Radiation and Climate Change
The format of the course will consist of both lectures and tutorials.
The lectures and tutorials will take place in physical form in the lecture room HG D5.2.
There is also a Piazza page associated with this course for further discussion possibilities.
The aim of this course is to develop a thorough understanding of the fundamental role of radiation in shaping Earth's climate and driving climate change. The course covers the following topics: Basic radiation laws; sun-earth relations; radiation in the atmosphere; radiation as driver of climate change over Earth's history (faint sun paradox, Milankovic ice age theory, solar cycles); radiation balance of the Earth (satellite and surface observations, modeling approaches); anthropogenic perturbation of the Earth radiation balance: greenhouse gases and enhanced greenhouse effect, air pollution and global dimming/brightening. Implications of dimming/brightening for climate change.
Intro / Physical Basis of Radiation 20.2. 2026
- Download of protected page lecture slides
Physical Basis of Radiation / Sun Earth Relationships 27. 2.2026
- Download of lprotected page ecture slides
- Download protected page solutions of Lecture Exercices from 27.2
Sun Earth Relationships 6.3. 2026
- Download of lprotected page ecture slides
- Download protected page solution of Lecture Exercice from 6.3.
Shortwave and Longwave Radiation in the Atmosphere /Radiation in Climate Models 13. 3. 2026
- Download of protected page lecture slides
Further Reading
- Greenhouse effect in Antarctica: protected page Schmithüsen_et_al.
- Radiative-convective model application: protected page Hansen et al.
Radiation in Climate Models/ Present state of Earth Radiation Balance 20. 3. 2026
- Download of protected page lecture slides
Further Reading
- Cloud radiative forcing: protected page Ramanathan et al
- CERES satellite mission: protected page Wielicki et al and protected page CERES Mission Brochure
Present state of Earth Radiation Balance / Changes over Earth's history 24. 4. 2026
- Download of protected page lecture slides
Changes over Earth's history and decadal climate change 22. 5. 2026
- Download of protected page lecture slides
Further Reading
- Earth radiative Imbalance (I): protected page von Schuckmann et al.
- Earth radiative Imbalance (II): protected page Hansen et al
- Decadal variations in TOA radiation budget protected page Wielicki et al
- Global dimming and brightening: protected page Wild et al SCIENCE
- Global dimming versus greenhouse warming: protected page Wild et al GRL
- Global Dimming and Brightening: A review: protected page Wild JGR
- Enlightening Global Dimming and Brightening: protected page Wild BAMS
- Global dimming and terrestrial carbon uptake: protected page Mercado et al. Nature
- Global dimming and PV in China: protected page Sweerts et al Nature Energy
The tutorials will take place in the same room as the lectures, i.e. HG D5.2 They are designed to aid and put into practice your understanding of the course material.
The teaching assistants for the exercices are Tom Carrard and Rémi Bouffet-Klein
The last part of Tutorial 2 is optional and can be submitted as a report, which earns you a bonus credit of 0.25. Please submit it here before 14th May 23h59.
Tutorials 1, 2, and 4 requires your notebook, whereas Tutorial 3 is a pen and paper exercise.
Written semester exam to obtain credit points (3) (Benotete Semsterleistung / graded semester performance)
29.5.2026: Starts 8.15. Takes place as physical written exam in the usual lecture room HG D5.2. Covers all material discussed in the lectures and the tutorials. Closed book exam, no supporting material allowed (keine Hilfsmittel), except a simple non-programmable pocket calculator with trigonometric and power functions (no calculators on smartphones, no pocket computers). Emphasis is on understanding of concepts. If you do not intend to participate in the exam please de-register from the course beforehand.
