|
Physical & Dynamical Climatology |
1. The Earth's Atmosphere (Chapter 1) 27-29 Aug |
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Weather
and climate, Atmospheric variables |
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Atmospheric composition |
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Vertical structure of the
atmosphere |
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2. The Energy Balance (Chapter 2) 3-5 Sept |
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Energy,
temperature and heat, Radiation of the Sun and Earth, Albedo |
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Heat
transfer, Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric window |
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The Earth's annual energy balance |
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3. Atmospheric Temperatures (Chapter 3) 8-10
Sept |
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Surface
air temperature and measurements
Temperature scales / conversions
Daily and season cycles
Solstice, Equinox |
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4. Atmospheric Moisture (Chapter 5), 12 Sept |
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The many phases of water in the
atmosphere |
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Hydrologic cycle |
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Ways to express atmospheric water
content |
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5. Condensation, Clouds, and Precipitation (Chapters
6, 7, 8) 15-17 Sept |
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Cloud condensation nuclei |
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Atmospheric stability, Lapse rates |
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Cloud development |
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[Precipitation processes, Measuring
precipitation] |
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Exam 1 (19 Sept) covers Chapters 1-3,
5-8, and lecture notes |
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6. The Atmosphere in Motion (Chapter 9) 22-24 Sept |
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Atmospheric pressure and
measurements |
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Pressure / temperature
relationships |
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Pressure gradient force, and Coriolis
force |
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Winds and measurements |
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7. Regional and Global Circulation of the Atmosphere
(Chapters 10, 11) 26-29 Sept, 1 Oct |
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Local and regional wind systems,
Monsoons |
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General circulation
(single cell and three-cell) |
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Circulation and pressure patterns |
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Circulation and precipitation
patterns |
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Westerly winds and the jet streams |
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8. Oceans and Interannual Variations in Climate (Chapter 10,
p. 264, Chapter 11, p. 300-307) 3-8 Oct |
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Ocean climate processes |
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Global surface currents |
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Thermohaline circulation |
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Atmosphere-Ocean-Land
interaction, Monsoons |
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El
Nino-Southern Oscillation, La Nina, Pacific Decadal Oscillation |
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Exam 2 (10 Oct) covers Chapters 9-11,
and lecture notes |
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9. Synoptic Climatology (Chapters
12, 13) 13-15 Oct
Air Masses /
Fronts / Cyclones |
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10. The Nature and Hazard of Atmospheric Extreme Events
(Chapters 15, 16) 17-22 Oct |
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Thunderstorms / Tornadoes / Hurricanes /
Flood and drought
Geographic and
seasonal distributions |
| Regional Climatology |
11. Climate Across Space Scales (Chapter 18) 24 Oct - 5 Nov |
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Microclimates |
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Mesoscale climates |
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Classification of World Climates |
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The Koppen system, climate and biomes |
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Tropical, mid-latitude, polar and
highland climates |
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Exam 3 (7 Nov) covers Chapters 12, 13,
15, 16, 18, and lecture notes |
| Past and Future Climates |
12. Climate Change (Chapter 19) 10 - 17 Nov |
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Reconstructing the past (proxy data)
Tree rings, corals, ice cores, historical records, oxygen-isotope ratios,
lake and marine sediments
Ice House and Hot House
The Pleistocene Ice Ages (Glacial and interglacial cycles)
Holocene climate
The last 1000 years
Natural
causes of climatic change
External factors
(variations in solar irradiance, sunspot activity,
earth-sun relationships, extraterrestrial impacts)
Geological factors (variations in atmospheric dust, volcanic activities,
distributions of continents, variations in the oceans)
Land-ocean-atmosphere system
Positive and negative feedbacks
Human
causes
Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, urbanization
Global
warming
Instrumental record of past 140 years or so
Evidence
changes in temperature record, plant and animal life changes,
melting of snow/ice cover, sea level, spread of diseases,
melting of permafrost
Processes
changing levels of carbon dioxide, aerosols,
Enhanced "greenhouse" warming
Health
and climate change |
| Applied Climatology |
13. Air Pollution (Chapter 17) 19-21 Nov |
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Types
and sources of air pollutants, trends |
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Acid
precipitation and distribution |
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Tropospheric ozone: an atmospheric pollutant
Stratospheric ozone, ozone depletion, ozone hole, and ultraviolet radiation |
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14. Weather Forecasting and Climate Prediction Using
Computer Models (Chapter 11, p. 287; Chapter 14; Chapter 19, p. 536) 24 Nov,
1 Dec |
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Why numerical models? (p. 287
or Kump
et al., 2004, p. 104-116) |
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General Circulation
Models (p. 287; finite difference models, spectral models) |
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Numerical weather prediction, Ensemble forecasting
Forecasting methods (persistence, trend, analogue, climatological, probability forecast)
Types of forecast (nowcast, short-range, medium-range, long-range, outlooks)
Accuracy and skill in forecasting
Using models for climate experiments
(initial / boundary conditions, equilibrium climate experiments,
transient model experiments, sensitivity experiments)
Future warming - projections and uncertainties
(Global average projected temperature change from 1990 to 2100 is projected
to be between 1.4°C to 5.8°C)
Can we trust what the models tell us and why?
Modeling the effect of climate on
ecosystems |
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Exam 4 (3 Dec) covers Chapters 14, 17,
19, and lecture notes |
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|
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Comprehensive Final Exam (UTC
2.112A Saturday
December 13, 7:00-10:00pm)
covers everything taught in the semester. |
