GIS and Climate Change

Course content

This course deals with the climates of our planet and the mechanisms and factors that govern climatic conditions in different parts of the world. The introduction module of the course gives the student insight in world climates, their extent and what parameters that are generating them.

In the following sections we present the current climate change research, and describe and analyse the general concepts of the most commonly used models for creating scenarios of climate change. We further discuss data requirements and limitations. You will get the opportunity to test some of the more basic models in order to improve their understanding of the level of influence of different parameters.

Through a series of practical exercises combined with the fundamental theoretical concepts, we present different types of analysis and operations that can be performed in a standard GIS software in order to estimate the extent of climate change consequences. Possibilities and methods to reduce negative effects are also dealt with in the course.

Teaching methods

Teaching consists of lectures and practical exercises that you will submit to the teachers. The course ends with a written exam.Throughout the whole course the level of teaching is high, and the course participants are implementing useful concepts in different exercises, where the focus is on GIS.

Litterature

Course book

Global Warming (Houghton): Chapter 1-6
ISBN 9781107463790

Additional Reading:

Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast (David Archer)
ISBN: 9780470943410
 

Books can be bought on several bookstores online.