ATMO 200: Fall 2019
Atmospheric Processes and Phenomenon
Learning Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will have a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the primary processes that control the state of the atmosphere, weather, and climate. Students will practice observing, connecting physical processes with their governing equations, and will be able to apply what they learn to understand the weather here in Hawaii.
Topics: Atmospheric variables (temperature, pressure, density, humidity etc.), gas laws, radiation balance and processes, thermodynamics, conservation laws, laws of motion, clouds and precipitation, convection, atmospheric circulations, mid-latitude and tropical weather systems, severe weather, forecasting, and climate.
Resources:
Atmospheric Science: ATMO 200 Companion Text edited by Alison Nugent:
http://pressbooks-dev.oer.hawaii.edu/atmo/
Practical Meteorology: An Algebra-Based Survey of Atmospheric Science by Roland Stull:
https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/books/Practical_Meteorology/
Visuals shown in Class:
NWS skywatcher chart: https://forecast.weather.gov/jetstream/synoptic/clouds_max.htm
NASA Aerosols: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRsY_UviBPE
This page will be updated throughout the Fall 2019 semester as the course progresses.
Week 1 (8.26, 8.28, 8.30): Chapter 1
M: Course Overview, PSet 1 assigned
W: The Earth as a part of the solar system, retaining an atmosphere
F: SI Units, Atmospheric pressure and density, Ideal Gas Law
Week 2 (9.2, 9.4, 9.6): Chapter 1
M: -- No Class, Labor Day --
W: Buoyancy
F: Hydrostatic balance, PSet 2 assigned
Week 3 (9.9, 9.11, 9.13): Chapter 3, and Chapter 5
M: Atmospheric temperature structure, PSet 1 Due
W: Lapse Rates & Stability
F: Inversions, Diurnal changes in Stability, PSet 2 due, PSet 3 assigned
Week 4 (9.16, 9.18, 9.20): Chapter 4
M: Moisture in the atmosphere I
W: Moisture in the atmosphere II
F: Moisture & Saturation, PSet 3 due
Week 5 (9.23, 9.25, 9.27): Chapter 4, and Chapter 5
M: Exam Review
W: Exam 1 covering 1st 4 weeks of class, and PSets 1-3
F: Latent Heating, Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate, Moist Stability, PSet 4 assigned
Week 6 (9.30, 10.2, 10.4): Chapters 4, 5, and 6
M: Exam 1 Returned, LCL, Skew-Ts
W: Cloud Types, Identifying Clouds & Tropopause in a Skew-T, Aerosols/CCN
F: Cloud Microphysics, PSet 4 Due, PSet 5 assigned
Week 7 (10.7, 10.9, 10.11): Chapters 5 and 7
M: Atmospheric Optics, Particle Scattering
W: Precipitation Processes
F: Wrap up, from raindrop shapes to cloud seeding, PSet 5 due, PSet 6 assigned
Week 8 (10.14, 10.16, 10.18): Chapter 2 and 11
M: Earth's energy budget
W: Black body radiation, Stefan-Boltzman Law
F: Coriolis Force, Global Circulation, PSet 6 Due
Week 9 (10.21, 10.23, 10.25): Chapter 2 and 11
M: Global Circulation Patterns
W: Exam 2 covering PSets 4-6
F: SOEST Open House, No Class, PSet 7 Assigned
Week 10 (10.28, 10.30, 11.1): Chapters 9 and 10
M: Connecting global circulation to global climates
W: Geostrophic Wind, synoptic charts
F: Wind force balances, cyclones, anti-cyclones, PSet 7 Due, PSet 8 Assigned
Week 11 (11.4, 11.6, 11.8): Chapters 12 and 13
M: Air Masses and Fronts
W: Fronts and Storms
F: Mid-latitude frontal cyclones and air mass thunderstorms, PSet 8 Due, PSet 9 Assigned
Week 12 (11.11, 11.13, 11.15):
M: Veterans Day, No Class
W: Convective Storms, synoptic charts, meteograms
F: From airmass thunderstorms to severe, PSet 9 Due, PSet 10 Assigned
Week 13 (11.18, 11.20, 11.22):
M: LFC & EL, Stability & Buoyancy, Tropical cyclones
W: Hawaiian weather phenomenon
F: Balloon Launch!, PSet 10 Due
Week 14 (11.25, 11.27, thanksgiving):
M: Exam 3 covering PSets 7-9
W: Intro to climate, PSet 11 Assigned
F: No Class, Thanksgiving!
Week 15 (12.2, 12.4, 12.6):
M: ENSO
W: Greenhouse gases, atmospheric window
F: One layer atmosphere and climate feedbacks, PSet 11 Due, PSet 12 Assigned
Week 16 (12.9, 12.11):
M: Climate feedbacks, climate regulators
W: Climate game, PSet 12 Due
Final Exam Date: Friday December 20th, 12-2 set by the University calendar.