Duration
30h Th, 8h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in geography : climatology (120 ECTS) | 4 crédits | |||
| Master in geography, global change (120 ECTS) | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The main theoretical chapters are as follows :
Partim 1
1. The climate system and its components
2. History and challenges of climate modelling
3. Selected applications of climate models (part 1)
Partim 2
1. Energy balance models
2. Earth Models of Intermediate Complexity
3. Coupled three-dimensional models of the climate system
- atmospheric general circulation models
- oceanic general circulation models
- ice models
- dynamic vegetation models
- carbon cycle models
4. Selected applications of climate models (part 2)
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The objectives are :
(1) to provide the students with an overview of climate modelling
(2) tho illustrate some applications modelling to the study of (past and future) climate change
(3) to introduce the student to the use of climate models
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Partim 1
No prerquisite knowledge
Partim 2
Knowledge of meteorology and of the fundamentals equations of the atmosphere. This knowledge can be acquired within the course "SPAT0024-2 Meteorology".
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The tutorials will allow the student to get acquainted with the simple climatic models. One-dimensional energy balance and radiative-convective models will be used in continuity with the chapters of the theoretical lessons. Simple experiments based on an intermediate complexity model will be led and analyzed.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
The course is organised in 3-hour lectures, during the first semester. Computers are used in the tutorials (5 working sessions of 4-hour each).
Academic year 2019-2020:
Partim 1
lectures on Monday afternoon (13h00) and Wednesday afternoon (13h30). First lecture on Monday February 12th from 13h00 to 16h00. Room R/12, Building B11.
Partim 2
lectures on Monday morning (9h00) and Wednesday morning (9h00). First lecture on Monday 21st October, 2019. Room R/12, Building B11.
Recommended or required readings
The theoretical part of this lesson is widely based on the book "The climate modelling primer" of K. McGuffie and A. Henderson-Sellers (John Wiley & Sons, 2014). The fourth edition of this work was strongly reshaped according to the recent results of this rapidly growing field. The text offers the advantage of a clear summary presentation, and nevertheless complete, of climate modelling, avoiding the too complex mathematical developments. This book is particularly well designed for an education in the sections of geography. Its price is relatively affordable. Other bibliographical references will be used according to needs.
The pdf files of the lectures are available to the students.
Assessment methods and criteria
Theoretical chapters: oral examination.
Tutorials: examination including exercises on computer (applications of models used in the class and interpretation of the results)
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Louis François, Professor, Institute of Astrophysics et and Geophysics (B5c build.), Phone: (+32) (4) 366-9776 e-mail: Louis.Francois@uliege.be