GEOG
105/106: Introduction
to the Atmosphere.
Have you ever pondered
these questions?
- Why do some thunderstorms
produce tornadoes and others do not?
- Why do most hurricanes
form in summer and autumn?
- How come it is snowing
in Chicago, and raining and 600F in Carbondale?
- Why do fronts trigger
severe weather?
- Why are weather forecasts
so often wrong?
- Why is the sky blue?
- How are societies
impacted by climate ("changes in latitude, changes in attitude"
-Jimmy Buffet)?
- How will El Niño
impact winter temperatures in Chicago?
- Why do flowers bloom
in Chicago before they do in DeKalb?
- Why does it get cooler
as you hike up a Colorado mountain?
- Why does the wind
blow more from the west than any other direction in Illinois?
- Why should cows not
stand under a tree during a thunderstorm?
- Why does it rain when
surface temperatures are below 320F?
- Why does it get dark
earlier during the winter months?
Learn
the answers to these and other intriguing questions in GEOG 105/106. We will
explore various atmospheric concepts, examine interesting weather phenomena,
and identify how we can apply this information to decisions we face in our
daily activities.
What General Education Objectives are met in Geography 105/106?
Through analogies presented in lecture and laboratory it helps students develop
critical thinking skills. Introduces students to the scientific method as
a means of understanding issues such as global climate change and the ozone
hole. Integrates information from other related science fields such as geology,
biology, physics, and chemistry. Develops written and computational skills
through laboratory assignments, making use of computers and other instruments.
Provides a historical review of meteorology, giving perspective to how a science
develops and how science is shaped by societal and cultural needs.
Facts about Geography 105/106:
Course
Offered: Both spring and fall semesters: 4 credit hours (you must register
for both Geog 105 and Geog 106)
General Education: Fulfills a science/math distributive area requirement
and matches the following general education goals: develop communication
and technical skills, apply various modes of inquiry, and develop an understanding
of integrated knowledge, through a combination of lecture material, readings,
and laboratory assignments, and exams.
Course Goal: To provide non-meteorology majors with a basic understanding
of how the atmosphere works and impacts our lives and environment.
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GEOG
M410: Weather Dynamics I (4)
This course will introduce you to the fundamental equations that control the
motions of the atmosphere based on the conservation laws of momentum, mass
and energy. The basic equations will then be simplified to express relationships
among wind speed, pressure and temperature fields in isobaric coordinates.
Upon finishing this course, you are expected to know the origin and usefulness
of each basic equation, be able to apply the relationships among meteorological
variables to make quantitative calculations, explain the large-scale atmospheric
motion and understand the basics of numerical prediction.
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GEOG
M411: Weather Dynamics II (4)
Course Objectives: to familiarize you with the foundation and methodologies
of dynamics and be able to explain (1) atmospheric rotation based on circulation
theorem, (2) vorticity and lee side trough, (3) vorticity equation and the
use of it in short-term forecasting; (4) the use of geopotential tendency
equation or quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation in synoptic forecasting
and the use of w equation and distribution of Q vectors in estimating vertical
velocity; and (5) the influence of turbulence to the atmospheric boundary
layer evolution, and its effect to the transport of energy and water, and
to wind profiles.
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GEOG
M430: Micrometeorology (3)
Course Objectives: learn radiation and energy budget at the earth surface,
introduce the physical basis of boundary layer climates/energy and water vapor
transfer, and their effect to climates of various surfaces. Field observations
are conducted to measure net radiation, latent and sensible and ground heat
fluxes over various surfaces to further the understanding of surface energy
budget.
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GEOG
M485: Atmospheric Physics (3)
Course Objectives: This atmospheric physics course emphasizes on three major
topics: (1) atmospheric thermodynamics; (2) cloud development and precipitation;
and (3) radiative transfer and energy exchange within the earth-atmosphere
system. Upon finishing the course, you should be able to explain the atmospheric
thermodynamic processes and to quantify important atmospheric variables associated
with cloud and precipitation from given observation. Further, you should have
a physical and quantitative understanding on the importance of atmosphere
in regulating the global energy budget and dynamic factors that influence
the atmosphere.
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