Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

Undergraduate catalogue cross-listing

How do the ocean and atmosphere control Earth's climate? How do changes in climate and the atmosphere influence the ocean? Join us to explore what sets Earth's temperature and the connections between oceanic and atmospheric circulations, including exchanges of heat and carbon. We'll also investigate how these circulations control marine ecosystems and the cycling of chemicals in the ocean. In the final part of the course we will focus on human impacts, such as changes in coastal environments and the acidification resulting from increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. One 50-minute precept per week complements lectures.