Climate change has been identified as one of the biggest challenges facing humankind. The goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific principles and empirical evidence that underpin the modern understanding of anthropogenic climate change. We will develop a quantitative understanding of the fundamental physics (radiation and surface energy balance, dynamics) governing the Earth System. We will examine the synthesis of climate observations to discern current global trends and investigate past climates. In particular, we will analyse uncertainties in the current predictions and outline ways in which the scientific community is moving to refine these predictions. Key components of the course will be informed using insights from ongoing research within the ARC Centre of Excellence in Climate Extremes.
Note: Graduate students in this course attend joint classes with undergraduates but are assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Apply fundamental physics to the theory of global warming;
- Describe the historical development of the scientific underpinnings of the theory of global warming;
- Explain current constraints on (i) our understanding of climate change, (ii) climate observations and (iii) climate models;
- Evaluate the uncertainties in climate predictions;
- Discuss and evaluate the accuracy of public statements on climate change in the popular press.
Indicative Assessment
- Assignments (70) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Laboratory Classes (30) [LO 1,3]
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Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 2 x 1 hour lectures, 1 x 1 hour tutorial, 1 x 3 hour computer laboratory per week.
- Approximately 58 hours of self-study which will include preparation for lectures, pracs/tutorials and other assessment tasks.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Pierrehumbert, R. T. (2010), Principles of Planetary Climate, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Assumed Knowledge
At least 6 units of tertiary level mathematicsFees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $6180 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6065 | 24 Jul 2023 | 31 Jul 2023 | 31 Aug 2023 | 27 Oct 2023 | In Person | View |
