Summer Semester 2025

Summary

This class covers the fundamentals of modeling weather and climate for undergraduate students of Mathematics and Data Science. It has the following main themes:

  • Simple models that illustrate the difference between weather and climate from a dynamical systems viewpoint (Lorenz model) and simple models of climate (energy balance models),
  • Fundamental equations of geophysical fluid dynamics and basic phenomenology,
  • Depending on time and interest: focus more in-depth on selected aspects, and/or do simple practical experiments with a toy climate model.

Textbooks

  • Shen, Somerville, Climate Mathematics: Theory and Applications, Cambridge University Press, 2019

  • Engler, Kaper, Mathematics of Climate, SIAM, 2013

  • Warner, Numerical Weather and Climate Prediction, Cambridge University Press, 2010

Grading

  • Regular exercise assignments
  • The grade for this class is determined by one final exam
  • There will be a “mock exam” 3-4 weeks before the final exam.
  • Successful submission of exercises as well as the the mock exam will each add a grade bonus of 1/3 of a grade step to your final grade. Note that the pass/fail decision is not affected by the bonus, and the top grade can be achieved without the bonus.

Topics

Apr 24, 2025

Introduction

Apr 28, 2025

TBA