The Scientific Basis of Climate Change

An introduction into the physical and chemical basis of climate change will be given, which comprises both radiation equilibria and atmospheric processes that lead to global warming, commonly labeled as climate change. We will discuss feedback loops, which are capable of changing earth’s surface temperature and related quantities in a disruptive and irreversible manner, with a focus on time-scales of these changes. Consequences of temperature and precipitation changes on damage scenarios, public health, and life expectancy issues will be discussed.