Students should acquire an in depth, quantitative understanding of the various energy
and mass exchanges that comprise the physical climate system. They should also
develop a knowledge of the methods and techniques used to measure these various
components. Finally, the student should acquire an understanding of the various ways
that the energy and water budgets of the land surface, atmosphere, and oceans can be
simulated in computer models of varying sophisication.


This course meets the following General Education Abilities by accomplishing the
specific learning objectives listed below:

Computer Literacy is addressed through course administration, student-faculty 
electronic interaction, and data analysis activities and assignments.

Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and are 
developed through homework assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and inquiry-
based learning efforts.

Introduction to the climate system
Global energy balance
	Earth-sun relationships
	Energy balance of the earth
	Distribution of insolation
	Poleward energy flux
Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Climate
	Description of electromagnetic radiation
	Planck's Law
	Selective absorption and emission by atmospheric gasses
	Lambert-Bouguet-Beer Law
	Infrared radiation
	Clouds and radiative balance of the earth
Energy Balance of the Surface
	Surface energy budget
	Radiative heating of the surface
	Sensible and latent heat fluxes
	Spatial and temporal variations in the energy balance
Hydrologic Cycle
	Water balance
	Surface water storage and runoff
	Precipitation
	Evaporation and transpiration
	Modeling the land surface water balance
	Annual variation of terrestrial water balance
Climate Sensitivity and Feedback Mechanisms
	Objective measures of climate sensitivity and feedback
	Radiative feedback processes
	Ice albedo feedback
	Dynamical feedbacks and meridional energy transport
	Longwave and evaporation feedbacks
	Cloud feedbacks
	Biogeochemical feedbacks
Global Climate Models
	Mathematical modeling
	Modeling the land surface, atmosphere, and oceans
Validating climate model simulations
Climate Change
	Natural causes
	Anthropogenic causes

Students are responsible to adhere to the University of Georgia Honor Code and
Academic Honesty Policy, which is in the student handbook.  Scholastic dishonesty
includes but is not limited to: copying another person's work or using notes during
an exam.