Greenhouse gas budgets, climate feedbacks and pathways towards a sustainable future

1. Present-day carbon cycle and its anthropogenic perturbation, fossil fuel emissions, Land-use change
2. The simplest Earth System Model
3. The terrestrial and ocean C sinks and their evolution
4. Introduction to climate-carbon cycle feedbacks
4. Quantitative approach to CO2-carbon cycle feedback (beta factor) and climate-carbon cycle feedbacks (gamma factor)
5. Budget imbalance, remaining emissions
6. Earth System Model-based climate projections - SSP scenarios
7. Abrupt climate change and tipping points/elements/cascades
8. Negative emission technologies: solar radiation manipulation
9. Negative emission technologies: enhanced weathering, marine

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

Good background in physics, chemistry, biology and Earth system science
Programming and modelling skills

Theoretical lessons, computer practicals, and independent projects

Contacts

Prof. Pierre Regnier
pierre.regnier@ulb.be
Prof. Sandra Arndt
sandra.arndt@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Projet
• Présentation orale
• Rapport écrit

Projet

Présentation orale

Rapport écrit

Two projects involving each the writing of a report and an oral presentation

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

2/3 for the project focusing on the development, application and interpretation of the Earth System Model developed by the students (partie Regnier)
1/3 for the project focusing on the implementation of future Negative Emission Technologies (NET) (partie Arndt)

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• français
• anglais