Climate Science Fundamentals

Climate Science Fundamentals is a practical Science course that explains how Earth’s climate system works, why it is changing, and what the evidence shows. With Professor Victor Zane, students gain a clear foundation in climate evidence, models, impacts, and solutions so they can understand climate information with confidence.

Build A Practical Foundation In Climate Science

• Learn how sunlight, energy balance, the atmosphere, oceans, ice, and land shape Earth’s climate system.
• Understand the greenhouse effect, radiative forcing, carbon cycle, human emissions, and major climate feedbacks.
• Evaluate climate evidence from instruments, satellites, paleoclimate records, and attribution Science.
• Interpret climate models, future scenarios, impacts, risks, and solution pathways for better decision-making.

Climate Science Fundamentals provides a practical foundation in Earth’s climate system, evidence, models, impacts, and solutions with Professor Victor Zane.

This course introduces the essential Science behind climate change in a clear, structured way. Students begin with the big picture of Earth’s climate system, including planetary temperature, atmospheric circulation, oceans, ice, land, weather, climate variability, and long-term trends.

From there, the course explores the drivers of climate change, including the greenhouse effect, radiative forcing, the carbon cycle, human emissions, and feedbacks involving water vapor, ice, clouds, and land. You will also compare human influence with natural climate drivers such as volcanoes, solar change, and orbital cycles.

Climate Science Fundamentals also teaches students how scientists know what they know. You will examine evidence from instruments, satellites, ice cores, sediments, trees, corals, and climate records, then learn how attribution separates human-caused change from natural variability.

By the end of the course, you will be able to read climate models, understand uncertainty, assess risks from heatwaves, rainfall, sea level rise, ecosystem change, food, water, and health impacts, and evaluate mitigation and adaptation strategies. You will leave with stronger Science literacy and the ability to discuss climate evidence, impacts, and solutions with clarity.