Department of Soil, Crop and Climate
Sciences
AGROMETEOROLOGY
LWR 324
CLIMATE CHANGE AND
VARIABILITY
2012
Mrs Linda de Wet (co-ordinator)
Mr Stephan Steyn
Prof. Sue Walker
AIM OF THE COURSE
The aim of this course is to familiarize the student with the major causes and
characteristics of internal climate variability and externally forced climate change, the
concepts of radiative forcing and climate feedback, recently observed changes in climate
relative to changes that have occurred in the past; the formulation of climate models and
their strengths and weaknesses; the basis, methods and limitations of climate prediction
as well as the latest climate change projections and how this will affect the agricultural
sector together with mitigation and adaptation options.
TOPICS
See “Workprogram for 2010”.
PRACTICALS
Students will be expected to acquire the necessary climate data to analyse and describe
the past climate and its variability for a specific location and identify any trends in the
climatic record if present. They will also be introduced to basic concepts of climate
modelling and contemplate how the climate change projections for their home
countries/areas will affect the local agricultural sector.
THINGS TO DO IMMEDIATELY
1) Complete the student information form.
2) Familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations, assignments and important dates.
PREREQUISITES
Prospective students in LWR324 need to have completed the compulsory module
LWR 214.
CONTACT DETAILS
Lecturer
Linda de Wet
Stephan Steyn
+27 (0)51 401 2388
+27 (0)51 401 2882
+27 (0)51 401 2212
+27 (0)51 401 2212
(Attn. Linda)
(Attn. Stephan)
dewetl@ufs.ac.za
steynsas@ufs.ac.za
Office 1-230
Office 1-219
Agriculture Building
Agriculture Building
UFS
UFS
(preferred method of contact)
(preferred method of contact)
Consulting hours:
Consulting hours:
Make an appointment
Make an appointment
RULES AND REGULATIONS
It is your responsibility to be up to date with the rules and regulations of the University of
the Free State, the Faculty of Natural- and Agricultural Sciences, and the Department of
Soil-, Crop- and Climate Sciences.
GROUND RULES
Students would have to comply with the following basic rules:

All contact sessions are compulsory.

Switch off cell phones during contact sessions.

Submission of assignments is mandatory. Assigments handed in after the
deadline will be penalised with 5% for each day after the deadline, with a
terminal cut-off 7 days after the deadline
TIMETABLE 2nd SEMESTER 2012
PERIOD
1
07:10
2
08:10
3
09:10
4
10:10
5
11:10
6
12:10
7
13:10
8
14:10
9
15:10
10
16:10
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
LWR 324
Work Program for 2012
THEME
WEEK
TOPIC
LECTURER
Pg
Lab
16 Jul
Introduction
SS
1
23 Jul
The global climate system
SS
9
C
2
30 Jul
Natural climate forcing
SS
45
C
3
6 Aug
Proxy data
SW
59
C
93
E
104
C
Hols Thurs 09/08
4
13 Aug
Anthropogenic
climate SS
forcing
5
20 Aug
Climate
prediction
and SW
models
6
27 Aug
Effects on agriculture
LDW
122
C
7
3 Sep
Adapting to climate change
SW
133
C
8
10 Sep
Climate feedbacks
SS
148
C
9
17 Sep
Climate change projections
SS
176
C
10
25 Sep
Recently
observed LDW
Hols Mon 24/09
190
C
changes
Recess Sat 29 Sept to Sun 7 Oct 2012
11
8 Oct
Climate variability
SS
207
D
12
15 Oct
An alternative perspective
LDW
232
B
Classes end Fri 19 Oct. Exams start Mon 22 Oct 2012
Semester Test 1
Semester Test 1
6 September 2012
11 October 2012
Themes 1 – 5
Themes 6 – 10
ASSESSMENT
Students are expected to submit assignments on a weekly basis. The mark
allocation will be as outlined below:
Semester Test 1:
33%
Semester Test 2:
33%
Assignments:
34%
Semester Mark:
100
Exam:
100
Final Mark = (½ × Semester Mark) + (½ × Exam Mark) = 100
A student who hasn’t written any of the semester tests or handed in any of the
practical will not be allowed to write the exam and receive an INCOMPLETE.
NOTIONAL LEARNING HOURS
This course constitutes 16 credits and therefore 160 notional learning hours. Classes,
practical sessions and tests will take up ± 86 hours. This leaves ± 74 hours (5 hours a
week) for student reading, study and preparation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this module students will be able to describe the major causes and
characteristics of internal climate variability and externally forced climate change; explain
the concepts of radiative forcing and climate feedback; evaluate recently observed
changes in climate relative to changes that have occurred in the past; describe the
formulation of climate models and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses; discuss the
basis, methods and limitations of climate prediction as well as provide a review of the
latest climate change projections and how this will affect the agricultural sector together
with mitigation and adaptation options.
Practical work
Students will be expected to acquire the necessary climate data to analyse and describe
the past climate and its variability for a specific location and identify any trends in the
climatic record if present. They will also be introduced to basic concepts of climate
modelling and contemplate how the climate change projections for their home
countries/areas will affect the local agricultural sector.
EXPLANATION OF THE ICONS USED IN THE TEXT
New theme
Note from the lecturer
Problem / Assignment (must be done as prescribed and submitted on time)
Sections that should be read/studied carefully in order to achieve the
outcomes.
It is vital that a question be answered.
Make use of the references
Useful websites
Time to be spent on the section/activity
Specific learning outcomes of the theme
You are expected to test yourself against these outcomes after completion of
each theme
.