Physics of Climate - 615.775

To understand the forces that cause global climate variability, we must understand the natural forces that drive our weather and our oceans. This course covers the fundamental science underlying the nature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its ocean. This includes development of the basic equations for the atmosphere and ocean, the global radiation balance, description of oceanic and atmospheric processes, and their interactions and variability. Also included will be a description of observational systems used for climate studies and monitoring, fundamentals underlying global circulation, and climate prediction models. Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate degree in physics or engineering or equivalent, with strong background in mathematics through the calculus level.