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:
2007-08.)
(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. Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall
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.
Next offered: 2006-07.) (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: 2007-08.) (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. (Next offered: 2007-08.) (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. Next offered: 2007-08.) (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. Next offered: 2006-07.) (3 + 0)
Offered Alternate Fall
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. Next offered: 2006-07.)
(3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring
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. Next offered: 2006-07.) (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, parametrizations and evaluation of model results. Scale-dependency,
limitations of parametrizations 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. Next offered:
2006-07.) (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 Spring