Introduction to Weather and Climate, and Their Impacts on Ancient and Modern Civilizations

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Throughout history, the ability to observe, interpret, and predict weather and climate has shaped the rise and sustainability of civilizations. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Mediterranean world, where Rome’s success was closely tied to its understanding of environmental patterns. Predictable seasonal cycles—hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters—supported advanced agricultural systems, thriving trade routes, and military planning that depended on accurate expectations of climate and weather. This course explores the evolution of climate and weather prediction from ancient observations to modern scientific modeling, using Rome and the Italian Peninsula as a focused case study. Students will trace the development of meteorology and climatology beginning with early weather lore and the naturalistic writings of Pliny the Elder in Historia Naturalis. The course also examines the Renaissance revival of scientific curiosity, highlighting thinkers such as Leonardo da Vinci, whose sketches and theories reflected an emerging scientific approach to atmospheric phenomena and laid groundwork for future advancements. From these historical foundations, the course transitions to the modern era, introducing the physical principles that govern weather and climate and the tools used to study them today. Students will engage with atmospheric models of varying complexity—experimenting, analyzing model output, and interpreting results to understand how predictions are generated and how uncertainty is communicated. By the end of the course, students will be able to explain core concepts in physical meteorology and climatology, analyze or work with atmospheric modeling techniques, and describe how environmental knowledge shaped ancient societies. They will also learn to apply these insights to contemporary engineering challenges related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, linking historical understanding with modern decision-making. Through the lens of ancient Rome’s relationship with the environment, this course invites students to explore how humans have long relied on atmospheric knowledge—and how engineering today continues that legacy in the face of a changing climate.