First-Year Seminar: Unearthing the Science of Climate Change

3 units

How and why does the climate change? How does the climate system interact with human systems? This course investigates the physical principles of Earth's ever-changing climate, with a special focus on the present-day. Topics include Earth's energy balance; the components of the climate system, including the atmosphere; oceans, cryosphere, geosphere, and biosphere; natural and anthropogenic causes of climate change; climate change detection and attribution; weather extremes; and climate adaption/vulnerability in past and present human societies. Students will explore the science behind hot topics in climate change and learn how peer-reviewed science is communicated to popular audiences. The course format will be a mixture of lectures, demos, facilitated discussions, and student presentations. In addition to gaining scientific background on climate change, students will develop skills in scientific writing and communication to a variety of audiences. No prior coursework in earth science is necessary. This course is open to students of any background who wish to gain literacy in the science of climate change.