Reto Knutti: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2015

Name Prof. Dr. Reto Knutti
FieldClimate Physics
Address
Institut für Atmosphäre und Klima
ETH Zürich, CHN N 12.1
Universitätstrasse 16
8092 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
Telephone+41 44 632 35 40
E-mailreto.knutti@env.ethz.ch
URLhttp://www.iac.ethz.ch/people/knuttir
DepartmentEnvironmental Systems Science
RelationshipFull Professor

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
151-0928-00LCO2 Capture and Storage and the Industry of Carbon-Based Resources4 credits3GM. Mazzotti, L. Bretschger, R. Knutti, C. Müller
AbstractCarbon-based resources (coal, oil, gas): origin, production, processing, resource economics. Climate change: science, policies. CCS systems: CO2 capture in power/industrial plants, CO2 transport and storage. Besides technical details, economical, legal and societal aspects are considered (e.g. electricity markets, barriers to deployment).
ObjectiveThe goal of the lecture is to introduce carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) systems, the technical solutions developed so far and the current research questions. This is done in the context of the origin, production, processing and economics of carbon-based resources, and of climate change issues. After this course, students are familiar with important technical and non-technical issues related to use of carbon resources, climate change, and CCS as a transitional mitigation measure.

The class will be structured in 2 hours of lecture and one hour of exercises/discussion. At the end of the semester a group project is planned.
ContentBoth the Swiss and the European energy system face a number of significant challenges over the coming decades. The major concerns are the security and economy of energy supply and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels will continue to satisfy the largest part of the energy demand in the medium term for Europe, and they could become part of the Swiss energy portfolio due to the planned phase out of nuclear power. Carbon capture and storage is considered an important option for the decarbonization of the power sector and it is the only way to reduce emissions in CO2 intensive industrial plants (e.g. cement- and steel production).
Building on the previously offered class "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS)", we have added two specific topics: 1) the industry of carbon-based resources, i.e. what is upstream of the CCS value chain, and 2) the science of climate change, i.e. why and how CO2 emissions are a problem.
The course is devided into four parts:
I) The first part will be dedicated to the origin, production, and processing of conventional as well as of unconventional carbon-based resources.
II) The second part will comprise two lectures from experts in the field of climate change sciences and resource economics.
III) The third part will explain the technical details of CO2 capture (current and future options) as well as of CO2 storage and utilization options, taking again also economical, legal, and sociatel aspects into consideration.
IV) The fourth part will comprise two lectures from industry experts, one with focus on electricity markets, the other on the experiences made with CCS technologies in the industry.
Throughout the class, time will be allocated to work on a number of tasks related to the theory, individually, in groups, or in plenum. Moreover, the students will apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course in a case study covering all the topics.
Lecture notesPower Point slides and distributed handouts
LiteratureIPCC AR5 Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report, 2014. www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/

IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage, 2005. www.ipcc.ch/activity/srccs/index.htm

