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Meteorology 6020: Fundamentals of Physical Meteorology |
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Meteorology 6020: Fundamentals of Physical Meteorology |
Purpose of Course: This course is designed to provide a broad but quantitative treatment of
physical meteorology. As a graduate-level course, emphasis will be placed
on a quantitative grasp of the material presented in class and assigned as
reading. However, we will attempt to focus on the linkages between what we
normally consider as the physics of the atmosphere (the main subject areas
of the course) and the dynamics of the atmosphere. The coupling between
physics and dynamics occurs through the net heating of the air brought
about by phase changes of water or net absorption of electromagnetic
radiation. Therefore, the three main topical areas of this course are how a
fluid medium responds to heat flow (atmospheric thermodynamics), processes
associated with aerosol and cloud microphysics, and the propagation of
electromagnetic radiation through the atmosphere.
This course is one part of a three-course sequence that is considered the
core material for the graduate qualification examination.
Format: The class will be lecture oriented. I will lecture primarily from the text
Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics by Murry L. Salby. However, lectures
will often be derived from multiple sources including other textbooks, the
peer-reviewed literature, and the internet. Plan on two major exams (late
September and early November), a comprehensive final that will concentrate
on the last third of the semester, a research paper, and occasional
homework problem sets.
Grading: Grading will be distributed as follows: 2 Midterm Exams.(40%) Final(40%) Research Paper(15%) Homework(5%).
Text: Required: Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics by: Murry L. Salby.
Research Paper Information: I view the research paper as a major component of the course and I would
like you to spend considerable time on it. I expect at least 20
typewritten (double spaced) pages (including figures and references) on a
subject of interest to you that is broadly related to the three main
subject areas listed above. If you plan to do research in the future,
choose a subject germane to the direction your research might take. You
may wish to consult with your advisor on a choice of subject area. I would
like to see at least 7 sources of information only 3 of which can be
textbooks (in other words, gather information from the peer-reviewed
literature). Plan on an oral presentation of your work to the class at the
end of the semester. Please have an abstract with references to me by 15
October. The completed paper is due at the end of our final class period
of the semester.
