Free online climate change course

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Key facts

Overview

This short online course provides an introduction to climate science and modelling and the current understanding of some of the issues surrounding the use of model projections of climate change. The course is a stand-alone, untutored learning experience that can be taken at the convenience of the user. For further information and details on how to register for the course please visit the climateeducation.net website.

Students may progress from this course to Constructing and applying high resolution climate scenarios, which is a 7-week tutored online course that launches in October 2012. A bursary scheme is available to help with tuition costs (please see course description for details).

Description

This course on regional climate modelling is part of climateeducation.net, a global programme, which aims to encourage the sharing of high quality information about climate science, modelling and the interpretation of climate change modelling experiments. It will do this by offering two short online courses and supporting an online community of knowledge sharing in regional climate prediction.

Participants will automatically be able to become members of the community upon registration. Other experienced climate practitioners will also be welcomed, allowing members to exchange knowledge and experience of climate modelling and related issues.

The climateeducation.net programme combines climate prediction expertise from the University of Oxford’s climateprediction.net team and the Met Office Hadley Centre’s PRECIS team with the expertise of the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education in delivering effective online education.

An Introduction to the Science of Climate and Climate Change is the first of our online courses in climate change modelling. We are currently welcoming applications for the second course, launching this October: Constructing and Applying High Resolution Climate Scenarios.

To find out more about the programme and to register for the introductory course, please visit the climateeducation.net site.

Who is it for?

This course is aimed at anyone who wishes to learn about the basics of climate science and modelling and how to go about interpreting the results of modelling experiments. It may particularly suit those proposing to use regional climate projection data in impact/adaptation work or those who intend to progress to the second climateeducation.net course, on the design and application of regional climate model experiments. Visit climateeducation.net to learn more about the second course.