Teaching

🌱 GEOL 4397/6397 Land-Atmosphere Interactions: From Soil to Sky

How does the atmosphere interact with land surface? Why do these interactions matter, and how do they shape weather extremes, climate feedbacks, ecosystem dynamics, and the future of human systems? This course explores the dynamic exchange of energy, water, and carbon between the land and the atmosphere —from soils, vegetation, and water at the surface to boundary-layer processes and global climate responses.

Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes:

Through a mix of interactive lectures, real-world case studies, and hands-on data analysis, students will:

  • Understand the key physical, ecological, and biogeochemical processes that link the atmosphere and land surface through the exchange of energy, water, and carbon — and learn why they matter for climate and society.
  • Explore how soil moisture, vegetation, and land cover change influence evapotranspiration, greenhouse gas fluxes, and land–climate feedbacks, including droughts, heatwaves, and floods.
  • Work hands-on with climate data and models, gaining practical skills in analysis and interpretation.
  • Connect science to solutions, examining how land–atmosphere interactions inform climate adaptation, mitigation, and sustainability strategies.

Textbook:

Gordon B. Bonan, Ecological Climatology: Concepts and Applications (3rd Ed.)

Lecture Topics:

This course will include the following topical (content) areas:

  • Introduction to the Earth system and global biogeochemical cycles
  • The global energy cycle
  • The atmospheric boundary layer and turbulence
  • The global water cycle
  • Drought and flooding
  • Soil physical and biogeochemical properties
  • Ecosystem ecology and vegetation dynamics
  • Land cover change and climate interactions
  • Greenhouse gas dynamics at the land surface
  • Urban land-atmosphere interactions
  • Wildfire and post-fire recovery
  • Modeling of land-atmosphere systems
  • Nature-based climate solutions


🌍 GEOL 1302/1102 Introduction to Global Climate Change

What is climate change, and what drives it? What are the potential impacts and risks associated with climate change? What can we do about climate change now and in the future? This course introduces the fundamentals of the Earth’s climate system and the science of modern climate change. We will explore how the atmosphere and oceans circulate energy around the planet, how climate is observed from ground measurements and satellites, and how greenhouse gases regulate Earth’s temperature. Students will also learn how scientists reconstruct past climates and use multiple lines of evidence to understand long-term climate change. Beyond the science, the course examines human influences on climate and the risks posed to ecosystems and society. We will also discuss national and global responses, including strategies for mitigation and adaptation.

Textbook:

Dessler, Andrew E. Introduction to modern climate change. Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Lecture Topics:

This course will include the following topical (content) areas:

  • An introduction to the Climate System
  • Is the Climate Changing？
  • Radiation and Energy Balance
  • A Simple Climate Model
  • The Carbon Cycle
  • Forcing, Feedbacks, and Climate Sensitivity
  • Why is the Climate Changing？
  • Prediction of Future Climate Change
  • Impacts of Climate Change
  • Exponential Growth
  • Mitigation and Adaption Strategies