ESS55 Earth's Atmosphere (Spring 2012) [syllabus]
Lecture: Tuesday & Thursday 02:00-03:20, MSTB118
Discussion: Monday & Thursday 1:00-1:50, RH184
INSTRUCTORS

Professor Jin-Yi Yu
Office: 3315 Croul Hall
Phone: (949) 824-3878
Email: jyyu@uci.edu
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~yu/
Office Hour: Tuesday 1:00-2:00pm or by appointment

TA: Mr. Yuhao Zou
Office: 2101 Croul Hall
Email: yzou@uci.edu
Office Hour: Friday 1:00-2:00pm or by appointment
COURSE CONTENT

The course will cover some fundamentals of atmospheric science, such as the static atmosphere (including composition, hydrostatic balance and thermodynamics), the global energy balance, radiative transfer and climate, the hydrologic cycle, the general circulation and climate regimes. Prerequisite: Mathematics 2B; Physics 3B or 7B.

TEXTBOOK

  • Meteorology Today, 9th Edition, by C. Donald Ahrens, Brooks/Cole, 2009.

    • GRADES

    (30%) Homework
    (30%) Midterm
    (30%) Final
    (10%) In-class participation
    SYLLABUS

    Week 1: A brief survey of the atmospher
  • origins of the atmosphere
  • vertical structure of composition
  • vertical structure of air pressure
  • vertical structure of temperature
  • ionosphere
    Classnote #1: Survery (Powerpoint) (PDF) (Handout) Updated on 4/23/2012
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 1)
    Homework: #1 (due 4/17, Tuesday)
    Week 2: Global energy balance
  • planetary energy balance
  • greenhouse effect
  • role of cloud
  • energy transfer processes
  • energy balance at earth's surface
    Classnote #2 : Global Energy (Powerpoint) (PDF) (Handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 2)
    Homework: #2 (due 4/24, Tuesday)
    Week 3: Radiation transfer in the atmosphere; Temperature
  • spectrum of radiation: solar and infrared
  • absorption, emission, reflection, scattering, and transmission
  • colors of sky and sun
  • seasonal and latitudinal variations of temperatures
    Classnote #3: Radiation Transfer and Temperature (lecture note included in Classnote #2)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 2-3)
    Week 4: Pressure and Wind
  • atmospheric pressure - pressure gradient force
  • effects of rotation - Coriolis force
  • the geostrophic wind - upper level flow
  • effects of friction - surface flow
  • weather maps
    Classnote #4: Motion (Powerpoint) (PDF) (Handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 8-9)
    Homework: #3 (due 5/1, Tuesday)
    Week 5: Atmospheric general circulation
  • three-cell circulation
  • Walker circulation in the tropics
  • ITCZ, subtropical high, polar low
  • general circulation in the stratosphere
  • wind-driven ocean circulation
    Classnote #5: General Circulation] (Powerpoint) (PDF) (Handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 10)
    Homework: #4 (due 5/8, Tuesday)

    === MIDTERM (5/8/2012; 2pm-3:20pm; MSTB118; Chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10) ===

    Week 6: Moist processes in the atmosphere
  • humidity
  • water vapor and latent heat
  • lapse rate and adiabatic process
  • concept of static stability
  • dew, frost, fog
    Classnote #6: Moist Processes (Powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 4-5)
    Week 7: Cloud development and precipitation process
  • why clouds form
  • cloud types
  • growth of cloud droplet
  • forms of precipitations
    Classnote #7: Precipitation and Cloud (Powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 6-7)
    Homework: #5 and #6 ) (due 5/22, Tuesday)
    Week 8: Mid-latitude weather
  • air masses
  • fronts and midlatitude cyclones
  • cyclogenesis
  • thunderstorms
  • tornadoes
  • lightning
    Classnote #8: Cyclone (Powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 11-12)
    Homework: #7

    Week 9: Tropical hurricane
  • Hurricane Characteristics
  • Hurricane Formation, Movement and Dissipation
  • Hurricane Destruction and Warming
    Classnote #9: Cyclone (Powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 15)
    Homework: #8
    Week 10: Climate variability and changes
  • El Nino-Southern Oscillation
  • Arctic Oscillation
  • Future climate change (The Fourth IPCC Report)
    Classnote #10: ENSO (Powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
    Reading: Meteorology Today (Ch. 16-17)

    === FINAL (Thu, Jun 14, 1:30-3:30pm) (covering Chapters 4, 8, 9, 11)===

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