Introduction to Climate Science

This Introduction to Climate Science course takes a holistic approach to the study of planet Earth through examining the interactions between four earth systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, & lithosphere. It is a relatively new and rapidly evolving field of science, which examines how the Earth operates as a system of interconnected components. This approach forms the modern foundation for understanding processes such as the human impacts on global climate and environmental change. The objectives of this course are to instill a firm understanding of what The Earth System is and how it operates, and to introduce the learner to the systems and cycles that directly affect our daily and future lives. The course will also address the present climate and ecological emergencies in the context of deep geologic time. There will be some overlap with the Climate + Change course, but this course will focus more on a deep dive into the scientific basis for our present existential crises.