Martin Research Group

Course Information

Instructor: Dr. Elinor Martin

Office: NWC 5642

Email: elinor.martin@ou.edu

Phone: (405) 325-7392

Office Hours: MW 11.30-1.00pm or by appointment

Course Meeting Time and Location: 2:00 - 2:50pm MWF NWC 5930

Course Description

The importance of climate is indisputable; if the climate were not approximately what it is today, Earth and the weather on it would be very different. This course provides an introduction to climate and the field of climate dynamics. During the course we will examine the processes that determine the climate and contribute to its change, including global and surface energy budgets, atmosphere and ocean circulations, climate feedbacks and interactions between components of the Earth system. In addition, students will learn about climate models used to examine past, present and future climate.

Course Goal

The overall goal of this course is for the student to gain a broad process-level understanding of the Earth’s climate system.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

1). Evaluate the global and surface energy balance of the Earth, including heat, momentum and water budgets using sketches, equations and qualitative descriptions.

2). Examine the roles of the atmosphere, ocean and land in the climate system.

3). Identify types of climate models and experiments and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of each.

4). Synthesize knowledge of the climate system to critically evaluate scientific literature.

5). Construct, produce, write, rewrite and evaluate a research project concerning the climate system.

Journal of METR5503

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