Science of climate change

Information on the working groups for the assignments throughout the semester can be found under "general" and they will be introduced in the first exercise session. You are asked to form groups of four with certain conditions.

Lecture Topic: Introduction to course, Climate Emergency, Climate System
Please watch a previous recording for background information on the climate system, if this topic of the lecture is new to you: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/22.09.2022%2C+Lecture+1/0_k1arrf3r?st=2675; and
until minute 58: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/2023+Lecture+2/0_u1o9cpo3?st=415

This year, we will not repeat this information in the same degree of detail, because the majority of students is already familiar with it.

Exercise session will focus on essential basic chemistry and physics concepts.
During exercise session: Please fill in the pre-class survey in the first exercises (or before): https://forms.gle/VvpZP42rYERh5Xh6A
anonymous and not graded

To join online (only recommended if you are sick, else on site is preferred) see zoom link in the "general" section.

Topic: Climate system, Radiation, Earth's energy balance, Greenhouse effect

To join online (only recommended if you are sick, else on site is preferred) see zoom link in the "general" section.

The Exercise Session will focus on the Earth's radiation budget. 

Topic: radiation, energy balance, greenhouse gases, aerosols and clouds

This week focuses on: Aerosols & Clouds, Radiative Forcing

Lecture Recording : https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+4+2024-10-04/0_vd8zwiqn

Topic: Feedback factor, climate sensitivity

--> lecture slides from week 4, see updated file this week

Lecture Recording : https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+5+2024-10-10/0_2pjvnuvl

Please watch these videos for an introduction to the global circulation. This will not be treated in class, but can be discussed in the exercises if you have questions.

Global circulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fd03fBRsuU

Three cell pattern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqM83_og1Fc

Jet stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg91eowtfbw

Jet stream and weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wCq2Y9CB6Y

Topics: IPCC, present day climate change, Paris Agreement, Emissions Gap

Lecture recording available at: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+8+2024-11-07/0_ll1kbzxu

Today's lecture will focus on: Extreme Events

Lecture recording: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+9+-+2024-11-14/0_h41h7asc

Today's lecture will focus on climate change scenarios and the remaining carbon budget.

Lecture recording: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/2024-11-21+Lecture+10/0_fmvvama4

For anyone interested in some history of climate change politics and the involvement of US fossil fuel industry, there is a 2-part documentary on ARTE (this is of course voluntary and for further information, not part of material tested in the exam): https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/RC-024617/petrole-un-lobby-tout-puissant/

This week focuses on Metrics and carbon credits/offsets

voluntary long-read on the COP process: https://www.politico.eu/article/climate-conference-die-how-save-world-cop29/

Please find more information on metrics below in the PDF "metrics details" and here: https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-a-new-way-to-assess-global-warming-potential-of-short-lived-pollutants/

Lecture recording: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/2024-11-28+Lecture+11/0_227tcp23

This week focuses on climate change in polar regions.

Video 1: (starts at the time when the polar climate part begins) https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+12%2C+07.12.2023/0_hzg67tbh?st=2332

https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+13%2C+14.12.2023/0_ozsd8wkm?st=200

This week will catch up on carbon offsets, polar climate change and it will focus on mitigation and climate engineering

Lecture recording: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+13+12.12.2024/0_8lxgeqco

At 3 pm we will have the annual poster conference.

Lecture recording: https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/2024-12-19+Lecture+14/0_wwmkcjud

Please fill in this anonymous survey to see how your knowledge on climate change has increased during the lecture. We will not know who has answered and how you improved, but we get the overall change in response by the class. For those who are interested in the overall change in responses for this class, please reach out to us.

https://forms.gle/5dcn2qLNxZwzh9Rw7