Lab : Concurrent enrollment required in one of the lab sections

Prerequisites : None

Required text : Ahrens, C. D., Essential of Meteorology, fourth edition, Thomson, Brook/Cole, 2005, xvii+472pp., ISBN 0-534-42264-0

Office hours : M W 2–3:30 EMS E492, or by appointment

Grading :

• Lab grade: 50% *
• Midterm-1: 12.5%
• Midterm-2: 12.5%
• Final exam (not cumulative): 25%

Miscellaneous:

• The assigned reading for each lecture is given in the Syllabus, with exact pages based on the edition referenced above. You may use earlier editions of this book. However, in this case you will have to identify the material for reading yourself, based on the lecture topic.
• Read the textbook assignments both beforeand after the lecture. This is the most efficient way to absorb the material.
• The syllabus and course materials are available on line. Point your browser to www.uwm.edu/~kravtsov/teaching and follow links to ATM SCI 100.
• The online materials include handouts of the lecture presentations. You are strongly encouraged to print them out and bring to class. This is a convenient and efficient way to follow the lectures. Furthermore, the slides contain explicit answers to every single question that will be given on exams.
• Midterm exams will consist of 25 multiple-choice questions each, final exam will have 50 multiple-choice questions. The exams will be closed notes/closed book, and you will not be allowed to take the text of the exam with you after the exam.
• Don’t miss the exams! No make-up exams will be given without a signed medical excuse.
• UWM regulations regarding academic conduct, religious observances, posting grades, drop policies, final exams and other issues are described on line at www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf .

Lecture schedule:

01/22 Lecture 1. Introduction. The scope of meteorology: From cloud microphysics to global climate change.

01/24 Lecture 2. Temperature, pressure and density. Definitions. Scales and units. Ideal gas law. Vertical structure of the atmosphere. Reading: Ch.1, 8–12, Ch. 2, 26–27, Ch. 6, 142–147.

01/29 Lecture 3. Heat transfer processes. Composition of the atmosphere. Energy and heat. Conduction and convection. Sensible and latent heat. Reading: Ch. 1, 2–5; Ch. 2, 26–31.

01/31 Lecture 4. Radiation.Electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic spectrum. Laws of radiation. Radiative equilibrium temperature. Reading: Ch. 2, 30–35.

02/05 Lecture 5. Solar radiation. What happens to the solar radiation as it passes through the atmosphere? Transmission. Absorption. Atmospheric greenhouse effect. Reflection. Albedo. Reading: Ch. 2, 35–40.

02/07 Lecture 6. Atmospheric energy.Scattering. Optical effects in the atmosphere. Solar energy balance. Sources of energy for the atmosphere. The Earth’s annual energy balance. Reading: Ch. 2, 40–42; Ch. 15, 404–408.

02/12 Lecture 7. Regional and seasonal temperature variations. Controls of temperature. Seasonal changes in temperature. Causes of seasonal temperature variations. Reading: Ch. 3, 63–66; Ch. 2, 42–50.

02/14 Lecture 8. Water vapor and humidity. Ways to describe humidity. Absolute humidity. Specific humidity and mixing ratio. Actual and saturation vapor pressure. Relative humidity. Reading: Ch. 4, 78–83.

02/19 Lecture 9. Dew point. Fog. Types of fog. Dew point temperature. Relative humidity and dew point. Condensation in the air. Radiation, advection, upslope, evaporation (mixing), and frontal fogs. Reading: Ch. 4, 83–85, 89–94.

02/21 Midterm I.Weather variables. Solar radiation and energy balance of the earth. Seasons.

02/26 Lecture 10. Cloud types. Classification of clouds. Classification based on the altitude of cloud base. Cloud types by appearance. Reading: Ch. 4, 96–107.

02/28 Lecture 11. Stability. Concept of stability. Adiabatic process. Environmental, dry adiabatic, and moist adiabatic lapse rates. Conditional stability. Reading: Ch. 5, 112–117.

