AOSC 200 - WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Lectures

There are two sessions of lectures for this course. Students will take only one of these sessions. The session assignment is by discussion section (see below):

Session 1 from 12.30 pm – 1.45 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in CSS 2324

Session 2 from 2.00 pm – 3.15 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in CSS 2324

Discussion Sections

For Session 1:

0101 Wednesday 1.00 pm to 1.50 pm in CSS 1113

0102 Wednesday 2.00 pm to 2.50 pm in CSS 2428

0103 Wednesday 3.00 pm to 3.50 pm in CSS 2428

0104 Wednesday 1.00 pm to 1.50 pm in CSS 2416

For Session 2

0201 Wednesday 2.00 pm to 2.50 pm in CSS 1113

0202 Wednesday 3.00 pm to 3.50 pm inCSS 1113

0203 Monday 1.00 pm to 1.50 pm in CSS 2416

0204 Monday 2.00 pm to 2.50 pm in CSS 2416

Instructor

Professor Robert D. Hudson, Room 3421,

Computer and Space Sciences Building.

Phone 301-405-5394

E-mail hudson@atmos.umd.edu

Website http:/www.atmos.umd.edu/~hudson/aosc200.d/

Teaching Assistants

0102, 0103 Daniel Goldberg, dgoldb@atmos.umd.edu

0104, 0202 Austin Hope, ahope@atmos.umd.edu

0101, 0201 Argie Kavada, argyrok@atmos.umd.edu

0203, 0204 William Miller, wmiller@atmos.umd.edu

Required Textbook:

Meteorology – Und,rstanding the Atmosphere, Steven A. Ackerman and John A. Knox.

Published by Thomson Brooks/Cole, ISBN 0-534-37199-X

Course Description:

The influence of weather and climate affect our daily activities, our leisure hours, transportation, commerce, agriculture, and nearly every aspect of our lives. In this class we will address fundamental issues such as the greenhouse effect, severe weather, global temperature patterns and air pollution. In particular we will address how these factors could be modified as a result of climate change. Instruction in the lectures will provide the basic knowledge needed to address these issues. In the discussion sections students will be divided into groups to address the implications of the issues on their daily and future lives.

Course Goals:

(1) For the students to take away an understanding of the fundamental basis of weather and climate change.

(2) For the students to learn how scientists formulate questions (why does this atmospheric process happen?) and address these questions with reasoning, evidence, and debate.

(3) To give the students an appreciation of the impact of weather and climate change on their daily and future lives.

Grading

The course will be graded on the basis of a mid-term exam, a final exam, two or three projects and about 6 quizzes during the lecture sessions The final grade will be assessed as follows: -

Quizzes 16%

Questions 4%

Projects 25%

Mid-term exam 25%

Final Exam 30%

The mid-term exam will be based on the lectures presented up to and including the Thursday before the exam. Two thirds of the final exam will be based on the lectures given after the mid-term exam. The final third will be cumulative. The quizzes will be on specific chapters in the text book. A series of short questions will be given randomly during the course.

In the discussion sections students will be divided into groups to address the implications of weather and climate issues on their daily and future lives. For the project assignments each discussion session will be divided into groups of five students. The final output for each project will be the preparation of a presentation and /or a power-point poster. The grade will be based on both the quality of the presentation and the participation of each student within the group. Schedules for the projects will be posted on the course web page.

CORE

AOSC 200 is a CORE Distributive Studies Mathematics and the Sciences, Physical Sciences non-laboratory course. When taken together with AOSC 201, the combination of AOSC 200 and AOSC 201 are a CORE Distributive Studies, Mathematics and the Sciences Physical Sciences laboratory course.

PLEASE NOTE - Students under the CORE Program requirements must take both AOSC 200 and AOSC 201 during the same semester in order to receive the CORE lab-science credit.

Weather Forecasting

A web site has been prepared which takes the student through the process of making a simple weather forecast. This site can either be accessed through Prof. Hudson’s web site or at:

http://www.atmos.umd.edu/~hudson/forecastchecklist.htm

In the last fifteen minutes of either Tuesday or Thursday class the instructor will work with the students to make a weather forecast for the coming weekend, using the above website.

Academic Accommodations:

If you have a documented disability, you should contact Disability Support Services 0126 Shoemaker Hall. Each semester students with documented disabilities should apply to DSS for accommodation request forms which you can provide to your professors as proof of your eligibility for accommodations. The rules for eligibility and the types of accommodations a student may request can be reviewed on the DSS web site at http://www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS/receiving_serv.html.

Attendance

Regular attendance and participation in this class is the best way to grasp the concepts and principles being discussed. However, in the event that a class must be missed due to an illness, the policy is as follows:

(1) For every medically necessary absence from class or discussion section a reasonable effort should be made to notify the instructor in advance of the class/discussion section. If the absence is more than one day, then documentation from a health professional is required.

