AND SEVERE UNUSUAL WEATHER Atmospheric Science 10 (3 units) Fall 2004, MW 11:00-11:50, Veihmeyer 212 G.E. Credit: Science and Engineering; Writing
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Richard Grotjahn, 231 Hoagland Hall Phone: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail] Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC-Davis Office hours: by appointment
TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Jessica Dyke contact: [e-mail] office hrs: office hrs: Phil Weir: contact: [e-mail] ( Muhtarjan Osman: contact: [e-mail] office hrs: N/A ) Location for TA office hours: 124 Hoagland DISCUSSION SECTIONS: CRN63308 CRN63309 CRN63310 CRN63311 2:10-3:00 Thursday 3:10-4:00 Thursday 12:10-1:00 Friday 1:10-2:00 Friday 124 Hoagland 124 Hoagland 124 Hoagland 124 Hoagland
TEXTBOOK:
Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate and the Environment, C.D. Ahrens, Brooks/Cole, 2003, Seventh Edition To learn scientific methods and principles and apply those techniques to analyze and understand the physical processes underlying various types of severe or unusual weather.
COURSE GOALS:
GENERAL INFORMATION: PREREQUISITE High school physics. COURSE FORMAT Two lectures per week emphasizing concepts, relevant principles, and applications of interpretive techniques. One discussion hour per week for clarifying selected issues, for introducing complementary material, and for general discussion of the homework. EXAM FORMAT One mid-term exam and a final exam are scheduled for the dates shown on the syllabus. Exams are closed book. The exams are multiple choice, true/false, and short essay questions addressing identification of selected terms, concepts, or principles covered during the periods specified on the syllabus. No make-up midterm will be provided. Make-up final is not allowed except for verifiable emergency circumstances. HOMEWORK (HW) HW is due at the beginning of the lecture on the announced date which is often one week after it is assigned. These dates are indicated on the syllabus. Timing of assignments and due dates if affected by holidays. HW assignments consist of problem solving and a minimum of one page of type written (double-spaced) response. HW is collected at the lecture, or it can be left in the envelope designated for ATM 10 homework attached to the office door at 231 ( Hoagland Hall. However, the security of this envelope is not monitored and proof of HW submission is the student's responsibility. Do not submit homework by e-mail. All HW must be your personal and individual work and completed in your own words. Written work must be clearly and concisely presented in a typewritten form, using appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation. Word processor software use is encouraged for all text on assignments. Some drawings may be done by hand. Use appropriate citations (author, date, title, and journal title, volume and page numbers) when referring to published work. No credit is to given any student whose homework is virtually identical to the work of another student. LATE HOMEWORK POLICY No credit is given for HW submitted after the specified due date and time. COURSE GRADE - The mid-term exam contributes 30% of the course grade, and the final exam contributes 40% of the course grade. Homework contributes 30% of the course grade. The point values for graded work are adjusted on the basis of the assigned percentage weightings. The letter grade for the course is determined by the class distribution of the total accumulated weighted points relative to the total possible weighted points. Assignment of letter grades is guided by the constraint that 87% cannot be lower than an A-, 77% cannot be lower than a B-, 67% cannot be lower than a C-, and 57% cannot be lower than a D-. COURSE WEB PAGE The course web page for ATM 10 can be accessed via the my.ucdavis course site, from the TRC server, from the instructors homepage, or at http://atm.ucdavis.edu/~grotjahn/course/atm10/index.html (presently under construction) Final Examination 1:30 a.m. 3:30 a.m. Saturday, December 18, 2004
University of California, Davis
Fall 2004
Atmospheric Science 10 SEVERE AND UNUSUAL WEATHER
Topic Sept. Oct 30 1 4 6 7-8 11 13 14-15 18 20 21-22 25 27 28-29 Nov 1 3 4-5 8 10 11-12 15 17 18-19 22 24 25-26 29 Dec 1 2-3 6 8 9-10 18 Discussion 1- Course administration Course intro, atm: composition & structure (L1) Units, P & , Energy, T, ideal gas (L2) Discussion 2 Moisture and cloud types (L3) Stability and lapse rate (L4) Discussion 3 Cloud Development and odd clouds (L5) Scattering, Refraction, & Optical phenomena (L6) Discussion 4 Air Pressure, Forces, hydrostatic balance (L7) Coriolis, geostrophic gradient & su...