This course introduces the rapidly growing field of environmental and earth system modelling. Emphasis will be placed on the rationale of model development, the objective of model evaluation and validation, and the extraction of the optimal complexity from complicated/intertwined environmental processes. By focusing on the intersections between climate change and ecological systems, students will develop the ability to integrate information from a variety of disciplines, including geosciences, biology, ecology, chemistry, and other areas of interest. The course will also involve practical training in the computer lab. Students will develop an intermediate complexity mathematical model, calibrate the model and assess the goodness-of-fit against observed data, identify the most influential model parameters (sensitivity analysis), and present their results.

Jointly offered with EES1118H