EPS 7, Introduction to Climate Change, Summer A 2024

EPS 7 is online in summer session A of 2024. The lectures and exams will be on bCourses. The lectures will be asynchronous: they will post at the regular class time, but you can watch them at your leisure. On the other hand, the exams on bCourses will be synchronous: you must log in online at the specified time.

Note that this course covers the same material as the semester-long version of EPS 7, but in a third the time. Therefore, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will contain the same amount of content as a week of the semester-long version. This also means that homework assigned on a Monday is due on Wednesday just two days later, and likewise for homework assigned on Wednesdays and Fridays. And late homework is not accepted, so this summer course requires a high level of uninterrupted effort. Even with this intensity, however, the course will be just as much fun as the semester-long version!

Overview

This course covers the physical processes that determine Earth's past, present, and future climate, with a particular focus on the essentially irreversible climate change (a.k.a., global warming) caused by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas. Topics will also include the estimation of future warming and impacts, the Earth resources that can be used to combat climate change, and the policies being used to shift towards the use of those resources.

Time

Fridays 2:00-3:00 for exams

Lectures released mornings of M, W, and F

Location

In the bCourses Media Gallery

Required text

None

Readings will be posted online

Prerequisites

None

Grading

Homework 30% (on bCourses, due every M, W, and F)

Midterm I 20% (on bCourses, May 31, 2pm Pacific)

Midterm II 20% (on bCourses, June 14, 2pm Pacific)

Final 30% (on bCourses, June 28, 2pm Pacific)

Letter grades are 90-100% for an A, 80-90% for a B, 70-80% for a C, etc., with each decile split into equal thirds to determine + and -.

Homework

Late homework is not accepted

To avoid zeros, aim to submit every assignment well before its deadline

Exams

Exams are closed-book

Taking of regularly scheduled exams is mandatory

Only exception is documented medical incapacitation

Do not enroll if unable to attend the exams

Copyright

All course materials are copyrighted

This includes lectures, slides, videos, homework, and exams

Course materials are for your own use; they may not be distributed

Distribution or posting of course material is a violation of law and University policy

To avoid sanctions, do not put course material on websites or cloud services

Honor code

"As a member of the UCB community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others."

The honor code is taken seriously in EPS 7

Academic misconduct or a violation of course policy will result in sanctions

Professor (romps@berkeley.edu)

David Romps

Reader (eps7help@gmail.com)

TBD

Reader office hours

TBD

Professor office hours

M, W, and F, 2-3 Pacific, Zoom room: romps (log into Zoom with your @berkeley.edu account using the SSO login)

Syllabus

05/20

Joule and Watt: A tale of two Jameses

Energy on the move: How it gets from A to B

Fun with units: Meters and thermometers

Homework 1 assigned

05/22

Wien's law: The color of light

Stefan-Boltzmann law: You are glowing, literally

Mercury: Warm and toasty

Homework 1 due

Homework 2 assigned

05/24

Mars: A little chilly

Earth's atmosphere: What is it?

Clausius-Clapeyron: Water, water, everywhere

Homework 2 due

Homework 3 assigned

05/27

No class

05/29

Lapse rate: It is cold up here!

Radiative transfer: Gases glow, too

Greenhouse gases: The Earth's clothing

Homework 3 due

Homework 4 assigned

05/31

Midterm 1

06/03

Discovery of global warming: A short history

Forcing and feedback: Your best life now

Earth's feedbacks: Calculating climate sensitivity

Homework 4 due

Homework 5 assigned

06/05

Cloud taxonomy: Name that cloud

Fossil fuels: Where did this stuff come from?

Drill baby drill: How much have we burned?

Evidence of warming: Is it getting hot in here?

Homework 5 due

Homework 6 assigned

06/07

Ocean acidification: Where does the carbon go?

Climate models: Supercomputers to the rescue

The IPCC: How to win a Nobel Prize

Homework 6 due

Homework 7 assigned

06/10

Other gases: Laughing gas and hairspray

Scary feedbacks: Stuff that could burn

Paleoclimate: The past as guide to the future

Homework 7 due

Homework 8 assigned

06/12

Ice and sea level: Where to invest in property

Superstorms: The revenge of Clausius-Clapeyron

Future Earth: Spacesuits required

Homework 8 due

Homework 9 assigned

06/14

Midterm 2

06/17

Biomass power: Enough room for food and fuel?

Hydro power: What is left to harness?

Nuclear power: Too costly and dangerous?

Homework 9 due

Homework 10 assigned

06/19

No class

06/21

Wind power: Mining the sky

Solar power: Ready to save the day?

Domestic policy: ITC, PTC, alphabet soup

Homework 10 due

Homework 11 assigned

06/24

International agreements: Rio, Kyoto, and Paris

Carbon tax: The simple policy solution

Who obstructs action: Follow the money

Climate rights movement: What will your role be?

Homework 11 due

Homework 12 assigned

06/26

No class

Homework 12 due

06/28

Final