The Atmosphere, the Ocean, and Environmental Change

This course explores the physical processes that control Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and climate. It introduces quantitative methods for constructing mass and energy budgets and applies them to real-world environmental systems. Topics include clouds, rain, severe storms, regional climate, the ozone layer, air pollution, ocean currents and productivity, the seasons, El Niño, the history of Earth's climate, global warming, energy resources, and water resources. Students complete weekly readings, problem sets, labs, and exams to build a solid foundation in atmospheric and oceanic science and climate change.