Logistics
Course Description
“The most important thing that individuals can do [about climate change] is vote, and vote on the climate” —– Michael E. Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, CNBC Interview Sept. 5, 2021. HERE “Gordon Brown thinks you should solve climate change by changing your lightbulbs. We think …
Learning Goals
The Climate System Students will be able to explain the nature and role of the different components of the Earth’s climate system, including the physics and sources of greenhouse gases, Milankovitch cycles, insolation variations, atmosphere-ocean heat transfer and storage, cloud cover, albedo, the roles of plate tectonics and volcanism, and atmospheric circulation. Students will be …
Instructor
Alexander Glass, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer in Geology and Climate Division of Earth and Climate Sciences Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University E-mail: alex.glass@duke.edu Office Hours: Mondays 2-4pm, and by appointment, over Zoom (in person by request) Teaching Philosophy Statement Short Biography I was born in and spent my childhood in Hildesheim, Germany before moving to …
Teaching Assistant
Yiqun Tian Ph.D. Candidate in Earth and Climate Sciences Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Office Hours Location: Grainger Hall 5120H Office Hours: We 1-2pm E-mail: yiqun.tian@duke.edu I am a PhD student in the ECS program working with Dr. Shineng Hu on climate dynamics. In my free time, I enjoy singing, ballet, and visiting …
Grading Scheme
PLEASE NOTE: Canvas has a built-in function that tries to calculate your grade based on your current performance. Disregard ANY and ALL calculations or totals that this algorithm throws at you. We are NOT using it and it is not setup to calculate accurate grades or totals. It is severely limited and cumbersome to setup …
Attendance and Missing Class
Attendance and Missing Class: Attendance in ECS 103 is MANDATORY beginning on January 26th, 2026. First, my lecture slides are text-poor, which means that without hearing what I say about each slide, you will NOT be able to reconstruct this information purely from the slide. Second, the review quizzes are not by themselves sufficiently comprehensive …
Missing an Exam
MISSING EXAMS FAQ Important Information on Exam Policy: Sometimes students aren’t well while taking an exam and do poorly. I have had multiple requests to retake exams. Know that once you take an exam, you cannot retake said exam. If you are not well physically or emotionally, consider a short-term illness form and a meeting …
Other Course Policies
In-class Announcements: You are responsible for using your official DUKE e-mail account to receive information and communicate with the instructor and TA. Be sure to check your Duke e-mail at least once a day for possible announcements in ECS 103. Announcement e-mails will come through Canvas and will be archived under the Announcement tab on …
Disability Accommodations
Disability Accommodation: Students with disabilities seeking special accommodations must contact the Student Disability Access Office (SDAO) to obtain appropriate support. We can only offer accommodations after we received your official SDAO office letter. Exams (SDAO accommodations): If you are eligible to receive SDAO accommodations for exams, you MUST make reservations at the Testing Center to take your exam. Exams MUST be scheduled …
