Duration
Part 1 : Atmosphere : 10h Th, 20h Pr
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle : 15h Th, 25h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in geography : climatology (120 ECTS) | 7 crédits |
Lecturer
Part 1 : Atmosphere : Xavier Fettweis
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle : Louis François
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Part 1 : Atmosphere
The lectures begin with a quick introduction to regional climate modelling where problems connected to the choice of the integration domain, the pre-/post-possessing, the double nesting, the 2-way coupling, ... are presented. Afterwards, the tutorials introduce the students to the use of the atmospheric regional climate MAR (for Modèle Atmosphérique Régional in French) model. Its outputs will be used in Partim 2 to force a vegetation on a particular region of the world. The simulation will be performed on Linux powered supercomputers (CECI).
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
The lectures begin with a quick introduction to the modelling of the continental surface processes in climate models. It includes the modelling of the exchanges of heat, water and CO2 between the soil, the vegetation and the atmosphere, as well as the processes governing the dynamic evolution of the vegetal cover (leaf area index, vegetation types, etc.).
Then, the tutorials introduce the students to the use of the CARAIB dynamic vegetation model. Applications are developed for specific regions selected by the students (e.g., some European countries), by using as inputs the datasets obtained as outputs of the climate simulations performed in the first series of lectures (partim 1).
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Part 1 : Atmosphere
The objective of the lectures is to introduce the students to the use of complex climate models.
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
The objective of the lectures is to introduce the students to the use of vegetation models.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Part 1 : Atmosphere
- SPAT0024 Meteorology - CLIM0002 Climate models: principles and applications - CLIM0014-1 Programming in service of climatology (partim 1) - CLIM0017-5 Programming in service of climatology (partim 2)
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
- SPAT0024 Meteorology - CLIM0002 Climate models: principles and applications - CLIM0014-1 Programmation au service de la climatologie (partim 1) - CLIM0017-5 Programmation au service de la climatologie (partim 2)
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Part 1 : Atmosphere
The tutorials will be dedicated to the use and handling of the MAR regional model on Linux powered supercomputers.
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
The tutorials will be dedicated to the use of a dynamic vegetation model.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Part 1 : Atmosphere
The lectures are organized in 3-hour modules during the first semester. Computers under Linux are used for the tutorials.
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
The lectures are organized in 3-hour modules during the first semester. Computers under Linux are used for the tutorials.
Schedule 2016-2017: 1st semester, Thursday morning from 9h00 to 12h00.
First lecture: Thursday September 21, 2017, Room TP 0/1, Build. B11.
2nd lecture: Oct 5, 2017, 9h00 à 12h00, salle TP 0/1, Bât. B11, then every Thusday morning, same time, same room.
Recommended or required readings
Part 1 : Atmosphere
The pdf files of the lecture slides are available for the students on http://www.climato.be/cours/CLIM0017.
Reference articles of the MAR are presented to the students during the first lesson.
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
The pdf files of the lecture slides are available for the students.
Reference articles of the CARAIB model are presented to the students during the lectures.
Assessment methods and criteria
Part 1 : Atmosphere
Every student has to model a particular domain of the world and is evaluated on the basis of the (oral) presentation of the results he obtained in the tutorials.
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
Every student has to model a particular domain of Europe or of another continent and is evaluated on the basis of the (oral) presentation of the results he obtained in the tutorials.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Part 1 : Atmosphere
Dr. Xavier Fettweis, FNRS, Department of Geography - Laboratory of Climatology Web: http://www.climato.be/fettweis
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
Louis François, Professor, Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique (Bât. B5c), Tél.: (+32) (4) 366-9776 e-mail: Louis.Francois@ulg.ac.be
Items online
Part 1 : Atmosphere
Items online
The slides as well as the examples shown during the lectures are available on
Part 2 : Vegetation and carbon cycle
Online notes
On-line notes available on UMCCB website