Expose and elucidate key systems concepts in a hydrologic context. This year we will be addressing only the physical and climatological aspects of this. For upper level course - gain experience in modeling and testing models of a complex physical system. From this experience be better able to interpret and criticize results from complex models - demystify modeling.
Energy is provided by a lightbulb.
Even if students do not actually build this, it provides a visualizable analogy for the global hydrological cycle. Importance of energy source and sink. Vigor of cycle scales with strength of energy source. Students then use this model to conduct experiments related to climate change. Increased temperature and evaporation relevant to global warming, decreased high-latitude temperatures to grow ice sheets as in ice age.