Tentative syllabus
| Week # | Week of (Monday) | Topic | Assigned Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 21 | FIRST CLASS: WED JAN 23 Weather map analysis |
|
| 2 | Jan 28 | Atmospheric composition and structure | Ch. 1 p. 1-44 |
| 3-5 | Feb 4 | Gas law and hydrostatics: | Ch. 2 p. 49-51 |
| Feb 11 | – equation of state | Ch. 3 | |
| Feb 18 | – hydrostatic equilibrium | Ch. 4 p. 83-101 | |
| – virtual temperature | Ch. 4 p. 104-122 | ||
| – geopotential | |||
| – reduction of pressure to sea level | |||
| Exam #1: Wednesday Feb 20 | |||
| 6-10 | Feb 25 | Introduction to atmospheric thermodynamics: | |
| Mar 4 | – first law of thermodynamics | Ch. 1 p. 44-47 | |
| Mar 11 | – latent heat | ||
| Mar 18 (spring break) | NO CLASS | Ch. 5 p. 129-141 | |
| Mar 25 | – moisture variables | Ch. 7 p. 167-178 | |
| – adiabatic processes | Ch. 7 p. 185-205 | ||
| – static stability | Ch. 7 p. 209-221 | ||
| – thermodynamic diagrams | Ch. 8 p. 239-245 | ||
| Exam #2: Wednesday Mar 27 | |||
| 11-16 | Apr 1 | Introduction to atmospheric dynamics: | |
| Apr 8 | – fixed and rotating coordinate systems | ||
| Apr 15 | – gravitational and frictional forces | ||
| Apr 22 | – pressure gradient and Coriolis forces | ||
| Apr 29 | – equation of motion | ||
| May 6 | – geostrophic, gradient and thermal winds | ||
| LAST CLASS: WED MAY 8 | |||
| Final exam: Friday May 17, 10:00am – noon | |||