Skills you'll gain

Programming Principles

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Assessments

6 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 5 modules in this course

This class provides a series of Python programming exercises intended to explore the use of numerical modeling in the Earth system and climate sciences. The scientific background for these models is presented in a companion class, Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change. This class assumes that you are new to Python programming (and this is indeed a great way to learn Python!), but that you will be able to pick up an elementary knowledge of Python syntax from another class or from on-line tutorials.

This class is intended to complement a Coursera class called Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change, which presents much of the background to the material here. In this class you'll be using spreadsheets (maybe) and Python (definitely) to do some simple numerical calculations on topics in Earth System Science. The model you'll be working on this week is based on material from Unit 3 of that class, called First Climate Model.

What's included

2 videos6 readings1 assignment1 programming assignment1 peer review

2 videosTotal 6 minutes

Welcome3 minutesPreview module
How the Model Works3 minutes

6 readingsTotal 60 minutes

Scripting and Spreadsheets10 minutes
Tips for Using Spreadsheets for Numerical Simulation10 minutes
Tips for Getting Started Coding10 minutes
Model Formulation10 minutes
How to Solve Using a Spreadsheet10 minutes
How to Encode into Python or Fortran10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Code Tricks: Heat Capacity, Time Steps, and Equilibration Time30 minutes

1 programming assignmentTotal 180 minutes

Code Check180 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Code Review60 minutes

The ideas behind this model were explained in Unit 7, Feedbacks, in Part I of this class. First we get to generate simple linear "parameterization" functions of planetary albedo and the latitude to which ice forms (colder = lower latitude ice). Second, for any given value of the solar constant, L, we'll use iteration to find consistent values of albedo and T, to show the effect of the ice albedo feedback on Earth's temperature, running away to fall into the dreaded "snowball Earth".

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment1 programming assignment1 peer review

1 videoTotal 4 minutes

How the Model Works4 minutesPreview module

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Parameterized Relationship Between T, Ice Latitude, and Albedo10 minutes
Spreadsheet Instructions10 minutes
Coding Instructions10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Code Trick: Hysteresis Into and Out Of the Snowball30 minutes

1 programming assignmentTotal 180 minutes

Code Check180 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Code Review60 minutes

Ice flows like extra-thick molasses, downhill. The shape of the ice sheet (altitude versus distance across) is determined by the relationship between ice surface slope and the flow rate of the ice.