Climate Change and Mitigation

Subject Code: 17MEM21 IA Marks: 50

Credits: 04 Exam Marks: 50
Hrs/week: 04 Total hrs: 60
OBJECTIVE:
The course will explore options to mitigate, and adapt to, the impacts of climate change. In
particular, there will be an intensive examination of how climate change and its impacts on the
environment can be managed.
PART - A
Unit I
Introduction: Location, distance, and direction on Maps. The nature of radiation and radiation
laws. Earth - sun geometry. Earth - sun relationship and insolation. Characteristics of solar and
terrestrial radiation.Definitions of climate, weather, climate change and climate variability.
Challenges in understanding climate change. Net radiation and earth’s energy balance.
10 hours

Unit II
The elements of the climate: Introduction. Atmospheric circulation patterns.Radiation
balance.The hydrological cycle.The biosphere.Atmosphere-ocean interaction.The great ocean
conveyor. 6 hours

Unit III
The measurement of climate change: In situ Instrumental observations. Satellite
measurements.Re-analysis work.Historical records. Proxy measurements: ice cores, tree rings,
boreholes, corals, and lake and ocean sediments. 6 hours

Unit IV
Causes and theories of climatic changes: Variation in solar radiation. Variations in the earth's
orbital characteristics.Atmospheric dust hypothesis.Carbon dioxide hypothesis. Plate tectonics:
continental drift and seafloor spreading. Anthropogenic sources: greenhouse gas emissions, dust
and aerosols, desertification and deforestation, the ozone hole. 10 hours

PART - B
Unit V
Ecological effects of climate change: Effects on freshwater systems: surface and ground water,
drought and soil moisture, lake and stream biota, human infrastructure, wetlands, the cryosphere.
Effects on terrestrial ecosystems: geographic shifts in terrestrial habitats, grassland and shrub
land, loss of biodiversity. Climate change and agriculture. Effects on marine environment: sea-
level rise, marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem. 10 hours

Unit VI
Carbon capture and storage technology: Absorption and adsorption capture systems.
Membrane separation systems.Cryogenic and distillation systems.Mineral carbonation.
6 hours
Unit VII
Storage and monitoring technologies: Geological storage. Ocean storage.Storage in terrestrial
ecosystems. 6 hours
Unit VIII
Carbon dioxide transportation: Pipeline transportation. Marine transportation. 6 Hours

OUTCOME:
On completion of the course the students will be able to:
Have an understanding of climate and climate change processes at local to global scales
Take up mitigation efforts on drastic climate changes
Have acquaintances with theories of climate change, measurement of climate change and
technologies of energy storage and monitoring

TEXTS / REFERENCE BOOKS:

1. William James Burroughs: “Climate Change: a multidisciplinary approach”, Cambridge

University Press, second edition, 2007
2. John T. Hardy: “Climate Change: causes, effects and solutions”, Wiley Publication, 2003
3. Savindra Singh: “Climatology” , PrayogpusthakBhawan, 2009
4. Edward Bryant: “Climate Process & Change”, Cambridge 1997
5. Stephen A. Rackley: “Carbon Capture and Storage”, Elsevier, 2010