(2) If the student is absent on days when tests are scheduled, then documentation from a health professional is requires.

Religious Observances:

The University System of Maryland policy provides that students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs, students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious observances. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in advance. Notice should be provided as soon as possible but no later that the end of the schedule adjustment period. Prior notification is especially important in connection with final exams, since failure to reschedule a final exam before the conclusion of the final examination period may result in loss of credits during the semester.

Academic Integrity:

The University of Maryland has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html

The University of Maryland is one of a small number of universities with a student-administered Honors Code and an Honors Pledge, available on the web at http://www.jpo.umd.edu/aca/honorpledge.html. The code prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. The University Senate encourages instructors to ask students to write the following signed statement on each examination or assignment: “I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment).”

Schedule

The schedule below gives the class syllabus, the dates of the exams, and the chapter of the text which contains the material to be covered in the class. You can also find this schedule on Prof. Hudson’s web page. The slides used in the lectures are available in Microsoft power point format on Prof. Hudson’s web page (AOSC200 LECTURES). Many students have found it useful to print out each lecture in the power point handout mode (6 slides per page) before coming to the class. It makes note taking a lot easier. Please note the LECTURES web site is password protected. You will be given the user name and password during the first lecture.

		AOSC 200 SYLLABUS
DATE	LESSON #	SUBJECT	READING
		The Composition of the Atmosphere
Jan 24	1	Introduction to the Atmosphere. . Introduction to weather maps	Chapt 1
Jan 29	2	Atmospheric pressure and structure. How did the Earth's atmosphere	Chap 1
		evolve? Hydrologic and carbon global cycles
		Why does the earth have seasons? What is the greenhouse
		effect?
Jan 31	3	The Energy Cycle. Force, work and heat. Transfer of energy.	Chap 2
Feb 5	4	Where is the energy from the sun absorbed on the Earth?	Chap 2
		Why does the Earth have seasons? What is the greenhouse effect?
		What controls the annual and daily temperature cycles.
Feb 7	5	Controls of annual and daily temperature cycles at the Earth's surface.	Chap 3
Feb 12	6	Diurnal temperature cycle. Effect of volcanic eruptions.	Chap 3
		Adiabatic expansion. Wind-chill factor.
		Why does it rain and snow?
Feb 14	7	Cloud formation and development.	Chap 4
Feb 19	8	Formation of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain fn the atmosphere?	Chap 4
		How do we observe the atmosphere?
Feb 21	9	Observing the atmosphere? Ground based and satellite measurements.	Chap 5
		How are winds formed in the atmosphere?
Feb 26	10	Newton's second law of motion. Coriolis Force	Chap 6
Feb 28	11	Geostrophic balance. Flow around low and high pressure systems	Chap 6
		Formation of weather systems. Local winds - sea breeze.
		What causes the trade winds (easterlies) and Jet Streams?
Mar 5	12	Global scale winds.	Chap 7
Mar 7		MIDTERM EXAM
Mar 12	13	What causes Jet Streams? How do they influence the transfer of heat from equator to pole?	Chap 7
Mar 14	14	Influence of ocean/atmosphere interactions on the weather and	Chap 8
		.limate. Ei Nino and La Nina
Mar 17	Mar 24	SPRING BREAK
		How and where do hurricanes form?
Mar 26	15	How are hurricanes formed? Why do hurricanes cause such damage?	Chap 8
		Air Masses and Fronts - heat waves and Alberta clippers
Mar 28	16	Heat waves and Alberta clippers.	Chap 9
Apr 2	17	Low pressure and high pressure systems. Weather patterns	Chap 10
		Severe Weather
Apr 4	18	Thunderstorms.	Chap 11
Apr 9	19	Tornados	Chap11
Apr 11	20	Small scale winds. Santa Ana winds. Microburst. Chinook winds	Chap 12
		How do meteorologists forecast the weather?
Apr 16	21	Forecasting the weather.	Chapt13
		Climate and climate change
Apr 18	22	Present Climates. Climate zones over the Earth.	Chap 14
		What controls our current climate?
Apr 23	23	Past Climates. How do we detect climate change?	Chap 14
		Natural causes of climate change
Apr 25	24	The Changing Climate. Simple Greenhouse model.	Chap 15
		Feedback mechanisms
		Air Pollution
Apr 30	25	What are the causes of air pollution and acid rain	Chap 15
May 2	26	Relationship between weather and air pollution
May 7	27	Following a typical ozone episode in Maryland
May 9		STUDY DAY
May 15		FIINAL EXAM SESSION 2 10.30am – 12.30pm
May 16		FINAL EXAM SESSION 1 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm