This is an advance course designed for graduate studies. The class will be taught in English. Students are expected to be capable of comprehending the course materials in English as well as participating in ENGLISH discussion. Reading is essential for a successful learning; approximately 40 to 50 pages of English text will be designated for reading every week. The problem sets for exercise and examinations will be also in English, nevertheless, students may choose to answer the questions with Chinese or English.

Credits: 3
Textbook: Ruddiman, W. F. 2001. Earth’s Climate: Past and Future. W. H. Freeman and Co., 465 pp.
Grading: Mid-term 30%, Final-term: 40%, Class participation: 30%

Syllabus

1. Overview of climate science
2. Earth’s climate system today
3. Climate archives, data and models
4. CO2 and long-term climate
5. Plate Tectonics and Climate
6. Greenhouse Earth
7. Back into the icehouse Earth: the last 55 million years
8. Astronomical control of solar radiation
9. Insolation control of monsoons
10. Insolation control of ice sheets
11. Orbital-scale changes in carbon dioxide and methane
12. Orbital-scale interactions in the climate system
13. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)
14. Climate during and since the last deglaciation
15. Millennial oscillations in climate
16. Historical changes in climate
17. Humans and climate change