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ATMO 170A1:  Introduction to Weather & Climate 

Fall 2015 - Section 001
MWF 9:00-9:50 am
ILC 150

Course Description

An introduction to the science of weather and climate. Topics are selected from atmospheric composition, energy balance, wind systems, genesis of fronts and cyclones, precipitation processes, clouds, severe weather, weather and climate forecasting, climate and optical phenomena. Emphasis is placed on the illustrating the fundamental importance of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biological processes to the atmospheric sciences. The first part of the course concentrates on fundamental concepts (e.g. energy conservation, heat transfer, phase change, force and momentum) that are needed to understand the structure and behavior of the atmosphere. The second half deals with specific meteorological phenomena. Emphasis is given to phenomena that have strong impacts on human welfare and economic livelihood such as winter storms, heat waves, drought, floods, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, air-sea interactions (El Nino/La Nina events), climate change (natural and anthropogenic), ozone depletion and regional air pollution.

Learning Goals and Student Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should:
1)    Understand how the warming of the earth by the sun and energy transfer through the atmosphere drive  weather and climate change.
2)    Appreciate the impact that weather and climate have on life, and that life has on the atmosphere.
3)    Be in a position to evaluate the validity of “science” that appears in the mainstream media (MSM) and to make informed decisions on what to do about projected, anthropogenic changes in extreme weather events and climate.

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Instructor:

Professor Steven Mullen
Email (use only for personal issues and to schedule appointments)
PAS Bldg Rm 552
Office Hours: MWF 10:15 am - 11:15 am MST (GMT-7) or by appointment

Teaching Assistants:

Tim Lahmers
Email (use only for personal issues and to schedule appointments)
PAS Bldg Rm 546 ATMO Dept Library
Office Hours: MWF 11:30 am - 12:30 pm MST (GMT-7) or by appointment

Sujan Pal
Email (use only for personal issues and to schedule appointments)
PAS Bldg Rm 526
Office Hours: MW 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm MST (GMT-7) or by appointmentMST (GMT-7) or by appointment

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Textbooks:

Required Textbook
C. Donald Ahrens (author)
Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 7th Ed.
ISBN-13: 978-1305429918. (Available in Bookstore. May cost less online.)

Cheaper eBook and rental options are available through the publisher at http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/isbn/9781285462363.
Although I do not recommend using an earlier edition of the textbook, I am compelled to report that some students in the lecture sections successfully used cheaper copies of the 6th edition.

Note there might be other mandatory readings throughout the term. They would be posted in due course.

Optional Study Guide
C. Donald Ahrens (author)
Study Guide for Ahrens’ Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 7th Ed.
ISBN-13: 978-1285834979. (Not available in bookstore.)

You must order through publisher or an online vendor. Cost is about $50.
I do not know if rentals are available through the publisher or if online vendors have used copies. Older editions (6th, 5th) of the study guide would work fine.

Other Course Materials:

Syllabus (mandatory reading), auxiliary readings, homework assignments, term project, dropboxes, digital exams can only be accessed on D2L.

Class List Serve:

Use list serve for issues and questions of general interest to the entire class.

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Topics - Reading Assignments - Questions for Review - Key Dates                                               

This is an evolving document. Topics and dates are tentative and subject to change with reasonable notice.

Additional assignments with due dates will be added throughout the semester.

The Arizona Board of Regents. All contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.