| CODE | PHY3260 | |||||||||
| TITLE | A Multidisciplinary Approach to Climate Research | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Geosciences | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is intended for students who would like to embark on climate research. This is not a basic, introductory, historic study-unit but is specifically designed to allow students to handle easily available measured climate data, process it, work with climate models, prepare simulations and analyze hind cast and future climate projections. Part 1 - The Earth's Climate In this part the difference between Meteorology and Climate is clarified. A description of the various climate data acquisition techniques will be given. Natural and Anthropogenic causes of climate change will be discussed. Indices, indicating past and current state of the climate will be defined. An overview of the evidence and consequences of climate change will be given. Part 2 - Climate Modelling (Global to Regional) This part focuses on hands-on experience with climate research. i) Students will be given the possibility to download actual observed data from data centres like ECMWF, ESRL and CRU for processing to be compared with climate model outputs. ii) An introduction to global circulation models (GCM) will be given. iii) The importance of using a Regional Climate Model (RCM), its structure and operational mode will be discussed. The community model, RegCM4 of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) will be used. iv) Students will practice on post-processing of climate model outputs. Part 3 - Analysis of Observed and Modelled Data This is a another hands-on experience that builds on Part 2. This aims at applying various validation, statistical and reanalysis techniques to observed and modelled data in order to analyze hind cast, current and projected scenarios that can be applied for climate impact studies. This study-unit is also preparatory for a post-graduate degree in climate research with an application in mathematics/statistics/chemistry. It can be chosen only if it is taken in conjunction with PHY3240 - Fundamentals of Meteorology for Climate Studies. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims at adopting a multidisciplinary approach in the study of the past and current state of the climate, and is intended to support all areas of studies within the Faculty of Science where climate and climate change are relevant. Regional climate models installed on ALBERT, the UoM computer cluster, will be run with downloaded observed climate data in order to validate these same models and use them for future projections through statistical tools and to assess various climate change impacts. Special attention is given to guided hands-on activities throughout this study-unit. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Describe and present the difference between weather and climate; 2) Explain the different instrumentation and measurement techniques used in climate data acquisition [eg. LIDAR, satellites, radiosondes, proxies]; 3) List and classify potential causes of climate change, distinguish between natural and anthropogenic causes in literature and case studies; 4) List the various consequences of climate change from different perspectives [eg. economy, flora and fauna, glaciers, natural variability]; 5) Explain how a GCM and RCM work and what their limitations are, especially in relation to the hydrostatic vs non-hydrostatic model architectures; 6) Report the correct use of climate models through the infrastructure for climate modelling already set up within the Department of Physics. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Demonstrate the capability of working in a group to optimize the subdivision of the working load; 2) Present results in a coherent and scientific manner to an audience of his/her peers; 3) Demonstrate and enhanced capability of data mining for research purposes; 4) Analyze climate data using proficiently dedicated post-processing software for climate studies; 5) Analyze the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) documentation, mainly the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4, 2007) and the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) to distinguish and use profitably the proposed emission scenarios in research-based reports; 6) Demonstrate the use of Linux commands to handle observed and modelled data; 7) Generate statistical analysis [eg. anomalies, bias, significance and correlation, Eigen techniques amongst others] in the form of time series, spatial plots, area averages; 8) Analyze and interpret data analyses results into meaningful climate projections [based upon the use of ensemble results and use of different scenarios]. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: (availability at the Library or otherwise is indicated against each entry) Main Texts: - Scorer, R. S. (1997). Dynamics of Meteorology and Climate. [John Wiley & Sons] - [A] - von Storch, H. & Zwiers, F. W. (1999). Statistical Analysis in Climate Research. [Cambridge University Press] - [A] Further Reading: - McIlveen, R. (2010). Fundamentals of Weather & Climate (2nd Edition). [Oxford University Press] - [A] - Burroughs, W. J.(2007). Climate Change: A Multidisciplinary Approach (2nd Edition). [Cambridge University Press] - [NA] - Lionello, P., Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., Boscolo, R.(2007). Mediterranean Climate Variability. [Elsevier] - [NA] - Peixoto, J. P. & Oort, A. H.,(1992). Physics of Climate. [Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.] - [NA] - Hulme, M. & Burrow, E. (1997). Climates of the British Isles: present, past and future. [Routledge] - [NA] |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Co-requisite Study-unit: PHY3240 | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Group Learning | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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