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G 304:G 532: |
Physical Meteorology and Climatology |
Spring 2004 |
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Instructor: |
Dr. H.P. Schmid |
Office: |
102 Student Building |
Phone: |
855-6125 |
Office Hours: |
TR 11:15-11:45 a.m., or by appointment |
E-mail: |
hschmid@indiana.edu |
Lectures: |
TR 02:30P-03:45P; GY 143 (Geology Building) |
Prerequisite: |
G107,
G109
or any introductory science course or consent of instructor.
See what is mentioned here about prerequisites. |
Exercises: |
Material covered in the lectures will be supplemented with several take-home exercises that will be handed out throughout the semester. |
| Readings: | Assigned readings from the course textbook and supplemental texts and articles (on reserve in the Geography and Map library) are an integral part of the course. Material covered in the readings will be tested in exercises and exams. Some readings are available on e-reserves. |
| Exams: | Formal assessment includes a Mid-Term
Exam and a Final Exam. Both these examinations are comprehensive and cover
the entire course material up to that date, from lectures, exercises and
readings. Students are required to take their own writing material (pencil),
scientific calculator, and ruler to the exams.
Old exams are available as a guide to exam preparation. |
Grading: |
Exercises | (approximately 5) |
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| Mid-term exam | Tuesday, February 26, in class |
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| Final exam | Thursday, April 22, in class (see notice, below) |
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| Notice: The final exam will be held in the last class before "free week", April 22 2004, during the regular class time and in the regular class room. If you prefer to write the final exam on the date and time published in the schedule of classes (May 4 2004, 8:00-9:15 a.m.) you must notify me (hschmid@indiana.edu) in writing before April 20. |
Objectives:This course aims at developing a sound understanding of the physical processes that influence weather and climate. Students will be able to acquire the basic skills used in meteorology and climatology.The atmosphere is the air we breathe, that carries the sound waves of our communication, that filters the sunlight to make life as we know it possible. To know the atmosphere, its behavior, its influence on our daily life, and its sensitivity to our actions, is the most essential step towards taking proper care of it. The quality of the atmosphere we live in is increasingly dependent on the kind of legislative decisions we take and on the kind of products each of us buys and uses. This course thrives to lay a scientific foundation for those decisions that we are all confronted with. What should you get out of this course? We intend to take a step beyond the qualitative description of atmospheric phenomena and processes. By looking at them in a quantitative and physical way, we are able to identify the relation between various processes and phenomena and will start to see them in the context of the “bigger picture” behind them. If this course is a “slight detour” in your curriculum and forms your final “visit to the atmosphere”, it will provide you with the basic physical concepts of weather and climate that will enable you to appreciate the relationship between atmospheric processes and a variety of other aspects of out physical environment, Earth's history, agriculture, our economy, and society. If, on the other hand, you elect to major in the Atmospheric Science Program, this course will be the foundation for the host of specialized subjects that you will encounter in your further studies and your future professional life. While the course has no prerequisites in mathematics or physics, it is dependent on them, as all physical sciences inevitably are. You are expected to be literate in basic algebra, geometry and some trigonometry. Special concepts and laws of physics are introduced and explained as needed. Indeed, some of the oldest and most fundamental discoveries in physics were based on observations in the atmosphere: the invention of the thermometer and the barometer in the 16th century may be considered the first modern scientific instruments. This course does not rely on knowledge of calculus. However, we frequently will encounter gradients, tendencies and sums: the essential elements of calculus. Working with these concepts may well provide you with some intuition about the importance and significance of calculus in real-world problems. These concepts and tools are covered extensively in the lab sections of our introductory course G109 "Weather and Climate". |
While regular class attendance is not compulsory, it is strongly recommended, as there will be course material that is only covered in lectures and is not included in the text or other readings.
Communication about the class can be via e-mail, by telephone, in writing, or verbal in class or during office hours. It is your responsibility that questions or comments about class material, exercises, grading , absences or any other class related matter reach me in a timely manner. Equally, it is your responsibility to be informed about lecture material, assignments, announcements, notices, or any other information given out in class.
Students should show common courtesy and observe basic rules of behavior in class. The policy on academic dishonesty included in the schedule of classes will be strictly followed. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated.
| Text: | Stull, R.B.: 2000, Meteorology Today
for Scientists and Engineers, II Ed., Brooks/Cole, (QC861.2.S79).
(S) Aguado, E. & Burt, J.E. (2004). Understanding Weather and Climate, III Ed., Prentice Hall, 505 pp. + CD-rom. (QC861.2.A27) (AB) |
| Supplementary: | Oke, T.R.: 1987, Boundary Layer Climates, 2nd Ed., Methuen, London, 435 pp, (QC981.7.M5034). (O) |
| Topic | Text References |
| 1. Introduction: Overview of the course objectives and how we intend to achieve them. Methods and conventions in the Atmospheric Sciences. Climate elements and climate factors. The space/time framework: scales of atmospheric phenomena. Evolution and composition of the atmosphere: How was our atmosphere formed? How is it regenerated today? What is the vertical structure of the atmosphere and how come it is the way it is? What makes Earth the only planet in the solar system that continues to support life? | AB: 1; 16
S: 1; 18; A O: 1.1 |
| 2. Radiative forcing of the Earth-atmosphere system: the power supply for weather and climate. Electromagnetic radiation, radiation physics and laws. Reflection, refraction, scatter, absorption, emission, transmission: modifiers of radiation in the atmosphere. Earth-Sun orbital geometry: why do we have seasons and what if we didn’t? | AB: 2
CD: 1 S: 2; 3; 4 O: 1.2; 1.3a,b; A1 |
| 3. The cycling of energy and water through the Earth-atmosphere system: convection, conduction and the energy balance; evaporation and the water balance. How does the atmosphere interact with the surface of the Earth? Climate variability, climate scales. | AB: 3
CD: 2 S: 2; 3 O: 1; 2; A2 |
| 4. Thermodynamics of the atmosphere: The first and second laws and the Earth-atmosphere heat engine. Energy conversions and transport. Looking at clouds from both sides now: Atmospheric moisture, condensation, fog, clouds, precipitation | AB: 4; 5; 6
CD: 2; 3; 4 S: 2; 5; 6; 7; 8 O: 2.3 |
| 5. Dynamics of the atmosphere: Where the wind blows. Forces and pressure, conservation of mass and momentum. From wisps of butterflies to tropical cyclones: Winds at all scales. | AB: 7; 8; 10-12
CD: 5-8 S: 9;10;11;13;15;16 |
| 6. The daily weather: from observations and models to a forecast. Air masses, fronts, certainties and uncertainties | AB: 9; 13
S: 12; 14 |
| 7. What do we do with what we know? Air pollution, wind energy, special forecasting. | AB: 14
S: 17; 18 O: 7; 9 |
Copyright 2003, The Trustees of Indiana University
Last updated: 03/29/04.
