Science of Climate Change and Its Impact

The disruptive impacts of climate change are already being experienced by coastal communities around the world.  Therefore, it is imperative for world citizens to understand climate change and its resulting impacts.  In this course we will explore both the drivers of and the physical process of climate change.  Via in class discussion and student led presentations, we will also examine some of the downstream impacts of climate change with a focus on its effects on coastal regions.  In the twice weekly computer labs, we will develop a climate model for exploring energy balances and climate feedbacks, and learn the data analysis techniques that scientists have used to interpret trends and identify the changing dynamics that result in these climate impacts. This course counts as an approved Natural Science Laboratory cognate toward fulfillment of the ES major cognate requirement.