2-1: Climate System and Climate Predictability

Importance of this Unit to the Course

Because the earth's climate can be described, in an abstract sense, by mathematical equations, we can get some indication of the properties of future climates by examining the properties of these equations. We find that these equations are the same ones that describe chaotic behavior in physical systems, which provides motivation to look at past records (unit on paleoclimate) for evidence of chaos in past climates.

Objectives

To understand the elements that comprise the climate system and how they interact.
To explore the concept of predictability and understand the difference between weather forecasts and climate simulation.

Preparation for Discussion (You must complete this section before class.)

Read the summary information. (Print text for offline review; images only.)

Take the Quiz

Review additional reading material (this material is not covered in the quiz, but offers more ideas for online discussion)

The Climate System

Discussion (online / face-to-face) (See your portfolio for due dates and times)

A major component of the course is participation in the online dialog. The following types of comments are required:

Social Comments
Knowledge-building Comments
Ethical Comments

The following may be used as discussion starters for the online dialog:

Unit Problem to Ponder:

If humans are perturbing the Earth's climate, what will be the first evidence of such perturbations?
Unit exam questions from previous years
Unit discussions from previous years, available from the current online discussion

Additional Reading