Enquiry for Science Major/Minor/Programme Requirements
EASC1020 Introduction to climate science (6 credits) Academic Year 2025
Offering Department Earth and Planetary Sciences Quota ---
Course Co-ordinator Prof Z H Liu, Earth and Planetary Sciences < zhliu@hku.hk >
Teachers Involved (Prof D Z Xi,Earth & Planetary Sciences)
(Prof Z H Liu,Earth & Planetary Sciences)
Course Objectives This course provides an introduction to the study of global climate systems and climate change. We study the controls of temporal and spatial variations in earth's climate and its histories of past climates preserved in the geological record. We look at modern research methods that are used in paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
Course Contents & Topics Global climatic systems, climate classification, natural variability of climate, physical causes for changes through geologic time, external and internal forcing mechanisms, solar orbital variations, major climatic events of the past and their effects on how our planet has developed, glacial and interglacial oscillations, predicting future global change.
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

CLO 1 identify major aspects of climatology and approaches to climatological study
CLO 2 explain the factors and physical processes controlling climate system
CLO 3 understand the driving forces of Earth's climate change
CLO 4 recognize the history of Earth's climate change
Pre-requisites
(and Co-requisites and
Impermissible combinations)		 NIL
Course Status with Related Major/Minor /Professional Core 2025 Major in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2025 Minor in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2024 Major in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2024 Minor in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2023 Major in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2023 Minor in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2022 Major in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2022 Minor in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2021 Major in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
2021 Minor in Environmental Science ( Disciplinary Elective )
Course to PLO Mapping 2025 Major in Environmental Science < PLO 1,2 >
2024 Major in Environmental Science < PLO 1,2 >
2023 Major in Environmental Science < PLO 1,2 >
2022 Major in Environmental Science < PLO 1,2 >
2021 Major in Environmental Science < PLO 1,2 >
Offer in 2025 - 2026 Y        2nd sem    Examination May     
Offer in 2026 - 2027 Y
Course Grade A+ to F
Grade Descriptors
A Demonstrate thorough mastery at an advanced level of extensive knowledge and skills required for attaining all the course learning outcomes. Show strong critical abilities and logical thinking, with evidence of original thought, and ability to apply knowledge to a wide range of complex, familiar and unfamiliar situations. Demonstrate critical use of data and results to draw appropriate and insightful conclusions. Show insightful use and critical analysis / evaluation of information drawn from a full range of high quality sources and to quote/reference aptly.
B Demonstrate substantial command of a broad range of knowledge and skills required for attaining at least most of the course learning outcomes. Show evidence of critical abilities and logical thinking, and ability to apply knowledge to familiar and some unfamiliar situations. Demonstrate correct use of data and results to draw appropriate conclusions. Show critical use of relevant information from sources and ability to make meaningful comparisons between different secondary interpretations and to quote/reference aptly.
C Demonstrate general but incomplete command of knowledge and skills required for attaining most of the course learning outcomes. Show evidence of some analytical and critical abilities and logical thinking, and ability to apply knowledge to most familiar situations. Demonstrate mostly correct but some erroneous use of data and results to draw appropriate conclusions. Show use of relevant information from sources and ability to make comparisons between different interpretations and to quote/reference aptly.
D Demonstrate partial but limited command of knowledge and skills required for attaining some of the course learning outcomes. Show evidence of some coherent and logical thinking, but with limited analytical and critical abilities. Show limited ability to apply knowledge to solve problems. Demonstrate limited ability to use data and results to draw appropriate conclusions. Show use and reference of several sources, but mainly through summary rather than analysis and comparison.
Fail Demonstrate little or no evidence of command of knowledge and skills required for attaining the course learning outcomes. Lack of analytical and critical abilities, logical and coherent thinking. Show very little or no ability to apply knowledge to solve problems. Demonstrate misuse of data and results and/or unable to draw appropriate conclusions. Show limited use of secondary sources and no critical comparison of them.
Communication-intensive Course N
Course Type Lecture-based course
Course Teaching
& Learning Activities
Activities Details No. of Hours
Lectures 36.0
Project work 36.0
Tutorials 12.0
Reading / Self study 50.0
Assessment Methods
and Weighting
Methods Details Weighting in final
course grade (%)		 Assessment Methods
to CLO Mapping
Assignments 50.0 2,3
Examination 50.0 1,2,3,4
Required/recommended reading
and online materials		 Ruddiman, W. F.: Earth's Climate Past and Future (W. F. Freeman, 2008, 2nd edition)
Robert V. Rohli and Anthony J. Vega: Climatology (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2008)
Course Website NIL
Additional Course Information


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