Climate and Water Resources

Objectives

The student should learn the following concepts and their scientific basis:

Climate system processes; climate and weather; weather organization, meteorology; methods of climate interpretation; climatic classification; spatial climate differentiation and land use; the climate of the soil, the climate and the plants; the animals climate; climate and man, the climate and the economy; the climate, water availability and water management; climate change.

Program

1. The Climate System

2. Weather and Climate

3. Astronomical factors of the Earth's climate;

4. Physics of radiation, radioactive processes, Earth's energy balance;

5. Atmosphere, composition, structure, properties, dynamics;

6. Water cycle, thermodynamics, clouds and precipitation;

7. Organization of the Weather;

8. Climate, climate variability, climate classification;

9. The water balance;

10. Water management;

11. Climate change.

Teaching Methodologies

The theoretical program of the course is organized into thematic sections and is supported by presential classes and by projection of the topics of the materials as well as illustrations allusive, while the practical component will be mainly dedicated to solving the problems related to the matters addressed, observation instruments, studying particular situations of the weather or climate and producing an case study of a sequential water balance for an concrete situation.

Bibliography

MIRANDA, Pedro M. A. (2001) – “Meteorologia e Ambiente – Fundamentos de Meteorologia, Clima e Ambiente Atmosférico” - Universidade Aberta, Palácio Ceia, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 147 – 1250 Lisboa, 321pp.

JOHN J. HIDORE. (1993) – “Climatology: An Atmospheric Science” – Macmillan Publishing company, New York, 423pp.

A. Lencastre & F. M. Franco (2006) – Lições de Hidrologia – Universidade Nova de Lisboa.