Subject description
Cimate system. Climatic factors and interactions. Climate sensitivity and feedback mechanisms. Paleo data and proxies. History ans evolution of Earth s climate. Direct Observations of Recent Climate Change. Climate fluctuation and variability.
Drivers of Climate Change (extraterrestrial and terrestrial). Human impact on climate system and climate. Weather modification, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. land use change. Ozone layer, ozone hole. Carbon cycle – sources and sinks of CO2. Agriculture role in climate change.
Climate modeling. Global Climate models in downscaling methods. Regional Climate models and their evaluation. Projections of Future Changes in climate (100 to 1000 years). Stabilisation pathways of GHG concentrations. Uncertainty concepts: quantitative measures and qualitative statements.
Key Vulnerabilities and the Risk from Climate Change. Impacts of climate chnege on natural (forest, agriculture, biodiversity) and social systems.
Mitigation of climate change. Assessment of mitigation technologies and practices, options, potentials and costs. International responses to climate change.
Adaptation to Climate Risks. Relationships between adaptation and mitigation. Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity. Perspectives on Climate Change and Sustainability
The subject is taught in programs
Objectives and competences
- Understanding of Earth climate system and physical factors that influence climate.
- Knowledge of approaches to model processes that influence the Earth climate, and methods to quantify vegetation-climate interactions.
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures, tutorials, seminars using information on state of the climate from different sources
Expected study results
Knowledge and understanding:
Deeper understanding of physical factors that influence the Earth climate, anthropocenic causes of climate change and their descriptions in the models. Understanding climate change consequences.
Applicability: The use of basic physical laws and simple climate models to understand climate change processes
Reflection: Interactions between atmosphere, oceans, land, cryosphere, biosphere and humans and their description by physical laws.
Basic sources and literature
- IPCC: Climate Change 2013 – The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge Univ. Press, ISBN 978-0-521-70596-7
- Dennis L. Hartmann: Global Physical Climatology. Academic Press, 1994, 411 p., ISBN 0-12-328530-5.
- J. Rakovec in T. Vrhovec: Osnove meteorologije za naravoslovce in tehnike, DMFA
- Kajfež Bogataj L. 2012. Vroči novi svet. Ljubljana, Cankarjeva založba: 211 str
- Revijalni članki s področja in tekoča periodika.
Stay up to date
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering Tržaška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana