Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech

Climate and Climate Change (250653) – Course 2024/25 PDF

Syllabus

Learning Objectives

CE01 - Apply scientific concepts to environmental problems and their correlation with technological concepts. CE02 - Analyze systems, environmental problems and their resolution using models and evaluate them. CE03 - Acquire basic skills of laboratory work and identify the methods and instrumentation for the determination of parameters relevant to the analysis of environmental problems. Very aware of the structure of land, water and artificial ecosystems and their interactions. Meet the ecology and the cycling of elements. Meet the major environmental problems globally. Analyzes energy bases, stoichiometric and kinetic of different processes. Modeling process and quantifies the performance and efficiency of systems. Determines the basis of environmental hazards to human health and ecosystems. Apply material balances and energy to environmental problems. Interprets water-rock and water - air interactions using thermodynamic and kinetic methods. Meet the pollutants and identify their impact. Learn the basics of how the atmosphere and applies them in maintaining air quality. Learn the basics of climate and discusses the implications of current climate change. Conceptualized an environmental problem described by equations and poses analytical or numerical solution. Identifies the codes you need to solve a problem as conceptualized. Recognizes the spatial and temporal scales required to resolve the problem. Is familiar with solutions to problems relating to dynamical systems. Learn about simple solutions to problems advection- dispersion - reaction. Recognizes the existence of uncertainty in the parameters of the equations and is capable of performing an uncertainty analysis and sensitivity. Learn methods for information and action on various parameters or variables. Understand that any measure inherently carries an associated error and is able to work with them. It is critical to the values reported by others when the measurement method is not specified. He has worked in the laboratory measurement of some parameters of environmental interest. Description of the climate system and its components. The atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, land surface and biosphere. The balance of power: land-atmosphere. The hydrological and carbon cycles. History of climate change: causes and mechanisms. Internal climate variability. Evolution of Earth's climate. Modelling the climate system. Components of a climate model. Evaluation of results. The climate system response to a disturbance. Influences of human activities on climate and climate change. Description of the climate system and its components. The atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, land surface and biosphere. The balance of power: land-atmosphere. Hydrological and carbon cycles. History of Climate Change: Causes and mechanisms. Internal climate variability. Evolution of the Earth's climate. Modelling the climate system. Components of a climate model. Evaluation of results. The climate system response to a disturbance. Influences of human activities on climate and climate change.

Total hours of student work

Hours Percentage
Supervised Learning Large group 25.5h 56.67 %
Medium group 9.8h 21.67 %
Laboratory classes 9.8h 21.67 %
Self Study 80h

Teaching Methodology

The course consists of 3 hours a week of classes in a classroom. The 2 hours in the large size groups are devoted to theoretical lectures, in which the teacher presents the basic concepts and topics of the subject, shows examples and solves exercises. The 1 hour is devoted to solving practical problems with greater interaction with the students. The objective of these practical work and exercises is to consolidate the general and specific learning objectives. Support material in the form of detailed teaching plan is used by: content, program of learning and assessment activities conducted and literature. Although most of the sessions will be given in the language indicated, sessions supported by other occasional guest experts may be held in other languages.

Grading Rules

The evaluation calendar and grading rules will be approved before the start of the course.

The course grade will be obtained from continuous assessment scores and corresponding practical work. Continuous assessment consists in several activities, both individually and in group, of additive and formative characteristics, carried out during the course (in the classroom and beyond). The evaluation tests consist of a part with basic issues and questions about concepts associated with the learning objectives of the course with in terms of knowledge or understanding concepts, and a set of exercises for understanding and application. The teaching takes place according to the following criteria: NF = r*NE +(1-r)*NAC r = 0,5 NAC = q*NAEP +(1-q)*NACET q = 0,5 NF: Final Note NE: Exam Note NAC: Note from continuous assessment NAEP: Note teachings practical assessment (works, presentations, etc.) NACET: Note continued evaluation of the theoretical teachings (test, etc.)

Test Rules

Failure to perform a laboratory or continuous assessment activity in the scheduled period will result in a mark of zero in that activity.

Office Hours

Constantly available via email: jose.baldasano@upc.edu

Bibliography

Basic

Complementary