The Global Status of CCS: 2014. Published by the Global CCS Institute, Nov 2014.
http://www.globalccsinstitute.com/publications/global-status-ccs-2014
Prerequisites / NoticeExternal lecturers from the industry and other institutes will contribute with specialized lectures according to the schedule distributed at the beginning of the semester.
651-4095-01LColloquium Atmosphere and Climate 1 Information 1 credit1KU. Lohmann, E. Fischer, N. Gruber, R. Knutti, T. Peter, C. Schär, S. I. Seneviratne, H. Wernli, M. Wild
AbstractThe colloquium is a series of scientific talks by prominent invited speakers assembling interested students and researchers from around Zürich. Students take part of the scientific discussions.
ObjectiveThe colloquium is a series of scientific talks by prominent invited speakers assembling interested students and researchers from around Zürich. Students take part of the scientific discussions.
Prerequisites / NoticeTo acquire credit points for this colloquium, please visit the course's web page and sign up for one of the groups.
651-4095-02LColloquium Atmosphere and Climate 2 Information 1 credit1KU. Lohmann, E. Fischer, N. Gruber, R. Knutti, T. Peter, C. Schär, S. I. Seneviratne, H. Wernli, M. Wild
AbstractThe colloquium is a series of scientific talks by prominent invited speakers assembling interested students and researchers from around Zürich. Students take part of the scientific discussions.
ObjectiveThe colloquium is a series of scientific talks by prominent invited speakers assembling interested students and researchers from around Zürich. Students take part of the scientific discussions.
Prerequisites / NoticeTo acquire credit points for this colloquium, please visit the course's web page and sign up for one of the groups.
651-4095-03LColloquium Atmosphere and Climate 31 credit1KU. Lohmann, E. Fischer, N. Gruber, R. Knutti, T. Peter, C. Schär, S. I. Seneviratne, H. Wernli, M. Wild
AbstractThe colloquium is a series of scientific talks by prominent invited speakers assembling interested students and researchers from around Zürich. Students take part of the scientific discussions.
ObjectiveThe colloquium is a series of scientific talks by prominent invited speakers assembling interested students and researchers from around Zürich. Students take part of the scientific discussions.
Prerequisites / NoticeTo acquire credit points for this colloquium, please visit the course's web page and sign up for one of the groups.
701-0016-00LPhilosophical Issues in Understanding Global Change Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 9.
Priority is given to D-ERDW and D-USYS Master's and doctoral students.
2 credits1SG. Hirsch Hadorn, C. J. Baumberger, R. Knutti
AbstractThis course investigates the potentials and limitations of those models and computer simulations that aim at understanding global change. We also discuss challenges in the interpretation of observations and the role of results from models and computer simulations in decision making on policies for sustainable development.
ObjectiveStudents learn to reflect on concepts, methods, arguments and knowledge claims in global change research by critically analysing and assessing related papers from philosophy and the sciences.
ContentGlobal change is not just a major real-world problem, but also a challenge for the natural and social sciences. The challenge is due to the spatial and temporal scales considered, the diversity, complexity and variability of aspects involved, and, last but not least, the descriptive, pragmatic and normative questions raised by global change. This course investigates the potential and limits of research methods such as modelling for understanding global change and it discusses the role of results from modelling and computer simulations in decision making on policy for sustainable development.

In the seminar, topics such as the following are discussed:
(1) What is a model? What are purposes and potential pitfalls of modelling? What are the basic steps of modelling?
(2) What are computer simulations and what is their relation to models? How do we learn about the real-world by running computer simulations? How do computer simulations differ from classical experiments?
(3) What do data tell us about the problem we are investigating? What are the difficulties in assessing and interpreting data?
(4) What is the role of results from models and computer simulations in decision making on policies for sustainable development, and what should that role be? Which questions for policy can be answered in this way? What are the consequences of uncertainties for policy making?
Lecture notesThe papers to be discussed in the seminar sessions and guidelines about the analysis of texts are provided.
LiteratureThe papers to be discussed in the seminar sessions and guidelines about the analysis of texts are provided.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis seminar is offered at the ETH and the University of Bern. There are four seminar sessions, each lasting 4 hours. The sessions take place from 13:45 to 17:15. The places alternate between Zurich and Bern in the following way
06.03. Berne UniS A-119 Schanzeneckstrasse 1
27.03. Zurich CHN L17.1 Universitätstrasse 16
17.04. Berne UniS A-119 Schanzeneckstrasse 1
08.05. Zurich CHN L17.1 Universitätstrasse 16

