Climate Change

6 EC

Semester 2, period 6

5264CLCH6Y

Owner Master Earth Sciences
Coordinator dr. Cynthia Maan PhD
Part of Master Earth Sciences, track Environmental Management, Master Earth Sciences, track Geo-Ecological Dynamics, Master Earth Sciences, track Future Planet Ecosystem Science, Minor Science for Sustainability, year 1

Course manual 2022/2023

Course content

Climate is an important boundary condition for natural ecosystems and human societies. Climate change causes stress on natural ecosystems and provides challenges (and sometimes opportunities) for human society. In the past, climate has changed due to several natural factors. Nowadays human activities are also interfering with climate and causing extra climate change. This course seeks to deepen your knowledge about climatology, meteorology and climate change by studying the relevant literature and writing an essay.

The lectures will cover most chapters from Houghton (2015). Each student selects a chapter from the 2013-2014, the 2018-2019 report or 2022-2023 IPCC Assessment Report and presents this chapter. All students read the executive summary of this chapter and the chapter is discussed in class. The student writes an essay on a climate change related subject and presents this essay at the final presentations. Also a debate on a climate related subject will be organized during the course.

Study materials

Literature

  • Houghton (2015) Climate change, the complete briefing (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 396 pp. ISBN 978-1-107-46379-0.

Other

  • Scientific publications from peer reviewed journals.

  • IPCC Reports 2013/2014, 2018, 2019 and 2022 (Available at www.ipcc.ch).

Objectives

  • The student can describe the important processes forming the Earth's climate
  • The student can explain the basic physics of climate change
  • The student can describe the function of models in climate change research
  • The student can assess and review scientific research and discuss it in a scientifically relevant way
  • The student can find scientific literature on a climate change related subject
  • The student can orally present findings from scientific literature
  • The student can write a literature review on a climate change related subject
  • The student can explain the first principles of climate change in relatively simple words/language and present them convincingly.
  • The student can debate on political questions regarding climate change

Teaching methods

  • Lecture
  • Presentation/symposium
  • Writing an essay
  • Self-study

Lectures, discussions, presentations by students.

Learning activities

Activity

Number of hours

 

Lectures & discussion

26

 

Presentation

12

 
Self-study

130

 
Total

168

 

Attendance

Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):

  1. Attendance during practical components exercises is mandatory.

Additional requirements for this course:

Because discussions and presentations are important to meet the objectives, and because these are part of the grading, attendance is mandatory and active participation is required.

Assessment

Item and weight Details

Final grade

Final grade

Inspection of assessed work

The manner of inspection will be communicated via the digitial learning environment.

Assignments

Essay

  • The student writes an essay of about 5000 (+/- 1000) words on a subject related to climate change. For the essay the student uses 15-20 articles (or more), of which at least 12 are peer reviewed scientific papers. 

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Week nr. Day Subject Study materials
  1 Kickoff meeting
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 1:Global warming and climate change
  • IPPC, 2013. The Physical Science Basis, Summary for Policymakers.
  2

The Greenhouse Effect
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 2: The greenhouse effect
  • Cubash et al. 2013. Introduction (Chapter 1 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
  • Hartman et al. 2013. Observations: Atmosphere and Surface (Chapter 2 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
  3 Greenhouse Gases 
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 2: The greenhouse gases.
  • Ciais et al. 2013. Carbon and Other Biogeochemical Cycles (Chapter 6 in IPCC 2013) - Executive Summary.
  • Boucher et al. 2013. Clouds and Aerosols (Chapter 7 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
 

4

 

Climates of the Past
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 4: Climates of the past.
  • Masson-Delmotte et al. 2013. Information from Paleoclimate Archives (Chapter 5 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
  • Noble et al. 2014. Adaptation needs and options.(Chapter 14 in AR5-WG2) - Executive summary.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students

Chapters of the IPCC reports depend on the choices of students
 

 

 -

Deadline essay: Student sends a list of at least 10 papers to Cynthia Maan.
  5 Why we should be concerned
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 8: Why should we be concerned?
  • Myhre et al. 2013. Anthropogenic and Natural Radiative Forcing (Chapter 8 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students
 

6

 Modelling the Climate
  • Flato et al. 2013. Evaluation of Climate Models (Ch 9 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
  • ArchutRao et al. 2013. Detection and Attribution of Climate Change: from Global to Regional (Ch 10 in IPCC 2013) - Executive summary.
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 5: Modelling the climate.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students
  7 Climate in the 21st Century and Beyond
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 8: Climate change for the 21st Century and Beyond.
  • Alblaster et al. 2013. Long-term Climate Change: Projections, Commitments and Irreversibility (Ch 12 in IPCC 2013).
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students
  8 Weighing the Uncertainty
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 9: Weighing the uncertainty.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students
  9 The Impact of Climate Change
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 7: The impacts of climate change.
  • Field et al. 2014. IPCC 2014 WG2: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. - Summary for Policy Makers.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students
  10 Mitigation of Climate Change
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 11: Energy and transport for the future.
  • Edenhofer et al. 2014. IPCC 2014 WG3: Mitigation of Climate Change - Summary for Policy Makers.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students
 

11

 Long Term Policy to Address Climate Change
  • Houghton (2015) Chapter 10: A strategy for action to avoid dangerous climate change.
  • Chapters  IPCC reports depending choices of students

Deadline essay: Submit abstract for symposium bundle.
 

 

 -

Deadline essay: Submit the draft of the essay by email.
  12 Essay presentations -
    Feedback moment Comments by Cynthia Maan (first in, first out).
    - Deadline essay: Submit final version of the essay

Additional information

Basic knowledge climatology or meteorology is required.

A Canvas page is available. Here all the PowerPoints and presentation schemes etc. will be published. Also, the Canvas page contains information on recent scientific publications and news items related to climate change.

Contact information

Coordinator

  • dr. Cynthia Maan PhD