In attemtping to account for long-term paleoclimatic variations, we are led to broaden our view of the climate system and to restructure our approach to a fuller theory of climate. We begin by describing the external forcing of the climate system and the observed response, as represented by proxy evidence for paleoclimatic variations. One focus of the course is to identify driving mechanisms for climate change. This is done through numerical models of the Earth system and statistical analysis of instrumental and proxy data. Special areas: feedback mechanisms in the climate system; the role of the global oceanic thermohaline circulation for paleo and recent climate variations; deglaciation; Holocene climate; Glacial climate; Climate modes like ENSO and NAO; Milankovitch theory of the ice ages. Practicals complement the lessons.
Literature:
Dynamical Paleoclimatology - A generalized theory of global climate change, B. Saltzman, Academic Press, San Diego, 2002, 354 pp.
The nature of mathematical modeling, N. Gershenfeld, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003, 344 pp.