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TI 318 - CLIMATE CHANGE

Lecturer:       Dr. Kieran Hickey
Office:           AC125, Geography Department
Office Hours: Monday 12-1, Tuesday 12-1, Wednesday 11-12
Phone:          00 353 91 49 2128 Ext 2128
E-mail:           kieran.hickeynuigalway.ie
Lectures:       Tue 4 - 5 IT 125 1st floor; Wed 1 - 2 Aras Ui Chathail

Course outline here.

COURSE SUMMARY

This course sets out to examine climate change with particular emphasis on the major factors controlling climate change, the climate history of the last 2,000 years and the issue of global warming with reference to Ireland.

The 2007 Intergovernmental Report on Climate Change (IPCC) state that the world is facing a significant challenge in terms of climate change, one which will affect all life on this planet. An assessment affirmed by the 2009 Copenhagen Conference.

Ireland warmed up by 0.420C per decade between 1980 and 2004, about twice the levels of increase globally (Sweeney and McElwain 2007). Ireland has warmed up by 0.50C mean temperature between the 1961-1990 period and the 1981-2010 period. Rainfall totals have increased by 5% between the 1961-1990 period and the 1981-2010 period (Walsh, 2012). Globally 2010 was the joint warmest year on record since systematic instrumental records began in 1860, whereas 2011 was only the joint 11th warmest. However the decade of 2000-2009 was the warmest on record.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course is broken down into four parts. The first will provide an introduction to key factors controlling climate change. The second part of the course will look at the climate of the last 2,000 years up to AD 1850. The third part of the course will critically examine global warming from AD 1850 onwards with special emphasis on Ireland. The fourth component of the course is the continuous assessment consisting of one practical and one essay.

COURSE ASSESSMENT

This consists of three parts. The first part is the continuous assessment which consists of two components, the first of which is an exercise in reading, understanding and interpreting complex climate diagrams and counts for 10% of the overall module mark. The second part consists of an essay and which accounts for 30% of the overall module mark. Tutorials will be arranged for both pieces of continuous assessment from week 4 onwards for three weeks. The second part is the exam which will be of two hours duration and you will have to answer two questions, not more than one question from any section and accounts for 60% of the overall course mark or 30% each.

COURSE OUTLINE

PART 1: FACTORS CONTROLLING CLIMATE CHANGE
Lecture 1:    Introduction to climate change.
Lecture 2:    Solar Output and sunspots.
Lecture 3:    Orbital Variations
Lecture 4-5: Earth Atmospheric History, Landmass Position, Orogenies, Asteroid and Comet Impacts
Lecture 6:    Volcanism
Lecture 7:    El Nino

PART 2: THE CLIMATE OF THE LAST 2,000 YEARS UP TO AD 1850
Lecture 8: Methods in reconstructing past climates 1 Paleo-environmental data.
Lecture 9:   Methods in reconstructing past climates 2 Documentary data.
Lecture 10: Methods in reconstructing past climates 3 Instrumental data.
Lecture 11: The Roman Period and The Dark Ages
Lecture 12: The Medieval Warm Period
Lectures 13-14: The Little Ice Age

PART 3: GLOBAL WARMING FACT OR FICTION? AD 1850-2011 AND FUTURE PREDICTIONS
Lecture 15: Instrumental Records of Temperature and Sea Level Change
1850-2011
Lecture 16: Instrumental Records of Precipitation and Storminess Change 1850-2011
Lecture 17: Changes in Atmospheric Composition due to Human Activity and
Its Implications
Lecture 18: Land – Use Changes 1850-2010
Lecture 19: A Sceptics View
Lecture 20: Future Predictions of Climate Change – Temperature and Sea-Level with Special Reference to Ireland
Lecture 21: Future Predictions of Climate Change – Precipitation and Storminess Change with Special Reference to Ireland
Lecture 22: The Prospect of a Major Surprise

PART 4: CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
Part 1: Understanding Complex Climate Diagrams
This exercise is worth 10% of the course
Deadline: Monday the 18th of October at 12.30pm.
Details and instructions will be given out at the tutorials.

Part 2 Essay Titles and Instructions
This exercise is worth 30% of the course.
Deadline: Thursday the 15th of November at 12.30pm.
Outline and explain the global climatic significance of one of the following:

a)   The North Atlantic Oscillation
b)   The Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations
c)   The Jet Stream
d)   Ocean Circulation and Climate
e)   Geomagnetism
f)    Global Circulation Models
g)   Ice Cores
h)   The Younger Dryas

Details and instructions will be given out at the tutorials.

NOTE ALL ESSAYS WILL BE CHECKED FOR PLAGIARISM

SUGGESTED COURSE TEXTS

Hickey Kieran (2008) Five Minutes to Midnight? Ireland and Climate Change, Belfast, White Row Press, (in bookshop at 12 euro).

Houghton John (2009) Global Warming: The Complete Briefing, Cambridge University Press, 4th edition (in bookshop).

Discipline of Geography
National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
Tel.: +353 (0)91 49 2643
This page was last updated Wednesday, September 19, 2012