Page 20 - Earth's Climate Past and Future

xviii PREFACE

Course Outline (Tu/Th) No. of Lectures (continued)
Chapter 9 Insolation Control of Ice Sheets 2
Chapter 10 Orbital-Scale Changes in Carbon Dioxide and Methane 2
Chapter 11 Orbital-Scale Interactions, Feedbacks, and Unsolved Problems 1
Chapter 12 Last Glacial Maximum 1
Chapter 13 Climate During and Since the Last Deglaciation 1
Chapter 14 Millennial Oscillations of Climate 1
Chapter 15 Humans and Preindustrial Climate 1
Chapter 16 Climate Changes During the Last 1000 Years 1
Chapter 17 Climatic Changes Since 1850 1
Chapter 18 Causes of Warming over the Last 125 Years 1
Chapter 19 Future Climatic Change 1

Recent Climate Some instructors prefer to focus on and 2 from Part 1 provide a basic introduction to recon-
climatic changes during the last 150 years and those structing past climate changes and Chapters 12-14 from
expected in the future. This material is covered in Part Part IV explain the origin of pre-industrial climate.
V of the book (Chapters 15-19). Students also need to Additional resources include Appendix 1, the compan-
have some understanding of the natural climatic ion web site, and the sources listed at the end of each
changes that led to the pre-industrial climatic baseline chapter. The 10 chapters in the following outline can be
from which the recent changes departed. Chapters 1 covered in 10 one-hour lectures.

Recent Climate Course Outline
Chapter 1 Framework of Climate Science
Chapter 2 Climate Archives, Data, and Models
Chapter 12 Last Glacial Maximum
Chapter 13 Climate During and Since the Last Deglaciation
Chapter 14 Millennial Oscillations of Climate
Chapter 15 Humans and Preindustrial Climate
Chapter 16 Climate Changes During the Last 1000 Years
Chapter 17 Climatic Changes Since 1850
Chapter 18 Causes of Warming Over the Last 125 Years
Chapter 19 Future Climatic Change

Orbital-Scale Climate Changes Some courses gradual global cooling that led to the northern hemi-
focus on orbital-scale variations in climate during the sphere ice age cycles. In addition, Chapter 15 explores
last few million years. Because the primary climatic the effect of climate on long-term human evolution
forcing (insolation changes) and the major climatic and the emerging role of humans in altering climate.
responses (fluctuations of ice sheets and monsoons) are Additional resources include Appendices 1 and 2, the
well known, clear cause-and-effect relationships can be companion web site, and the sources listed at the end
explored for this interval. This material is covered in of each chapter. The 12 chapters in this outline should
Part III (Chapters 7-11) and Part IV (Chapters 12-14). take 16 one-hour lectures to cover (two lectures for
Chapters 1 and 2 in Part I provide necessary back- chapters 6, 7, 9 and 10, and one lecture each for the
ground material, and Chapter 6 in Part II covers the others).