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This page contains a list of courses offered by the Meteorology Department. Click on the course title to see a description of the course, when it's offered, and credit hours. Where possible, links are provided to more detailed web-based descriptions.
This course surveys topics related to weather. Topics include the structure of the atmosphere, formation of clouds, weather prediction, fronts, severe weather, and optical phenomena such as rainbows and halos. This course is a Science Foundation course for Intellectual Exploration requirements.
This course surveys the natural and human induced variations in the earth's climate. Topics include monitoring climate variations, global warming and the greenhouse effect, air-sea climate variations, the climatic effects of volcanic eruptions, and depletion of ozone in the upper atmosphere. This course is a Science Foundation course for Intellectual Exploration requirements.
For students majoring in meteorology or for those students interested in finding out about employment opportunities in the atmospheric sciences. Invited speakers describe how they apply meteorology in their careers. Discussions of the current weather are also presented. Repeatable for up to 2 hours.
Influence of terrain upon typical and severe weather, including local wind circulations and mountain snowstorms. Applications of mountain meteorology to related fields (air pollution, fire weather, road weather) and physiological responses to cold weather and altitude. This course satisfies the Quantitative Intensive Requirement.
A survey of the atmosphere for physical science and engineering majors. Topics include the structure of the atmosphere and the fundamental forces that control fluid motion in the atmosphere.
Application of computer techniques to visualize the three dimensional structure and evolution of the atmosphere. Thermodynamics of the atmosphere including applications of thermodynamic diagrams.
Application of dynamical meteorology to weather situations. Geostrophic balance, thermal wind, flow kinematics. Characteristics and applications of sensors that measure the atmosphere directly.
Intensive work related to a specific area in meteorology for undergraduates.
Applications of meteorology to specific problems in agriculture and forestry. Micro- and meso-scale systems, heat and moisture exchanges, and influences of topography and vegetation in the boundary layer.
Restricted to students in the Honors Program working on their Honors degree.
Kinematics and dynamics of fluid motion. Atmospheric oscillations, quasi-geostrophic scaling of the equations of motion, baroclinic waves.
Numerical techniques of weather prediction including finite-difference methods, analysis of computational stability, and truncation.
Prereq.: Upper-division or graduate standing
Fundamentals of radar meteorology. Quantitative description of cumulus convection, multicell and supercell storms, mesoscale convective systems, tropical cyclones, planetary boundary layer, local circulations (thermal and terrain forcing), downslope windstorms. Emphasis is on using observed characteristics to develop physical and dynamical understanding of phenomena over a range of scales.
Prereq.: Upper-division or graduate standing or instructor's consent
Principles of radiation transfer, absorption, emission, and scattering of radiation in atmosphere; theory of ozone formation; radiation and climate.
Atmospheric aerosol and cloud microphysical processes; cloud optics; and weather modification.
A broad overview of the field of atmospheric remote sensing. Emphasis on basic understanding of theoretical issues and challenges with interpretation of remotely sensed data for operational meteorologist as well as researcher.
Applications of barotopic and quasi-geostrophic theory to synoptic meteorology; jet stream and frontal circulations.
Three dimensional structure of baroclinic weather systems; characteristics of operational numerical weather prediction models; operational forecasting.
Structure and dynamics of atmospheric motions and precipitation processes over mountainous regions.
Students prepare and present weather briefings on the current weather situation. Repeatable for up to 2 credit hours.
Fundamentals of atmospheric dynamics spanning from planetary to convective scales.
Broad overview of fundamental physical processes in the atmospheric sciences. Topics include thermodynamics, radiative transfer, and cloud microphysics.
Synthesis of previous material with an emphasis on the earth as an integrated set of coupled thermodynamic subsystems.
Numerical techniques of weather prediction including finite-difference methods, analysis of computational stability, and truncation.
Finite-difference methods, analysis of computational stability, convergence and truncation. Perturbation methods, quasi-geostrophic forecast system. Numerical models applied to medium- and long-range weather prediction.
Fundamentals of radar meteorology. Quantitative description of cumulus convection, multicell and supercell storm, mesoscale convective systems, tropical cyclones, planetary boundary layer, local circulations(thermal/terrain forcing), downslope windstorms. Emphasis in using observed characteristics to develop physical and dynamical understanding of phenomena over a range of scales.
Numerical modeling of turbulent, convective, and mesoscale motions associated with cloud systems. Formulation of physical processes in cloud-resolving models. Role of modeling efforts in understanding the structure and behavior of cloud systems. Representation of cloud and cloud processes in numerical weather prediction and climate models.
Boundary layer characteristics; Reynolds averaging; equations for turbulant flow; turbulence kinetic energy, stability, and scaling; turbulence closure; boundary conditions; convective mixed layer; stable boundary layer; cloud-topped boundary layer; and boundary layer modeling.
Advanced topics in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics.
Cumulus convection and the boundary layer in the tropics; interaction of cumulus convection with large-scale motion; tropical cyclones.
A broad overview of the field of atmospheric remote sensing. Emphasis on basic understanding of theoretical issues and challenges with interpreting remotely sensed data for operational meteorologist as well as researcher.
Thermodynamics of air and water vapor. Droplet growth by condensation. Initiation of rain and formation of ice phase: growth of ice crystals, snow, and hail.
Applications of barotropic and quasi-geostrophic theory to synoptic meteorology; jet stream and frontal circulations.
Three dimensional structure of baroclinic weather systems; characteristics of operational numerical weather prediction models; operational forecasting.
Synoptic and mesoscale meteorology in complex terrain including orographically-modified cyclone evolution, frontal interaction with topography, terrain and thermally driven circulations, mountain waves, downslope winds, gap winds, and orographic precipitation.
Theory of solar and infrared radiation. Fundamentals of energy balance and climate models. Parameterizations of infrared and solar-flux transfer in clear, aerosol, and cloudy atmospheres. Climate perturbations due to greenhouse gases, aerosols, and clouds.
Students prepare and present weather briefings on the current weather situation. Repeatable for up to 2 credit hours.
Atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, turbulence, clouds and precipitation, ozone and tropospheric chemistry.
Intensive work in a specific area of meteorology.
To provide a course with research credit for the nonthesis master's degree student.
Research credit for Master's degree students.
Research consultation for master's students.
Presentation of scholarly works of faculty, graduate students, and external scientists.
Presentation of scholarly works of faculty, graduate students, and external scientists.
Research credits required for Ph.D. students.
Research consultation for Ph.D. students.
Continuing registration for Ph.D. students.