Atmospheric Science
ATM 101X 4 Credits
Weather and Climate of Alaska
Focus on the Alaska atmosphere as an important part of our environment. Includes fundamental laws of physics and chemistry, the behavior of atmospheres on rotating planets, clouds, precipitation and weather systems. Includes societal impacts of weather worldwide and investigations into global climate change. (Prerequisite: High school level mathematics.) (3+3) Offered Spring
ATM 401 3 Credits
Introduction to Atmospheric Science
(Stacked with ATM 601 and CHEM 601)
Fundamentals of atmospheric science. Includes energy and mass conservation, internal energy and entropy, atmospheric water vapor, cloud microphysics, equations of motion, hydrostatics, phase oxidation, heterogeneous chemistry, the ozone layer, fundamentals of biogeochemical cycles, solar and terrestrial radiation and radiative-convective equilibrium. Also includes molecular, cloud and aerosol absorption and scattering. (Prerequisites: CHEM 105X, CHEM 106X, MATH 302 and PHYS 212X.) (3+0) Offered Fall
ATM 413 3 Credits
Atmospheric Radiation
(Stacked with ATM 613)
Atmospheric radiation including the fundamentals of blackbody radiation theory and radiative properties of atmospheric constituents. Discussion of gaseous absorption including line absorption, broadening effects and radiative transfer. Includes scattering, radiative properties of clouds and radiation climatology. (Prerequisite/co-requisite: ATM 401. Next offered: 2005--06.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Fall
ATM 445 3 Credits
Atmospheric Dynamics
(Stacked with ATM 645)
Examination of the fundamental forces and basic conservation laws that govern the motion of the atmosphere. Topics include momentum, continuity equations, circulation, vorticity, thermodynamics, the planetary boundary layer and synoptic scale motions in mid-latitudes. (Prerequisite/co-requisite: ATM 401.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 488 1-3 Credits
Undergraduate Research
Advanced research topics from outside the usual undergraduate requirements. (Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Recommendations: A substantial level of technical/scientific background.) Offered Fall, Spring
ATM 601 3 Credits
Introduction to Atmospheric Science
(Stacked with ATM 401 and cross-listed with CHEM 601)
Fundamentals of atmospheric science. Includes energy and mass conservation, internal energy and entropy, atmospheric water vapor, cloud microphysics, equations of motion, hydrostatics, phase oxidation, heterogeneous chemistry, the ozone layer, fundamentals of biogeochemical cycles, solar and terrestrial radiation, and radiative-convective equilibrium. Also includes molecular, cloud and aerosol absorption and scattering. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing.) (3+0) Offered Fall
ATM 606 3 Credits
Atmospheric Chemistry
(Stacked with CHEM 406 and cross-listed with CHEM 606)
Chemistry of the lower atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere) including photochemistry, kinetics, thermodynamics, box modeling, biogeochemical cycles, and measurement techniques for atmospheric pollutants. Study of important impacts to the atmosphere which result from anthropogenic emissions of pollutants, including acid rain, the "greenhouse" effect, urban smog and stratospheric ozone depletion. (Prerequisite/co-requisite: ATM 601 or permission of instructor.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 613 3 Credits
Atmospheric Radiation
(Stacked with ATM 413)
Atmospheric radiation including the fundamentals of blackbody radiation theory and radiative properties of atmospheric constituents. Discussion of gaseous absorption including line absorption, broadening effects and radiative transfer. Includes scattering, radiative properties of clouds, and radiation climatology. (Prerequisite/co-requisite: ATM 601 and graduate standing. Next offered: 2005--06.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Fall
ATM 615 3 Credits
Cloud Physics
Basic properties of condensed water vapor in the atmosphere. Formation and behavior of clouds including the nature of atmospheric aerosols, nucleation and growth of water droplets and ice crystals, the development of precipitation, nature of mixed-phase (water and ice) clouds, how transfer of radiation depends on the character of clouds, and how humans are modifying clouds and precipitation both intentionally and unintentionally. Field trips will collect data at the Arctic Facility for Atmospheric Remote Sensing. (Prerequisites: ATM 601 and graduate standing or permission of instructor.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 631 3 Credits
Environmental Fate and Transport
(Cross-listed with CHEM 631)
Examination of the physical properties that govern the behavior, fate and transport of contaminants released into the environment. Topics include air-water partitioning and exchange, organic solvent-water partitioning, diffusion, sorption, chemical and biological transformation reactions, and modeling concepts. (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 644 3 Credits
Synoptic Analysis and Forecasting
Weather systems and the techniques used to understand and predict their behavior. Topics include atmospheric observations, synoptic analysis techniques, satellite image interpretation, kinematics, fronts and frontogenesis, life cycles of extratropical cyclones, mesoscale phenomena, numerical weather prediction, and interpretation of forecast products. (Prerequisites: ATM 601 and 645.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 645 3 Credits
Atmospheric Dynamics
(Stacked with ATM 445)
Examination of the fundamental forces and basic conservation laws that govern the motion of the atmosphere. Topics include momentum, continuity equations, circulation, vorticity, thermodynamics, the planetary boundary layer and synoptic scale motions in mid-latitudes. (Prerequisite/co-requisite: ATM 601 and graduate standing.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 646 3 Credits
Atmospheric Dynamics II
Continuation of ATM 645. Includes geophysical fluid dynamics as applied to the atmosphere. Topics include linear perturbation theory, gravity waves, Rossby waves, numerical weather prediction, baroclinic instability, frontogenesis, general circulation, stratospheric and tropical dynamics. (Prerequisites: ATM 645 or permission of instructor.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Fall
ATM 656 3 Credits
Climate and Climate Change
The climate of planet Earth and its changes with time. Radiative fluxes, greenhouse effects, energy budget, hydrological cycle, the atmospheric composition and climatic zones. Physical and chemical reasons for climatic change. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing, calculus, physics or related course at 400-level, basic computer skills. Recommended: ATM 601, 401, and basic knowledge of Fortran and Unix/Linux.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Spring
ATM 662 3 Credits
Numerical Modeling and Parameterization Methods
Construction of models from fundamental equations and the necessity of parametrizations. Simplification and discretization of equations, numerical methods, model-grids, analytical modeling, boundary and initial conditions, parameterizations and evaluation of model results. Scale-dependency, limitations of parameterizations and coupled modeling are elucidated. Students apply and code aspects of models. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing, calculus, physics or related 400-level basic computer skills. Recommended: ATM 601 and basic knowledge in Fortran and Unix/Linux are advantageous.) (3+0) Offered Alternate Fall
ATM 688 1 Credit
Atmospheric Science Informal Seminar
Review of ongoing research in atmospheric science to learn about research results, ideas and direction long before they are published in journals. Presentations cover the broad range of atmospheric sciences and links to other disciplines as required to answer questions on global variability, climate change and assessment studies. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing in physical sciences or permission of instructor.) (1+0) Offered Fall, Spring