Climate Change Education Across the Curricula, Across the Globe

Climate Change Education Across the Curricula

Category: Physics

Teaching Module: Planetary Energy Balance

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

A teaching module including readings and associated links by the American Chemical Society that discusses the balance between incoming solar energy and outgoing terrestrial energy and its relationship with the surface  temperature of the Earth. This overview reading can be used as an introduction to the topic by teachers interested in teaching about planetary energy balance or planetary climate. The module includes discussion on energy emissions, radiation, black body radiation, Planck equation and the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. The module also provides links to the following: 

  1. How much energy from the Sun reaches the planet
  2. The predicted temperature from a planet in energy balance with the Sun 
  3. The effect of atmospheres on planetary temperatures
  4. How the temperature of the Earth is determined

Students will learn about the energy balance equation and how it can be used to calculate the surface temperature of the Earth. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to: 

  1. What is a blackbody?
  2. State the Stefan-Boltzmann Law? Calculate the surface temperature of the Earth based on the balance between incoming solar energy and outgoing terrestrial energy.

About the Tool 

Tool NameEnergy Balance and Planetary Temperatures
DisciplineEarth Sciences, Physics
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview,Blackbody, Electromagnetic Radiation, Stefan-Boltzmann Law, Planck’s Law
Climate Topic Planetary Energy Balance, Planetary Climate
Type of tool Teaching Module
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish 
Translation
Developed byACS Climate Science Toolkit, American Chemical Society
Hosted atAmerican Chemical Society 
LinkLink
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Video Lecture: Radiative Transfer

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

Two video lectures titled, ‘Radiative Transfer Equation’ from the e-learning course, ‘Introduction to Atmospheric Science’ developed by C Balaji, IIT Madras, for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India. These video lectures discuss how to calculate radiative transfer equation and further discusses its importance in atmospheric sciences, particularly in satellite remote sensing. 

Students will learn about isotropic scattering, radiation derivative calculation, spectral emissivity and reflectivity, absorption coefficient, Beer-Lambert’s law, and Schwarzschild’s equation. They will also learn how to apply the radiative transfer equation to multispectral infrared sounder, infrared imager, microwave sounder, and microwave imager  for satellite remote sensing and satellite meteorology. 

A transcript of the lecture is also provided.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. Define the following:
    1. Radiative transfer
    2. Remote sensing
    3. Spectral emissivity
    4. Beer-Lambert’s law
  2. How can radiative transfer calculations be used for atmosphere remote sensing?

About the tool

Tool NameLecture – 35 and 36: Radiative Transfer Equation – Derivation
DisciplinePhysics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, Atmospheric Physics, Radiative Transfer, Radiative Transfer Equation, Absorption Coefficient, Beer-Lambert’s law,  Schwarzschild’s Equation
Climate TopicPlanetary Climate; Planetary Energy Balance; Climate and the Atmosphere
Type of toolVideo Lecture (50 mins and 42 mins)
Grade LevelUndergraduate, Graduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byC Balaji, IIT Madras
Hosted atNPTEL (https://nptel.ac.in/courses/119/106/119106008/)
LinkLink 1 , Link 2
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Video Lecture: Planck’s Law and Earths Climate

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

A video lecture titled, ‘Planck’s distribution and Inverse square law’ from the e-learning course, ‘Introduction to Atmospheric Science’ developed by C Balaji, IIT Madras, for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India. These video lecture gives a detailed explanation about Planck’s Law for black body distribution. It also includes discussions on Wien’s displacement law, radiative loss, Simpson’s rule, Trapezoidal rule, Gauss quads, the Stefan-Boltzmann Law,  and Newton Raphson method.

Students will learn about Planck’s law and how to calculate Earth’s temperature. They will also be introduced to photosphere, flux density, planetary albedo, reflectivity, absorptivity, transmissivity, emissivity for land,  and emissivity of ocean which are used to calculate Earth’s temperature and determine its climate.

