Week 3
Overview
This unit introduces you to the fundamental features underlying the planetary climate system, including the “greenhouse effect” and the factors that affect the balance of solar radiation that the planet absorbs and emits. You will study factors that affect natural climate variability, including feedback loops, thresholds, tipping points, and non-linear relationships. You will investigate the role of climate in major events in Earth’s past. You will review how human activities have caused an imbalance in “radiative forcing” resulting in warming as first theorized almost 200 years ago. Finally, you will review the increasingly strong evidence documenting how human activities are transforming our climate as described in Assessment Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
You will be expected to post in the discussion forum for this unit, and engage in your team’s first practical application.
Week 3 Activities
The readings this week focus on the foundation of climate change science, Earth’s climate of the past (paleoclimate), and the influence of human activity on climate. Together with the material from Unit 1 this will provide the basis for your reflection and your systems diagram: as you read and listen, focus on relationships between component parts of the system, and terms and concepts that are intriguing and/or new-to-you.
Week 3 Activity 1 – Attend the live session or watch the recording
Week 3 Activity 2 – Complete the weekly readings listed on Moodle where you will find guidance on what to focus on in the readings, including a short recording from the instructors
Week 3 Activity 3 – Start Individual Practical Application #1 by building a Climate Glossary on Moodle: This activity allows us to collaboratively compile a glossary of climate science terms. You may choose to define one or more terms, to gain familiarity with them. Focus on words that you learned (or learned something new about) from the readings.
Week 3 Activity 4 – Submit Critical Reflection #2: Guiding questions are on Moodle. Post your reflection, along with comments on at least other student’s reflection, by the end of the week.
For more information on the practice of Participation and Contribution in the MACAL program, see Assignment 1 and Contribution Assessment.