03/05 Lecture 12. Atmospheric stability and cloud development. Classification of clouds by method of formation. Review of stability. Causes and consequences of stable/unstable air. Mechanisms of the cloud development. Reading: Ch. 5, 117–120; Ch.12, 331–334.

03/07 Lecture 13. Precipitation processes. Collision and coalescence process. Ice-crystal process. Formation of snow flakes. Reading: Ch. 5,121–125.

03/12 Lecture 14. Precipitation types. Measuring precipitation. Rain. Snow. Sleet and freezing rain. Hail. Doppler radar and precipitation. Reading: Ch. 5,127–135.

03/14 Lecture 15. Pressure gradient force and wind. Newton’s laws of motion. Pressure gradient force. Atmospheric pressure and air temperature. Surface and upper-air maps. Reading: Review Lecture 2, Ch. 6, 142–151.

03/19 No class (Spring break)

03/21 No class (Spring break)

03/16 Lecture 16. Coriolis force. Inertial and non-inertial reference frames. Actual and apparent forces. Definition and properties of the Coriolis force. Reading: Ch. 6, 151–153.

03/28 Lecture 17. Geostrophic and gradient winds. Surface wind: Effects of friction.Straight-line flow aloft: Geostrophic wind. Curved flows around highs and lows aloft: Gradient wind. Ground friction and surface winds. Reading: Ch. 6, 154–158.

04/02 Midterm II. Humidity and water vapor. Types of clouds. Stability. Cloud development and precipitation.

04/04 Lecture 18. Hydrostatic balance. Winds and vertical air motions. Review of horizontal winds. Forces acting on air in the vertical. Hydrostatic balance.Vertical air motion and weather. Reading: Ch. 6, 158–160, 429.

04/09 Lecture 19. Local circulations. Scales of atmospheric motion. Turbulent eddies. Wind shear and clear-air turbulence (CAT). Thermal circulations: Breezes and monsoons. Whirlwinds (dust devils). Reading: Ch. 7, 168–176, 180.

04/11 Lecture 20. Local circulations (cont’d). Review of local circulation systems. Downslope winds: katabatic, chinook, and Santa Ana winds. Weather phenomena due to air–sea interaction: upwelling, El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Reading: Ch. 7, 176–179, 191–195.

04/16 Lecture 21. Global wind systems: General circulation of the atmosphere. Causes and consequences of atmospheric general circulation. Single-cell model. Three-cell model. Jet streams. Global precipitation patterns. Effects of the continents. Reading: Ch. 7, 181–188.

04/18 Lecture 22. Air masses. Source regions and classification of air masses. Air masses of North America. Special topic: Lake-effect snow. Reading: Ch. 8, 202–211.

04/23 Lecture 23. Fronts. Types of fronts. Stationary, warm, cold, occluded fronts, and the associated weather. Reading: Ch. 8, 212–219.

04/25 Lecture 24. Middle latitude cyclones. Polar front theory. Formation and development of mid-latitude cyclones. Mid-latitude cyclones and polar jet stream. Reading: Ch. 8, 219–227.

04/30 Lecture 25. Thunderstorms. Stages of an ordinary thunderstorm. Severe thunderstorms. Electrification of clouds and lightning. Lightning safety. Reading: Ch. 10, 257–262, 271–275.

05/02 Lecture 26. Tornados. Tornado characteristics. Formation of supercell tornados.Tornado safety. Reading: Ch. 10, 276–289.

05/07 Lecture 27. Hurricanes. Stages of hurricane development. Structure of a hurricane. Hurricane formation. Destruction caused by hurricanes. Reading: Ch. 11.

05/09 Lecture 28. Q&A session.

05/17 Thursday, 10:00–12:00, CRT175: Final exam. Causes of wind. Local and global circulations. Air masses and fronts. Mid-latitude cyclones. Thunderstorms, tornados and hurricanes.

* You must pass the lab (with a score of at least 60%) in order to pass the course