Duration
10h Th, 20h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in geography : general (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits | |||
| Master in geography: geomatics (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits | |||
| Master in geography, global change (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The aim of this lecture is firstly to briefly remember the causes and consequences of global warming induced by the human activities on the basis on the last IPCC assessment report (AR6).
Afterwards, we will discuss climate modelling, its reliability and how the future scenarios (the IPCC SSP scenarios) are build and what can be learned from them in relation to the climate changes already observed.
Finally, a zoom, based on the MAR model projections performed by the Climatology Laboratory from Uliège, would be made on Belgium and its neighbouring countries; an area which will more than likely be the future "playground" of the geographer students. This will be an opportunity to present and discuss them by addressing the following topics:
* flooding and changes in the type and frequency of precipitation in our regions;
* droughts, water reserves and heat waves as well as the problem of urban heat islands amplifying warm waves in our cities;
* the development of solar and wind potential in Belgium;
* the evolution of extreme events such as hurricanes, medicanes, tornadoes... in our regions;
* the rise in sea levels on the Belgian coast.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
In any fields of Geography, students in their future jobs will have to anticipate and to mitigate the coming climate changes like the floods of July 2021. This lecture will delivery a solid basis in the understanding of global warming and a very good knowledge of its potential impacts, in particular on the scale of Belgium. Thanks to a group work, the students will have to think how climate changes will impact on their own interest fields (land use planning, energy and economy, maintenance of rivers, ...) and the lecture will help them to use the climatic scenarios performed by the climate modelers.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Some knowledge in climatology is helpful but not mandatory.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The teaching method is mainly based on theoretical presentations and presentations of group works by the students.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Recommended or required readings
IPCC AR6 (WG1, WG2 and WG3): https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
oral exam
Other : group work to present
Additional information:
The oral exam (50%) consists of discussing about the topics studied in the lectures. Moreover, during the year, as a group work (50% of the total evaluation if the student has > 5/10 at the oral exam), the students have to present a case study where/when we need to take into account climate changes in their own interest fields.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Dr. Xavier Fettweis
Department of Geography - Laboratory of Climatology
Web: http://www.climato.be/fettweis
Association of one or more MOOCs
The MOOC entitled 'Tout comprendre sur le climat et son réchauffement (S3)' is associated with this course.
Additional information:
For those who have never had a lecture in climatology, this MOOC (in Frensh) is a good basis for updating.