ENGR 4131/6131 Introductory Atmospheric Physics

Professor: David Emory Stooksbury

Texts:

• Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics (Salby)
• Atmospheric Thermodynamics (Bohren & Albrecht)
• A Climate Modelling (Australian spelling) Primer 2^nd ed. (Mc Guffie & Henderson-Sellers)
• The Essential Tension: Selected Studies in Scientific Tradition & Change (Kuhn)

References: None

Topic Outline

Week 1: August 13-17 Introduction: A Global View

• Salby Chapter 1
• Description of Atmospheric Behavior
• Mechanisms Influencing Atmospheric Behavior

Week 2: August 20-24 Introduction: A Global View and Atmospheric Radiation

• Salby Chapter 1
• Composition and Structure of the Atmosphere
• Radiative Equilibrium of the Planet
• Global Energy Budget
• The General Circulation
• Salby Chapter 8
• Shortwave and Longwave Radiation
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby - None this Week
• Tuesday Discussion: Kuhn Chapter 3: Mathematical Versus Experimental Traditions in the Development of Science

Week 3: August 27-31 Atmospheric Radiation

• Salby Chapter 8
• Description of Radiative Transfer
• Absorption Characteristics of Gases
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 1 problems 1 through 18
• Tuesday Discussion: Kuhn Chapter 5: The History of Science

Week 4: September 3-7 Atmospheric Radiation

• Salby Chapter 8
• Radiative Transfer in a Plane Parallel Atmosphere
• Thermal Equilibrium
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 8 problems 1-10
• Tuesday Discussion: Kuhn Chapter 7: Historical Structure of Scientific Discovery

Week 5: September 10-14 Atmospheric Radiation

• Salby Chapter 8
• Thermal Relaxation
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 8 problems 11-28
• Tuesday Discussion: Kuhn Chapter 12: Second Thoughts on Paradigms

Week 6: September 17-21 Energy Transfer

• Bohren and Albrecht: Chapter 7
• Energy Transfer
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 8 problems 29-34
• Tuesday Discussion: Kuhn Chapter 13: Objectivity, Value Judgement, and Theory Choice

Week 7: September 24-28 Momentum Transfer

• Bohren and Albrecht: Chapter 7
• Momentum Transfer
• EXAM I on Tuesday 25 September. Exam I will cover chapters 1 & 8 from Salby and chapters3, 5, 7, 12, and 13 from Kuhn.
• Tuesday Problem Set: None this Week
• Tuesday Discussion: None this week

Week 8: October 1-5 Mass Transfer

• Bohren and Albrecht: Chapter 7
• Relationship of Entropy to Potential Temperature
• Tuesday Problem Set: Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 7 problems 1-8
• Tuesday Laboratory: McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapter 1: Climate (and Climate Models)

Week 9: October 8-12 Aerosol and Clouds

• Midpoint of the Semester is 9 October. Last Day to W from a course.
• Salby Chapter 9
• Morphology and Atmospheric Aerosol
• Microphysics of Clouds
• Tuesday Problem Set: Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 7 problems 9-13
• Tuesday Laboratory: McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapter 2: A History and Introduction to Climate Models

Week 10: October 15-19 Aerosol and Clouds

• Salby Chapter 9
• Macroscopic Characteristics of Clouds
• Radiative Transfer in Aerosol and Cloud
• EXAM II on Tuesday 16 October. Exam II will cover Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 7 and McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapters 1 & 2.
• Tuesday Problem Set: None this Week
• Tuesday Laboratory: None this Week

Week 11: October 22-26 Aerosol and Clouds

• Salby Chapter 9
• Radiative Transfer in Aerosol and Cloud Continued
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 9 problems 1-15
• Tuesday Laboratory: McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapter 3: Energy Balance Models
• Thursday-Friday: Fall Break

Week 12: October 29 - November 2 Aerosol and Clouds

• Salby Chapter 9
• Roles of Clouds and Aerosols in Climate
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 9 problems 16-36
• Tuesday Laboratory: McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapter 4: Computationally Efficient Models

Week 13: November 5-9 Moist Air and Clouds

• Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6
• Pricipitable Water in the Atmosphere
• Lapse Rate of Dew Point: Level of Cloud Formation
• Tuesday Problem Set: Salby Chapter 9 problems 37-47
• Tuesday Laboratory: McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapter 5: General Circulation Climate Models

Week 14: November 12-16 Moist Air and Clouds

• Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6
• Density of Moist Air: Virtual Temperature
• Wet-Bulb Temperature
• Lapse Rate for Isentropic Ascent of a Saturated Parcel
• EXAM III on Tuesday 13 November. Exam III covers Salby Chapter 9 and McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapters 3, 4, & 5.
• Tuesday Problem Set: None this Week
• Tuesday Laboratory: None this Week

Week 15: November 19-23 Moist Air and Clouds

• Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6
• Stability and Cloud Formation
• Tuesday Problem Set: Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6 problems 1-10
• Tuesday Laboratory: McGuffie & Henderson-Sellers Chapter 6: Evaluation and Exploitation of Climate Models
• Wednesday-Friday: Thanksgiving Break

Week 16: November 26-30 Moist Air and Clouds and Atmospheric Electricity

• Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6
• Mixing Clouds
• Cloud Formation on Ascent and Descent
• Handout from Fleagle and Businger
• Elementary Principles of Electricity
• Origin and Distribution of Ions
• Tuesday Problem Set: Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6 problems 11-20
• Tuesday Laboratory: Review of Thermodynamic Diagrams

Week 17: December 3-7 Atmospheric Electricity and Optics

• Handout from Fleagle and Businger
• Conductivity
• Charge Generation and Separation in Clouds
• The Lightening Discharge
• The Mean Electric Field of the Atmosphere
• Atmospheric Optics
• Tuesday Problem Set: Bohren and Albrecht Chapter 6 problems 21-26
• Tuesday: Student Presentations
• Friday: University Reading Day

Method of Grading

3 exams 30 %

Homework 25 % (Graduate Students 15 %)

Labs/Discussion 15 %

Final Exam 30 %

Graduate Paper 10 %

Undergraduates may choose the graduate grading scale by preparing a 9-11 page paper on an atmospheric physics topic with proper references.

Graduate Students are to write a 10-15 page paper on an atmospheric physics topic with proper references. Graduate students will have additional problems on exams that require a deeper understanding of the material and/or more advanced mathematical techniques.

Revision

19 July 2001

Additional Information

Homework

Homework is due at the beginning of class on Thursday. It is important that you follow the required format. The required format is

1. State the problem.
2. State the known information.
3. State the assumed information
4. State the unknown information
5. Solve the problem carrying all units through each step
6. Due a units check
7. Due a magnitude check

Discussion Write-ups

Two page typed (10 or 12 point with one inch margins) discussion write-ups are due at the beginning of Tuesday âs lecture. Each write-up should include a summary of Kuhn's main points and your thoughts on his points.

Laboratory Reports

Laboratory reports are due one week after completion of a laboratory. Each report is limited to 3 pages typed (10 or 12 point with one inch margins). The report should include:

1. Abstract
2. Background
3. Methodology
4. Results
5. Discussion

Presentation

Graduate Students will give a power point presentation appropriate for a college educated (non-science) audience about the topic covered in their paper. This presentation will be given the last week of classes.