Entry requirements

120 credits with 90 credits in physics, earth science or biology.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• describe how the climate can vary on a time scale from 10 year up to hundreds of million years (paleoclimatology)
• use basic knowledge in meteorology to understand climate
• describe the methods used in paleoclimatology, climate indicators, dating methods and climate factors
• describe the difference between a climate fluctuation and climate change
• describe methods used to investigate / predict future climate

Content

Climatic variations: ice cores, sediment samples, tree ring analysis, pollen analysis, propagation of plants and animals, oxygen isotope analysis, carbon-14 method, sea ice extent, glaciers, water level in the sewage from some lakes. Climatic factors: the Earth's orbital elements, continental drift, ocean currents, volcanic activity, mountain fold, greenhouse gases, solar activity, clouds, global dimming (dust). Climate modelling, the IPCC, negative and positive feedback mechanisms.

Instruction

Lectures and seminaries

Assessment

Written examination.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.