale Ocean Circulation
(cont) |
3.2.3;8
|
|
|
13 |
T Oct 21 |
Large-scale Ocean Circulation
(cont) |
10-10.7
|
PS #2 Due |
|
|
R Oct 23 |
Guest
Lecture – Modeling Glacial Climates |
|
|
|
|
T Oct 28 |
No
Class |
|
|
|
|
R Oct 30 |
Mid-term |
|
|
|
|
T Nov 4 |
No Class |
|
|
|
|
R Nov 6 |
No Class |
|
|
|
|
T Nov 11 |
Guest Lecture – Modeling Greenhouse Climates |
|
|
|
14 |
R Nov 13 |
Energy Balance and Energy Balance Models (EBMs) |
6-6.3; 6.6-6.8; Supplemental Readings |
|
|
15 |
T Nov 18 |
EBMs (continued) |
Supplemental Readings |
PS #3 Assigned |
|
16 |
R Nov 20 |
Atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs) |
Supplemental Readings |
|
|
|
T Nov 25 |
No
Class [Thanksgiving Break] |
11.3 |
|
|
|
R Nov 27 |
No
Class [Thanksgiving Break] |
8.1-8.2.4 |
|
|
17 |
T Dec 2 |
Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models (AOGCMs) |
Supplemental Readings |
|
|
18 |
R Dec 4 |
Tropical Ocean-Atmosphere dynamics; ENSO |
Supplemental Readings |
|
|
20 |
T Dec 9 |
ENSO (cont) |
Supplemental Readings |
|
|
21 |
R Dec 11 |
Climate Change |
Supplemental Readings |
Prob Set #3 Due |