ATMO 170A1: Introduction to Weather & Climate
Fall 2015 - OnlineSections 004/005
Course Description
An introduction to the science of weather and climate. Topics are selected from atmospheric composition, energy balance, wind systems, genesis of fronts and cyclones, precipitation processes, clouds, severe weather, weather and climate forecasting, climate and optical phenomena. Emphasis is placed on the illustrating the fundamental importance of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biological processes to the atmospheric sciences. The first part of the course concentrates on fundamental concepts (e.g. energy conservation, heat transfer, phase change, force and momentum) that are needed to understand the structure and behavior of the atmosphere. The second half deals with specific meteorological phenomena. Emphasis is given to phenomena that have strong impacts on human welfare and economic livelihood such as winter storms, heat waves, drought, floods, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, air-sea interactions (El Nino/La Nina events), climate change (natural and anthropogenic), ozone depletion and regional air pollution.Learning Goals and Student Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should:1) Understand how the warming of the earth by the sun and energy transfer through the atmosphere drive weather and climate change.
2) Appreciate the impact that weather and climate have on life, and that life has on the atmosphere.
3) Be in a position to evaluate the validity of “science” that appears in the mainstream media (MSM) and to make informed decisions on what to do about projected, anthropogenic changes in extreme weather events and climate.
Instructor:
Professor Steven Mullen
Email (use only for
personal issues and to schedule appointments)
PAS
Bldg Rm 552
Office Hours: MWF 10:15 am - 11:15 am MST (Mountain Standard Time is GMT-7) or by appointment
(Office Hours subject
to change with advance notice)
Teaching Assistants:
Sujan PalEmail (use only for personal issues and to schedule appointments)
PAS Bldg Rm 526
Office Hours: MW 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm MST (GMT-7) or by appointment
Textbooks:
Required Textbook
C. Donald Ahrens (author)
Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 7th Ed.
ISBN-13: 978-1305429918. (Available in Bookstore. May cost less online.)
Cheaper eBook and rental options are available through the publisher at http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/isbn/9781285462363.
Although I do not recommend using an earlier edition of the textbook, I am compelled to report that some students in the lecture sections successfully used cheaper copies of the 6th edition.
Note that there will be other mandatory readings throughout the term.
Optional Study Guide
C. Donald Ahrens (author)
Study Guide for Ahrens’ Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 7th Ed.
ISBN-13: 978-1285834979. (Not available in bookstore.)
You must order through publisher or an online vendor. Cost is about $50.
I do not know if rentals are available through the publisher or if online vendors have used copies. Older editions (6th, 5th) would work fine.
Other Course Materials:
Syllabus (mandatory reading), auxiliary readings, homework assignments, term project,
dropboxes, digital exams can only be accessed on D2L.
Class List Serve:
Use list serve for issues and questions of general interest to the entire class.
Key Dates
Textbook and auxiliary readings with suggested pacing. Due dates of assignments and additional assignments will be added in due course.
*One asterisk denotes chapters with fundamental concepts that students need to master to understand the topics that follow,.
**Two asterisks denote chapters or portions thereof that will be covered in a more cursory manner, and only if time permits.
Module 1: Energy
Week 1
August 24 - August 31 or shorter
Chapter 01 - Ahrens (focus on topics below); Appendix A and Appendix C
Topics - Atmospheric Composition; Vertical Structure; Weather-Climate Connection; Reading Surface Weather Maps
Study “Questions for Review” at end of the Chapter 01: 3, 4, 10, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23
Homework - Memorable Weather Event (Upload to Dropbox)
Due: Monday, August 31 by 8:00 pm
Week 2
August 31 - Sept 07 or longer
Chapter 02* - Ahrens
Topics - Temperature; Latent Heat*; Heat Transfer*; Laws of Radiation*; "Greenhouse" Effect*; Energy Balance*; Seasons*
Study “Questions for Review” at end of the Chapter 02: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21
Extra Credit Opportunity - Syllabus Knowledge (D2L Quizzes Section)
Due: Friday, Sept 4 by 8:00 pm
Week 3
Sept 08 - Sept 14 or shorter
Chapter 03 - Ahrens (last subsection on thermometers measuring temperature will not be covered on the quizzes)
Topics - Temperature Variations; Regional Temperature Controls; Temperature and Human Comfort
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 03: 1, 2, 5, 6, 14, 17,18
Quiz 1
Sept 15 Tuesday
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Module 2: Atmospheric Motions
Weeks 4 and 5
Sept 16 - Sept 30
Chapter 06* - Ahrens
Reading: pp.Pg 157-178 up to "Wind Instruments", 182 Chapter Summary
Topics - Ideal Gas Law*; Pressure* and Pressure Gradient Force*; Coriolis Effect*; Winds; Surface and Upper-Level Maps
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 6: 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24
Week 5
Sept 23 - Sept 30
Chapter 07 - Ahrens
Reading: pp. 201-210 section on "Global WInds"
Topics - Global Winds: One-Cell and Three-Cell Model; Average Distributions of Surface Winds, SLP and Precipitation; Jet Streams.
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 6: 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24
Week 5
Auxiliary material on Vorticity, Divergence and Vertical Motion may be assigned. If it is, the material will be posted on D2L and announced in the News.
