GEOG 2800
Climate Change
Most models of the atmosphere predict that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases will continue to warm the surface of the earth and the oceans in the twenty-first century. The magnitude of the warming and its consequences are still very controversial. This class will discuss, mainly from a nonmathematical viewpoint, the reasons for the greenhouse effect, the current warming in the context of the historical record of climate change, and sources of natural climate variability such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation. It will also review arguments that attribute the warming that has occurred in the Twentieth century to natural variability, and those that attribute the warming to increased human emission of greenhouse gases.
Sections
From the syllabus
From the Fall 2026 syllabus by Quan Dau, Nicole Chisholm, and Phillipe Gauvin-Bourdon. Open the PDF
Grading
Textbooks
- Introduction to Modern Climate Change, 3rd Edition, A. E. Dessler (optional)
- Climate Change: Observed Impacts on Planet Earth, 3rd Edition, T. M. Letcher (optional)
- Climate Box Textbook, UNDP (optional, free)
Course rules
- Attendance
- Students are expected to attend in person; attendance is checked by QR code or link during a five-minute window.
- Late work
- Assignments submitted late without an approved extension lose 10% per day.
- Missed assignments
- A missed assignment receives zero.
- Missed midterm
- There is no make-up midterm; an approved absence raises the final exam weight to 60%.
- Missed final
- A missed final receives zero; an alternative exam time is available only in exceptional circumstances.
- Assignment submission
- Submit assignments as PDFs through Brightspace by midnight on the due date; emailed submissions are not accepted.
- Individual work
- Individual assignments must be completed independently, though students may discuss course concepts and requirements.
- Group work
- Group members must contribute meaningfully; collaboration outside the assigned group is not permitted unless authorized.
- Generative AI
- Only Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is permitted, with restrictions, disclosure, and documentation requirements.
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