Climate Physics

3 credits · College of Engineering catalogue

Advisory Prerequisite: Senior or graduate standing in science or engineering. Enforced Prerequisite: None. (3 credits) Introduction to physical mechanisms that determine climate, including relevant atmospheric, hydrologic, cryospheric, solar/orbital, volcanic and human processes. Discusses qualitative and descriptive techniques to understand how radiative, thermodynamic and dynamic processes distribute energy throughout the Earth System, drive climate feedbacks and determine the sensitivity of Earth’s climate to external perturbations.