Climate Hydrological Processes

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1196

Course Objective

Present-day climate change is already increasing the intensity and/or frequency of extreme weather around the globe. A key challenge for environmental scientists today is to assess the likely societal impacts from future changes in hydro-meteorological extremes, with heavy rainfall leading to flooding and persistent dry conditions leading to drought-related impacts. To do such impact assessments, scientists have to rely on global climate models in combination with local hydro-meteorological impact models. This process is associated with substantial uncertainty for example because those models operate at different spatial resolution. To be able to properly interpret future impact studies, one needs to understand the most relevant physical processes of the climate system and how those processes are represented in climate models. This will be the focus of this course. This course aims to provide students a solid understanding of the climate system including the most important underlying physical processes, its overall characteristics and its variability. The focus will be towards the intimate links between the climate system, the hydrological cycle and the large-scale atmospheric circulation. We will analyse which type of weather extremes have already increased in intensity and what kind of changes are to be expected for the near future. Key goals for students to reach at the end of the course are: 1. Student can describe in own words how present-day climate change affects the hydrological cycle and how this impacts society. 2. Student can give a clear vision of the risks of climate change in his/her lifetime. 3. Student can describe in own words the concepts of radiative transfer, the greenhouse effect and the role of water and clouds on global climate 4. Student can describe in own words the fundamental drivers of tropical and extra-tropical circulation and its implications for weather 5. Student can describe in own words the importance of non-linear dynamics in the climate and how this can lead to abrupt transitions 6. Student has created a basic climate model of a 'Daisy' world and analyzed its dynamics 7. Student can critically analyze and interpret climate-related reporting in the media 8. Student can apply the new knowledge in class in presentations, discussions and debates.

Course Content

This course consists of several sessions consisting of (1) lectures by the professors with interactive discussion; (2) some practical assignments/coding, and (3) student presentations & discussions. You will team up in pairs of two (maybe three) students to develop a Daisy world climate model and do a series of experiments with it. Three afternoons will be devoted to this python coding where students will develop a basic climate model and perform some experiments. Also students will present in larger groups (~4/5) a recent scientific paper (or set of papers) which discusses the state-of-the-art of a particular lecture-topic. During these presentation sessions, all students are expected to participate in discussions.

Teaching Methods

Class lectures (20hr), Computer practicals (12hr)

Method of Assessment

The course will be assessed through a written closed book examination based on the compulsory readings and the lectures. Also questions related to insights learned during the computer exercises can be asked. There may be some quantitative question where a small calculation has to be made, so please bring a calculator. This closed book examination counts for 80% of the final grade. Furthermore, students will present a scientific paper in groups and discuss this in class. The presentation in class will together constitute 20% of the final grade. The computer exercises are not graded but they are, however, a compulsory part of the course and need to be handed in via Canvas, for students to obtain a 'pass'. Students will not receive a final grade if not all computer exercises have been handed in.

Literature

Apart from attending the sessions, you are expected to study the readings associated with the lectures (‘compulsory reading’) before attending them. This helps you both to actively engage in discussions during our meetings, and also makes it easier to prepare for the final exam at the end of the course. The readings are provided as chapters and papers and aim to give you a broad understanding of the climate system as befits a master’s program. However, you will be examined only on some elements of the course; in other words you do not have to memorize entire pieces of text. The structure of the lectures in class will help you identify the key questions on which you will be examined.

Recommended background knowledge

In the computer practicum Daisy World, you will work together in groups of 2 or 3 to build a simple simulation of Daisy World in python. If you do not have any experience in python, please complete the modules up to and including ‘Functions’ from the ‘Learn the Basics’ chapter on https://www.learnpython.org/ Please do so before the first practicum (normally in week 3 of the course)
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master