A transcript of the lecture is also provided.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. Define the following:
    1. Black body radiation
    2. Albedo Effect
    3. Adsorption
    4. Transmissivity
    5. Emissivity of land
  2. How is Earth’s temperature calculate given the following scenario:
    1. Earth as a black body
    2. Earth with oceans, snow covered land and a simple layer of non-interactive air

About the tool

Tool NameLecture – 32: Planck’s distribution and Inverse square law
DisciplinePhysics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, Atmospheric Physics, Planck’s Law, Black Body Radiation, Earth Climate System, Albedo Effect, Stefan-Boltzmann Law
Climate TopicIntroduction to Climate Change; Planetary Climate; Planetary Energy Balance; Climate and the Atmosphere
Type of toolVideo Lecture ( 47 mins)
Grade LevelUndergraduate, Graduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byC Balaji, IIT Madras
Hosted atNPTEL (https://nptel.ac.in/courses/119/106/119106008/)
LinkLink
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Video Lecture: Physics of Scattering and Greenhouse Gases

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

Two video lectures titled, ‘Physics of scattering, emission and absorption’ from the e-learning course, ‘Introduction to Atmospheric Science’ developed by C Balaji, IIT Madras, for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India. These video lectures explain the behaviour of Earth’s atmosphere due to interaction between gases and sun’s radiation which lead to radiative absorption, emission and scattering.

Students will learn about reflection, refraction, isotropic scattering, greenhouse gases, extinction coefficient, Prevost law, Stefan Boltzmann law, thermal conductivity of water, Kirchhoff’s law, Marshall-Palmer distribution, Rayleigh scattering, Mie scattering, Doppler and Lorentz broadening and Gaussian distribution.

A transcript of the lecture is also provided.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. How do greenhouse gases interact with incoming solar radiation?
  2. Discuss the physics of scattering in the atmosphere.

About the tool

Tool NameLecture – 33 and 34: Physics of scattering, emission and absorption
DisciplinePhysics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, Atmospheric Physics, Prevost law, Stefan Boltzmann law, Kirchhoff’s law, Marshall-Palmer distribution, Rayleigh scattering
Climate TopicIntroduction to Climate Change; Planetary Climate; Planetary Energy Balance; Climate and the Atmosphere
Type of toolVideo Lecture (48 mins and 41 mins)
Grade LevelUndergraduate, Graduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byC Balaji, IIT Madras
Hosted atNPTEL (https://nptel.ac.in/courses/119/106/119106008/)
LinkLink 1 , Link 2
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Reading: The Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Effect

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

A reading titled ‘The Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Effect’ by Spencer Weart hosted on the website of Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics. This reading is a supplement to the book titled, ‘The Discovery of Global Warming’ by Spencer Weart. It includes discussions on the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere and how it impacts Earth’s temperature. The reading also discusses the pioneering work of Svante Arrhenius, Guy Stewart Callendar, and Charles David (Dave) Keeling. 

Students will be introduced to the Greenhouse Effect, Keeling Curve, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, and how increased carbon dioxide concentrations can cause an increase in the surface temperature of the Earth. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What is the Greenhouse Effect?
  2. How does increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere lead to warming of the planet?

About the Tool

Tool NameThe Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Effect
DisciplinePhysics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in DisciplineGreenhouse Effect, Greenhouse Gases, Keeling Curve
Climate TopicGreenhouse Effect; Planetary Climate; Planetary Energy Balance
Type of toolReading
Grade LevelMiddle School, Highschool
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed bySpencer Weart
Hosted atCenter for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics
LinkLink
AccessOnline/ Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Reading: General Circulation Models of Climate

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

A reading titled ‘General Circulation Models of Climate’ by Spencer Weart hosted on the website of Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics. This reading is a supplement to the book titled, ‘The Discovery of Global Warming’ by Spencer Weart. It summarises the complexity of Earth System Models and challenges in creating a single global climate model. The reading gives details of the first model calculation by Syukuro Manabe, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2021, on how Earth’s average temperature would rise a few degrees if the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is doubled.

