EPS 7, Introduction to Climate Change, Fall 2024

EPS 7 is online in Fall 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. Even though EPS 7 will be online, it will be just as much fun as the in-person 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

M W F, 2:00-3:00

Location

In the bCourses Media Gallery

Required text

None

Readings will be posted online

Prerequisites

None

Grading

Homework 30% (on bCourses, due weekly)

Midterm I 20% (on bCourses, October 9, 2pm Pacific)

Midterm II 20% (on bCourses, November 6, 2pm Pacific)

Final 30% (on bCourses, December 19, 3pm 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

Readers (eps7help@gmail.com)

TBD

Reader office hours

TBD

Professor office hours

Wednesday, 2-3 Pacific, 377 McCone

Syllabus

08/28

Joule and Watt: A tale of two Jameses

08/30

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

Homework 1 assigned

09/02

No class

09/04

Fun with units: Meters and thermometers

09/06

Wien's law: The color of light

Homework 1 due

Homework 2 assigned

09/09

Stefan-Boltzmann law: You are glowing, literally

09/11

Mercury: Warm and toasty

09/13

Mars: A little chilly

Homework 2 due

Homework 3 assigned

09/16

Earth's atmosphere: What is it?

09/18

Clausius-Clapeyron: Water, water, everywhere

09/20

Lapse rate: It is cold up here!

Homework 3 due

Homework 4 assigned

09/23

Radiative transfer: Gases glow, too

09/25

Greenhouse gases: The Earth's clothing

09/27

Discovery of global warming: A short history

Homework 4 due

Homework 5 assigned

09/30

Forcing and feedback: Your best life now

10/02

Earth's feedbacks: Calculating climate sensitivity

10/04

Cloud taxonomy: Name that cloud

Homework 5 due

Homework 6 assigned

10/07

Fossil fuels: Where did this stuff come from?

10/09

Midterm 1

10/11

Drill baby drill: How much have we burned?

Homework 6 due

Homework 7 assigned

10/14

Evidence of warming: Is it getting hot in here?

10/16

Ocean acidification: Where does the carbon go?

10/18

Climate models: Supercomputers to the rescue

Homework 7 due

Homework 8 assigned

10/21

The IPCC: How to win a Nobel Prize

10/23

Other gases: Laughing gas and hairspray

10/25

Scary feedbacks: Stuff that could burn

Homework 8 due

Homework 9 assigned

10/28

Paleoclimate: The past as guide to the future

10/30

Ice and sea level: Where to invest in property

11/01

Superstorms: The revenge of Clausius-Clapeyron

Homework 9 due

Homework 10 assigned

11/04

Future Earth: Spacesuits required

11/06

Midterm 2

11/08

Biomass power: Enough room for food and fuel?

Homework 10 due

Homework 11 assigned

11/11

No class

11/13

Hydro power: What is left to harness?

11/15

Nuclear power: Too costly and dangerous?

Homework 11 due

Homework 12 assigned

11/18

Wind power: Mining the sky

11/20

Solar power: Ready to save the day?

11/22

Domestic policy: ITC, PTC, alphabet soup

Homework 12 due

Homework 13 assigned

11/25

International agreements: Rio, Kyoto, and Paris

Homework 14 assigned

11/27

No class

11/29

No class

12/02

Carbon tax: The simple policy solution

Homework 13 due

Homework 14 due

12/04

Who obstructs action: Follow the money

12/06

Climate rights movement: What will your role be?

Homework 15 assigned