Welcome!
This course explores Earth's atmosphere, hydrology, climate variability and climate change modelling. Log in to save your quiz scores, badges and forum posts.
Course Objectives
- Understand Earth's atmospheric structure, radiation laws & heat balance.
- Study the hydrological cycle and global water balance.
- Analyse climate variables — precipitation, humidity, wind patterns.
- Understand floods, droughts, heat waves & climate extremes.
- Evaluate climate models and IPCC scenarios.
Your Overall Progress
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Unit I: Climate System & Atmosphere
- Climate System; Climate vs Weather vs Climate Change
- Overview & Vertical Structure of Earth's Atmosphere
- Radiation & Temperature; Laws of Radiation (Stefan–Boltzmann, Wien's Law)
- Heat-Balance of Earth–Atmosphere System
- Random & Temporal Variation of Air Temperature
- Lapse Rates; Temperature Change in Soil; Thermal Time & Extremes
Unit II: Hydrologic Cycle
- Introduction; Global Water Balance (97% oceans, ~2% ice, <1% freshwater)
- Cycling of Water on Land; Interception, Infiltration, Percolation
- Simple Water Balance Model: P = R + ET ± ΔS
Unit III: Climate Variables Affecting Precipitation
- Precipitation & Weather; Humidity; Vapor Pressure; Dew Point
- Forms & Types of Precipitation; Cloud Classification
- Atmospheric Stability; Lapse Rate vs Adiabatic Rate
- Monsoon Dynamics; Wind Patterns in India; Global Circulation Cells
- Evaporation, Transpiration, Vadose Zone Processes
- Surface Runoff, Streamflow Generation
Unit IV: Climate Variability
- Floods — types, causes, flood frequency analysis
- Droughts — meteorological, agricultural, hydrological
- Drought Indicators: SPI, PDSI, SPEI
- Heat Waves (India criteria: ≥40°C plains / ≥30°C hills + departure)
- Climate Extremes & Ecosystem Impacts
Unit V: Climate Change
- Causes: GHGs, land use, aerosols, natural forcing
- Global Climate Models & General Circulation Models (GCMs)
- Downscaling: Dynamical & Statistical methods
- IPCC Scenarios: SRES → RCPs → SSPs (SSP1-2.6 … SSP5-8.5)
🎬 Video Lessons
Replace the placeholder YouTube IDs below with your own lecture videos or curated NPCE/NPTEL links.
Unit I — Structure of the Atmosphere
Unit II — The Hydrologic Cycle
Unit III — Monsoon & Precipitation
Unit IV — Floods, Droughts & Heat Waves
Unit V — Climate Models & IPCC Scenarios
📝 Question Bank — Select a Unit
🃏 Key Term Flashcards — Click to Flip!
💬 Discussion Forum
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📥 Downloadable Notes
Click "Download" to generate a starter notes file (.txt) for each unit — replace with your PDF links in production.
📄 Unit I Notes – Climate System & Atmosphere Download ↓ 📄 Unit II Notes – Hydrologic Cycle Download ↓ 📄 Unit III Notes – Precipitation & Winds Download ↓ 📄 Unit IV Notes – Climate Variability Download ↓ 📄 Unit V Notes – Climate Change & IPCC Download ↓👤 Student Dashboard
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🎯 Course Outcomes (COs)
| CO | Statement | Level |
|---|---|---|
| CO1 | Memorize vertical structure of atmosphere; explain radiation & temperature principles | K1 |
| CO2 | Extend components of hydrological cycle; apply water balance to regional systems | K2 |
| CO3 | Identify climatic factors affecting precipitation, stability & monsoons | K2 |
| CO4 | Differentiate climate extremes (floods/droughts) and analyse impacts | K3 |
| CO5 | Interpret causes/effects of climate change using models & IPCC scenarios | K3 |
📖 Text Books
- Sundaresan et al., "Climate Change Impact on Ecosystem", Scientific Publishers, 2013. ISBN: 9788172338329
- Wallace & Hobbs, "Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey", Academic Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780127329512
- Barry & Chorley, "Atmosphere, Weather and Climate (9th Ed.)", Routledge, 2010. ISBN: 9780415465700
📚 Reference Books
- Duan & Takara, "Impacts of Climate and Human Activities on Water Resources and Quality", Springer, 2020.
- Maslin, "Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction (3rd Ed.)", OUP, 2014.
- Keller & DeVecchio, "Natural Hazards", Pearson, 2014.
- Raju & Kumar, "Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources", Springer Climate, 2017.