ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES 451/551 - Spring 2006
Introduction to Physical Meteorology
This 2-semester course will cover the fundamentals of atmospheric physics including the composition of the atmosphere, kinetic theory of gases, atmospheric chemistry, the atmospheric aerosol, mechanics of ideal and real fluids, atmospheric acoustics, atmospheric radiation, scattering of electromagnetic radiation, radiative transfer, remote sensing, cloud physics, and atmospheric electricity.
Instructor
William C. Conant (conant@atmo.arizona.edu)
Office and Office Hours (Conant)
PAS 550
621-0624
1:30 - 4:30 PM MWF or by appointment
Teaching Assistant
Nathan Johnson
626-5123
TA Office and Office Hours
PAS 526
1:00 - 2:00 PM MWF or by appointment
Course Grading
Midterm Exams (Friday Oct. 6, 2006; Friday Nov. 10,2006) 15% each, Homework 20%, Final Exam (Monday Dec. 11, 11:00AM - 1:00PM) 40%, and Class Participation 10%.
Overall Goal
Provide a foundation in physical meteorology that is suitable for professional employment and/or advanced study in the atmospheric sciences.
Prerequisites
Thorough understanding of basic physics and mathematics (through ordinary differential equations) and the material covered in General Meteorology: Physical (ATMO 300a) and Dynamic (ATMO 300b).
Textbooks
There are no official textbooks for this course, but you will be responsible for the material covered in the class lectures and the handouts. There are several textbooks held in reserve for the class in the ATMO/IAP library, and I will also be putting articles that supplement the lectures and handouts on the class web page.
Homework
I will assign homework that is based on the material covered in the lectures and class handouts. The ideas and methods used in the homework exercises will also be included on the exams, so the homework is important. Several points:
Homework problems are best done individually, but you can certainly discuss your methods and the results with the teaching assistant and other students in the class. Students can sometimes learn more by discussing the ideas and methods with others than they can on their own, especially at the beginning of the course. Also, each of you has a different perspective and background, and the views of others can often be beneficial to a larger group. Please do NOT copy your solutions from anyone else, and if your ideas and methods are not your own, please tell us that on the papers you turn in.
Homework problems will usually be assigned one week before they are due. Your grade will be reduced 15% for each week, or part of a week, your assignment is late.
Exams
The exams will be based on material covered in class, the handouts, and the homework. The problems will be designed to test your understanding of the material and to apply what you have learned in a new situation. Of course, the work you submit on examinations must be entirely your own work (see the UA Code of Academic Integrity).