GEO 114 - Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Course Units:

From the unprecedented wildfires scorching California, Australia, and Japan to the crippling ice storm that plunged Texas into darkness in 2021, extreme weather events are reshaping our world. This course explores the atmospheric processes and the societal impacts of increasingly destructive weather phenomena such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, heatwaves, and extreme cold. We will analyze historical events using various sources of meteorological data including observations, automated weather stations, satellite imagery, and models. We will also investigate the relationship between climate change and extreme weather and explore the technologies used for prediction and mitigation. This course equips students to critically analyze meteorological data, understand predictive models, and participate in informed discussions about weather and climate. CQ: GDQR, GNPS, GSPE ISP: ENS