In the first meeting, participants are introduced to methods on how to read a philosophical paper. For each meeting, every participant answers a couple of questions about the paper scheduled for discussion. This preparation will take about 4-5 hours for each paper. Answers have to be sent to the lecturers before the seminar takes place and provide a basis for the discussion. All students that have subscribed will get the questions and text for the first meeting by email.
Seminar discussions are chaired jointly by lecturers from philosophy and from science. Interest in interdisciplinary reading and discussion is a prerequisite. The number of participants from ETH is limited to 9, in total to 18.
Requirements for 2 CP: (1) Answer the questions about the text before the meetings (4 times), (2) At the end of the semester, write a final essay of about 2-3 pages about one of the topics, to be delivered until 3 weeks after the end of the semester.
Master or PhD students of D-USYS or D-ERDW have priority.
701-0412-AALClimate Systems
Enrolment only for MSc students who need this course as additional requirement.
3 credits6RR. Knutti
AbstractIntroduction of the most important components of the climate systems and their interactions.
ObjectiveStudents have a basic understanding of the global energy balance, radiation budget, boundary, layer, atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, land-surface coupling, cryosphere, carbon cycle, climate variability, climate of the past and anthropogenic climate change, and they are able to apply this to solve simple quantitative problems and answer qualitative questions.
701-0412-00LClimate Systems3 credits2GR. Knutti
AbstractThis course introduces the most important physical components of the climate system and their interactions. The mechanisms of anthropogenic climate change are analysed against the background of climate history and variability. Those completing the course will be in a position to identify and explain simple problems in the area of climate systems.
ObjectiveStudents are able
- to describe the most important physical components of the global climate system and sketch their interactions
- to explain the mechanisms of anthropogenic climate change
- to identify and explain simple problems in the area of climate systems
Lecture notesCopies of the slides are provided in electronic form.
LiteratureA comprehensive list of references is provided in the class. Two books are
particularly recommended:
- Hartmann, D., 1994: Global Physical Climatology. Academic Press, London, 411 pp.
- Peixoto, J.P. and A.H. Oort, 1992: Physics of Climate. American Institute of Physics, New York, 520 pp.
Prerequisites / NoticeTeaching: Reto Knutti, several keynotes to special topics by other professors
Course taught in german, slides in english
701-1252-00LClimate Change Uncertainty and Risk: From Probabilistic Forecasts to Economics of Climate Adaptation3 credits2V + 1UR. Knutti, D. N. Bresch
AbstractThe course introduces the concepts of predictability, probability, uncertainty and probabilistic risk modelling and their application to climate modeling and the economics of climate adaptation.
ObjectiveStudents will acquire knowledge in uncertainty and risk quantification (probabilistic modelling) and an understanding of the economics of climate adaptation. They will become able to construct their own uncertainty and risk assessment models (MATLAB), hence basic understanding of scientific programming forms a prerequisite of the course.
ContentThe first part of the course covers methods to quantify uncertainty in detecting and attributing human influence on climate change and to generate probabilistic climate change projections on global to regional scales. Model evaluation, calibration and structural error are discussed. In the second part, quantification of risks associated with local climate impacts and the economics of different baskets of climate adaptation options are assessed – leading to informed decisions to optimally allocate resources. Such pre-emptive risk management allows evaluating a mix of prevention, preparation, response, recovery, and (financial) risk transfer actions, resulting in an optimal balance of public and private contributions to risk management, aiming at a more resilient society.
The course provides an introduction to the following themes:
1) basics of probabilistic modelling and quantification of uncertainty from global climate change to local impacts of extreme events
2) methods to optimize and constrain model parameters using observations
3) risk management from identification (perception) and understanding (assessment, modelling) to actions (prevention, preparation, response, recovery, risk transfer)
4) basics of economic evaluation, economic decision making in the presence of climate risks and pre-emptive risk management to optimally allocate resources
Lecture notesPowerpoint slides will be made available
Literature-
Prerequisites / NoticeHands-on experience with probabilistic climate models and risk models will be acquired in the tutorials; hence basic understanding of scientific programming forms a prerequisite of the course. Basic understanding of the climate system, e.g. as covered in the course 'Klimasysteme' is required.

Examination: graded tutorials during the semester (benotete Semesterleistung)