PAST AND FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE: NATURAL VERSUS HUMAN INFLUENCE

Credit Hours: 3 · Graduate

Have humans really altered the course of natural climate change? Can this course be altered? This course introduces students to the methods used by scientists to study Earth's climate history. We will examine methods used to study Earth's climate evolution over hundreds of millions to decadal time scales. Why did Earth's climate undergo extreme changes from "icehouse" conditions when much of its surface was covered by ice, to "greenhouse" conditions when the planet was much warmer than present? What was the impact of these changes on Earth's inhabitants? Lastly, we will use Earth's climate history as context for understanding the role of humans in altering the course of our planet. How reliable are climate predictions and what can be done to curtail climate change? Department Permission Required.