Monash University Handbook

From the humid tropics to the polar deserts, Earth's diverse array of climates are the result of complex physical, chemical and biological processes and their interactions. This unit provides an introduction to the Earth's climate system and its operation. Students will gain an appreciation of the climate of the Earth's surface, sub-surface and upper atmosphere, and how these vary in space and time. Key processes that regulate the climate on the global, regional and micro-scale will be introduced. The natural operation of these processes and their operation with human influence will be examined. Students will be exposed to the techniques and instrumentation used to measure and monitor the atmosphere and the real-world

applications for climate monitoring will be described. Practical experience in meteorological measurement will be gained through laboratory classes and a weekend field experience.

Outcomes

On completion of the unit students will be able to:

Define the concept of 'climate' and key processes that regulate the climate on the global, regional and micro-scales;
Describe how various elements of the climate system are measured and observed, including the instruments employed, how they operate, and application to real-world climate problems;
Describe how the climate varies on a number of time and space scales. Explain some of the key physical mechanisms and their interactions that cause these variations, and appreciate their complexity;
Know some of the modifications made by humans that can influence the climate and the associated processes by which this occurs;
Communicate complex concepts in climate science to scientific and non-scientific audiences.