BIO 2630

The course is an introduction to the physics of climate change. Topics include understanding, evaluating and interpreting climate observations and associated physical data; atomic and molecular physics to describe atmospheric processes; basic fluid dynamics to describe atmospheric and oceanic circulation, thermodynamics, and solar radiation to describe the global energy balance; instrumentation and measurement physics with a focus on atmospheric temperature, humidity, and pressure; computational physics and modeling of climate systems and processes. Field trips may be offered.