Planetary Climate

E-learning Course: An Introduction to Climate Change

An e-learning course to learn the basics of climate change science, climate change policies, climate change adaptation and mitigation, climate change finance, and climate change action. The course contains the following modules: Climate Change Science

Laboratory Activity: Modeling the Earth’s Zonal Energy Balance

A laboratory activity to create an energy balance model for planet Earth and obtain numerical solutions for the differential equations in the model. Students will write code (using MATLAB or Mathematica) to model the distribution

E-learning Course: Build Climate Models using Python

An e-learning course to create climate models in Python through hands-on programming exercises. Students will use Python to model energy balance; ice-albedo feedback; ice sheet dynamics; and pressure, rotation, and fluid flow. Use this tool

Model/Simulator: Daisyworld—A Model to Explore the Gaia Hypothesis

A model/simulator to explore the Gaia hypothesis and the concepts of albedo and hysteresis through the example of daisies (living organisms) and their interaction with temperature (climatic factor). Students will configure the distribution of black

Visualization: Blackbody Spectrum

A visualization and associated activity to explain how Planck’s Law can be used to plot blackbody curves of objects with different temperatures, the relationship between temperature and peak wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, and the

E-learning Course: The Earth’s Climate

An e-learning course to learn about the Earth’s climate system, climate change in the past and present, the impact of climate change, and measures for adaption and mitigation. Students will understand the Earth’s climate system,

E-learning Course: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change

An e-learning course to learn about the science of climate change, simple climate models, natural factors and human activities that influence climate, and options to mitigate climate change. Students will perform exercises and activities to

Visualization, Model/Simulator, Game: Build Planet Earth

A visualization/model/game to build your own version of planet Earth and learn about the Earth’s climate system and the factors that influence it by configuring various parameters and observing their effect on climate. Students will

Visualization: Radiation Balance and the Climate of a Planet

A visualization to learn about the factors that influence the climate of a planet. Students will learn about radiation balance and the climate of different planets. They will vary parameters such as albedo, surface temperature,

Reading: Planetary Temperatures

A reading that discusses the blackbody emission properties of the Sun and planets, describes the calculation of planetary temperatures by using the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, and explains the effect of atmospheres on planetary temperatures. Students will

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