SIO115 Ice and the Climate System
Syllabus & Timetable
Week 1. Introduction to the Cryosphere in the
Earth System
Suggested additional reading: (i) Chapter 1 of “The Cryosphere”; (ii) Chapters 1 & 2 of UNEP report.
- 28 March: Elements of the cryosphere; importance of the cryosphere
- 30 March: Role of the cryosphere in the climate system; sea-level rise
- 1 April: Discussion paper: Scambos et al. 2011 (scambos-2011.pdf below); Flanner et al., 2011 (2011-Flanner-NGeo.pdf below).
Suggested additional reading: (i) Chapter 1 of “The Cryosphere”; (ii) Chapters 1 & 2 of UNEP report.
Week 2. Past climate change and past climate records
Suggested additional reading: Chapter 5 of “The Cryosphere”.
- 4 April: Ice ages (Jeff Severinghaus)
- 6 April: Ice cores (Anais Orsi)
- 8 April: Discussion paper: Alley et al. 2003
Suggested additional reading: Chapter 5 of “The Cryosphere”.
Week 3. Permafrost & lake ice
Suggested additional reading: Chapter 7 of UNEP report
- 11 April: Permafrost
- 13 April: Permafrost contd; Lake ice
- 15 April: Discussion papers: Zimov et al., 2006; Schaefer et al., 2011
Suggested additional reading: Chapter 7 of UNEP report
Week 4. Sea-ice
Suggested additional reading: Chapter 5 of UNEP report
- 18 April: Sea-ice; ice-albedo feedback; changes in Arctic sea-ice;
- 20 April: Modelling sea-ice (Julie MacClean)
- 22 April: Discussion paper: Stroeve et al. 2007 (GRL) and 2008 (EOS)
Suggested additional reading: Chapter 5 of UNEP report
Week 5. Land ice: Glaciers and ice caps (GIC)
Suggested additional reading: relevant section of Chapter 6 of UNEP report
- 25 April: Mass balance of glaciers; flow of glaciers; ice-ocean interaction
- 27 April: Decline of GIC and contribution to sea-level
- 29 April: Discussion paper: Meier et al., 2008
Suggested additional reading: relevant section of Chapter 6 of UNEP report
Weeks 6-8. Land ice: Ice sheets (Greenland & Antarctica)
order ice sheet model with dynamic subglacial processes” Hubbs 4500
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Week 9. The Changing Cryosphere
Suggested reading: (i) IPCC Chapter 4
- 23 May: How is the Cryosphere changing? What might happen in the future?
- 25 May: How can we improve predictions?
- 27 May: Discussion paper: IPCC Chapter 4 (ipcc_2007_ar4wg1_ch04.pdf below)
Suggested reading: (i) IPCC Chapter 4
Week 10. Student presentations
- 30 May: Group 1
- 1 June: Group 2
- 3 June: Group 3
Week 11. Exam week – IGS meeting http://glaciology2.ucsd.edu/igs2011 – no classes.
- Exam is 9 June 2011 at 11:30am.
Course texts
CliC
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IPCC AR4 Chapter 4
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Discussion papers
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