Students will learn about General Circulation Models, the Earth System and its complexity, and methods of weather and climate prediction.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What are the various Earth System Models?
  2. Why is it difficult to have a comprehensive climate model that accurately predicts climate behaviour?

About the Tool

Tool NameGeneral Circulation Models of Climate
DisciplinePhysics, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Models, General Circulation Model, Modelling, Earth System Models, Greenhouse Gas Models, Climate System
Climate TopicPlanetary Climate, Planetary Energy Balance
Type of toolReading
Grade LevelHighschool, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed bySpencer Weart
Hosted atCenter for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics
LinkLink
AccessOnline/ Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

E-Learning Course: Atmospheric Science

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Physics

A e-learning course titled, ‘Introduction to Atmospheric Science’ developed by C Balaji, IIT Madras, for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India. This course contains video lectures on the following topics:

  1. Introduction
  2. Atmosphere-A brief survey (Pressure, Temperature and Chemical composition)
  3. Atmosphere-A brief survey contd … (Vertical structure of the atmosphere)
  4. Vertical structure of atmosphere contd … and The Earth system – Oceans
  5. The Earth system – Oceans Contd … and Marine biosphere
  6. The Earth system – Hydrological cycle
  7. The Earth system – Hydrological cycle contd … and Carbon cycle
  8. The Earth system – Carbon cycle contd…, and Carbon in the oceans Earth’s crust
  9. The Earth system – Carbon in the oceans Earth’s crust
  10. Atmospheric Thermodynamics- Introduction
  11. The hydrostatic equation
  12. Hypsometric equation and pressure at sea level
  13. Basic Thermodynamics
  14. Concept of air parcel and dry adiabatic lapse rate
  15. Potential temperature
  16. Skew-T ln-P chart
  17. Problems using Skew-T ln-P chart
  18. Problems using Skew-T ln-P chart.
  19. Problems using Skew-T ln-P chart..
  20. Lifting Condensation Level (LCL)
  21. Lifting condensation level Contd…
  22. Saturated Adiabatic and Psuedo-adiabatic processes
  23. Equivalent potential temperature and wet bulb potential temperature
  24. Normand’s rule – Chinook winds
  25. Problems on Chinook wind and static stability
  26. Static stability-Brunt-Visala frequency
  27. Conditional and convective instability
  28. Static stability – Problems using radiosonde data and skew T ln P chart
  29. The second law of thermodynamics – Clausius Clapeyron relation
  30. Clausius Clapeyron relation contd..
  31. Atmospheric radiation – Radiation laws
  32. Planck’s distribution and Inverse square law
  33. Physics of scattering, emission and absorption
  34. Physics of scattering, emission and absorption contd…
  35. Radiative Transfer Equation – Derivation
  36. Radiative Transfer Equation contd …
  37. Radiative heating profiles of the atmosphere
  38. Climate Dynamics – Introduction
  39. Climate sensitivity and feedback
  40. Climate change
  41. Atmospheric dynamics

A transcript on the lectures is also provided.

Students will be introduced to the various aspects of atmospheric sciences and learn about some of the key phenomena, theories and equations used to study it.  

About the tool

Tool NameIntroduction to Atmospheric Science
DisciplineEarth Sciences, Physics
Topic(s) in DisciplineAtmospheric Sciences, Earth system, Atmosphere, Thermodynamics, Second Law of Thermodynamics, Clausius Clapeyron, Planck’s law, Radiative Transfer, Radiation 
Climate Topic Climate and the Atmosphere
Type of tool E – Learning Course
Grade LevelUndergraduate, Graduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish 
Translation
Developed byC Balaji, IIT Madras
Hosted atNPTEL
Linkhttps://nptel.ac.in/courses/119/106/119106008/
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Model/Simulator: Milankovitch Orbital Parameters

Posted by on in Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics

A model/simulator to learn about changes in Earth’s climate caused by variations in the solar energy received by the planet over geological time scales and to understand the role of the orbital parameters (obliquity, precession, and eccentricity) in causing ice age cycles (Milankovitch cycles) on Earth.

Read More “Model/Simulator: Milankovitch Orbital Parameters”