Driven by the potential for predictability, the overlap of timescales between anthropogenic forcing and interannual variability, and the emergence of historal data analyses, semiquantitative high resolution paleoclimatology, and coupled climate model simulations, a number of mechanisms to explain decadal climate variability have been proposed in recent years. We will explore the viability of these hypotheses within a context framed by modern physical climatology.

To appeal to a broad cross-section of graduate students across departments such as ATMO, GEOS, GEOG, LTRR, HWR, Arid Lands and EEB, class sessions will be divided among instructor-led lectures on relevant fundamentals of physical climatology, and student-led parsing of classic and current literature. Although students are encouraged to register (so the course can go!), auditing and sitting in is highly encouraged for any or all of the semester.