- The climatic system – as climate changes and their consequences increasingly influence our lives and the debate in society related to this subject becomes more and more intense, a scientific substantiation of this issue becomes more and more necessary. The course presents the physical properties of the main components of the climate system (e.g. the atmosphere, the planetary ocean, the cryosphere, etc.), their average states and the important physical phenomena/processes through which they influence the climate on a global scale. Also, current scientific approaches in the investigation of climate variations are presented, as well as the socio-economic and political implications related to them.
Dynamics of Earth’s interior and Seismology – the course will deal with notions related to the movement of tectonic plates, the mechanisms that produce it and the implications on the generation of earthquakes and volcanism. The mechanisms of earthquake production, the propagation of seismic waves and the implications for determining the internal structure of the Earth are addressed. Other treated aspects will be related to the dynamic processes inside the mantle and the core and their implications on the environment.
Simulation and modeling of ecological polymer materials – the course aims to familiarize students with modern simulation and modeling methods in the field of polymer physics, especially ecological polymers. It begins with the presentation of the fundamental notions related to the organization and constituent blocks of a simulation program, the interaction potentials used in the simulation and modeling of polymers, as well as the basic algorithms. It then continues with the presentation of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods, so that finally modern methods specific to modeling and simulation in polymer physics are addressed.
Pollution with plastic materials and waste management – this course is intended to be an introduction to basic notions related to pollution in general and then in particular to pollution with plastics. The methods of degradation / decomposition of plastic materials are studied, as well as the effect on the environment. The theme of limiting/reducing plastic pollution is also addressed. In the last part of the course, notions/strategies related to waste management are presented.
Statistical methods for Earth and Atmosphere’s physics – Between the specific parameters measured in the study of the Physics of the Atmosphere and the Earth there are not always obvious relationships. They reflect the complexity of changes in the environment and can be identified with the help of statistical methods. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the basic statistical measures of data, as well as with the most used statistical methods in the Earth Sciences (correlation, linear regression, multiple linear regression, cluster analysis, principal components analysis, etc.). Students will also learn to use the applications most used in the current scientific community for statistical data analysis (e.g. Python). A big advantage of knowing how to use statistical methods is that they can be applied on any type of data, from any research field.
Meteorology – In this course, necessary notions for forecasting the weather are presented, among which; the basic equations that govern the dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere, concepts (e.g. circulation and vorticity) useful for understanding processes in the atmosphere, oscillatory phenomena in the atmosphere, elements of dynamics at the synoptic scale, mechanisms of development of synoptic systems at mid-latitudes. Based on these notions, the way in which the weather forecast is made is presented.
Advanced materials with environmental applications – the general goal in the field of advanced materials is the development of materials with new functionalities and the improvement of the operating performance, in order to obtain products that minimize the impact on the environment and the resource consumption. Advanced materials have the potential to improve the quality of the environment both, through their direct applications for the detection, prevention and elimination of pollutants and indirectly, through their use to design cleaner industrial processes with low impact on the environment. Thus in the course are presented: the implications of the use of advanced materials in environmental applications, the global challenges in the field of environmental pollution, the European strategies in the field of the development of advanced materials with environmental applications, the treatment and remediation of waste water, and the environmental applications of advanced materials on polymer base, mesoporous material and carbon materials. -
Natural fields of the Earth – in this course, notions related to the terrestrial magnetic field and the gravitational field are taught. About the terrestrial magnetic field, aspects related to the current variations produced by its external and internal sources, as well as the long-term variations, the polarity changes of the geomagnetic field will be treated. The environmental implications of these variations will be discussed. About the gravitational field, the causes, the gravimetric anomalies and the influence on the shape of the Earth will be discussed.
The radiative balance of Earth – while solar radiation is by far the main source of energy for processes on the Earth’s surface, its radiative balance is an essential aspect for understanding the evolution of the atmosphere from a thermal point of view. In the course, the properties of solar radiation, the factors that can influence the radiative balance, as well as the processes through which this influence is achieved, are presented interactively, based on numerous diagrams, graphic representations and software applications. The impact on the climate determined by the perturbation of the radiative balance for various time horizons is discussed.
- Meteorological and climatic risk – the impact of extreme phenomena and rapid climate changes on human society is becoming more pronounced and extensive in the context of climate change. The course presents the main categories of extreme, meteorological and climatic phenomena, as well as the physical mechanisms by which they are generated, in the context of global warming. The main tipping components of the climate system and their characteristics are also presented, with a specific emphasize on the the thermohaline circulation of the ocean. The risk associated with tipping components is discussed.
- Renewable energy sources – climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels are the main aspects that have led to the development of renewable energies worldwide. Thus, the subjects of the course are related to the understanding the global perspectives of renewable energies, to highlighting the main differences between non-renewable and renewable sources of energy, to the awareness of the impact of energy use on the environment, to climate change and energy efficiency objectives, to the energy policies of the European Union and those at the national level. During the course are also presented the strategic guidelines for the development of renewable energy sources, the potential and the development perspective of renewable energies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower and biomass, in the European Union and in Romania.