Handbook

This unit gives an introduction to the dynamics and processes that govern the large-scale physical climate system. The following questions are the main focus of this unit: What dynamics control the physical climate? How would the climate change if boundary conditions of the climate are changed? What are the characteristics and dynamics of natural climate variability? The unit will introduce you to the main concepts of the large-scale climate such as: the energy balances, the large-scale atmospheric and ocean circulations, the forces acting in the climate system. We will discuss some simple theoretical climate models, physical climate modelling on the more complex scales and important concepts for the physical climate and its variability from several month to the time scales of ice age cycles (many thousand years).