Homework - Reading Weather Maps (D2L Quizzes Section)
Due: Estimate due date of late September. Exact due date TBA.
Weeks 5 and 6
Sept 23 - Oct 05
Chapter 08 - Ahrens
Reading: pp. 223-254
Topics - Air Masses; Fronts; Mid-Latitude Cyclones
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 8: 1, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19
Week 6
Auxiliary Material (to be posted) on How to Analyze Surface Weather Maps
Quiz 2
Oct 06 Tuesday
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Module 3: Water, Clouds, Precipitation and (time permitting) Optics
Week 7
Oct 05 - Oct 12 or longer
Chapter 04* - Ahrens
Topics - Hydrological Cycle. Evaporation*, Condensation*, Saturation*. Humidity Measures*. Fog and Clouds
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 4: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
Week 8
Oct 12 - Oct 19 or longer
Chapter 05* - Ahrens
Topics - Adiabatic Processes*. Buoyancy* and Vertical Stability*. Precipitation Processes. Precipitation Types. Doppler Radar./
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 16, 17
Week 9 (Please wait for a separate announcement before you read this chapter. I am considering using another source and posting it online.)
Oct 19 - Oct 26 or shorter
Chapter 15** - Atmospheric Optics (Focus on topics below)
Reading pp. 461-480
Topics - Scattering: White Clouds, Blue Skies and Red Sunsets. Refraction: Twilight, Twinkling Stars and Mirages. Dispersion and Reflection: Halos, Sun Dogs and Pillars; Rainbows. Diffraction: Coronas and Cloud Iridescence.
Study "Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 15: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22
Quiz 3
Oct 27 Tuesday
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
GROUP Homework - Analysis of Surface Weather Map (Upload to Group Dropbox)
Due: Friday, Nov 20 by 5:00 pm MST.
Absolutely no late submissions for any reason
Module 4: Optics, Wind Systems, Air-Sea Interactions, Thunderstorms and Hurricanes
Week 10
Oct 27 - Nov 03 or shorter
Chapter 17** - Aguado & Burt, "Understanding Weather and Climate", 7th ed.
Reading: pp. 518-526. Reading is posted on D2L in the Content section of Supplementals for Module 3. It is a password protected file.
File is copyright material. You are forbidden by law from copying, printing, posting or sharing the material in any form for use by another person.
Topics - Scattering: White Clouds, Blue Skies and Red Sunsets. Refraction: Twilight, Twinkling Stars and Mirages. Dispersion and Reflection: Halos, Sun Dogs and Pillars; Rainbows.
Study “Review Questions” at the end of Chapter 17: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
Week 10
Oct 27 - Nov 03 or longer
Chapter 07 - Ahrens
Reading: pp. 185-200; 210-216; 219 Chapter Summary
Topics - Thermal Circulations: Diurnal Winds and Monsoons. Air-Sea Interactions: Upwelling, El Nino.
Study "Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 7: 3, 4, 5, 10, 18, 19, 20
Week 11
Nov 04 - Nov 10 or longer
Chapter 10 - Ahrens (Section on "Observing Tornadoes and Severe Weather" will not be covered, although research using new observing systems and fine-scale model simulations are bringing remarkable insights into severe thunderstorms.)
Reading: pp. 287-325; 329 Chapter Summary
Topics - Ordinary and Severe. Hazards: Lightning, Microburst Winds, Haboobs, Hail, Flooding,Tornadoes
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 10: 1, 7, 14, 19, 23, 24, 29
Term Project - Overview of October's Weather for Chicago IL (KORD) and Analysis of a Significant Weather Event
Due: Monday, Nov 02 by 5:00 pm MST for calendar. Thursday, Nov 12 by 5:00 pm MST for complete project.
Week 12
Nov 10 - Nov 17
Chapter 11 - Ahrens (Section on "Some Notable Hurricanes" will not be tested, but narratives on Katrina and Sandy, both of which caused more than 100 billion U.S.D. of damage and occurred recently, are worth the read.)
Reading: pp. 333-351; 363 Chapter Summary
Topics - Hurricane Formation and Distribution. Hazards: Winds, Coastal Storm Surges, Inland Fresh Water Flooding
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 11: 6, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
Quiz 4
Nov 17 Tuesday
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Module 5: Forecasting, Pollution and Climate Change
Weeks 13 and 14
Nov 17 - Nov 25
Chapter 13 - Ahrens
Topics - Past Climates. Recent Warming. Projected Future Climate Changes
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 13: 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21
Weeks 14 and 15
Nov 30 - Dec 08
Chapter 14 - Ahrens
Topics - Primary and Secondary Air Pollutants. SMOG. Acid Rain. Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 14: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 19, 23, 28
Homework - Cloud and Optical Phenomena Identification on D2L (D2L Quizzes Section, plus a possible Dropbox component.)
Due: Friday, Dec 04 by 5:00 pm MST.
Quiz 5
Dec 09 Wednesday
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Week 13
Nov 17-24
Chapter 09** - Ahrens (First part of chapter: pp 257-272) and/or Auxiliary Material to be Posted Later on D2L
Topics - Overview of Numerical Weather/Climate Models; Weather/Climate Forecasting
Study “Questions for Review” at the end of Chapter 9: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12
Final (Quiz 6)
Dec 17 Thursday
8:30 pm - 10:30 pm