Welcome to the ERTH 170, Atmospheric Science, public webpage for the Spring 2026 semester.
I will try to update this page every few days during the semester.

Thunderstorms over the midwest on 8 July 2025. Photo by Shane Mayor.

Spring 2026 Lectures: MWF, 1:00 - 1:50 PM.

Required book: Meteorology Today 13th edition by C. Donald Ahrens and Robert Henson.

Weds., 21 Jan., Course overview, expectations, and introduction to how solar energy drives weather and climate.
Fri., 23 Jan., Defined weather vs. climate and began Earth–Sun relationships and atmospheric structure.
Mon., 26 Jan., Global energy budget, atmospheric composition, greenhouse effect, lapse rate, and weather observations.
Weds., 28 Jan., CO₂ trends, combustion chemistry, sources and sinks, and stratospheric ozone science.
Fri., 30 Jan., Quiz #1. CO₂ trends and combustion chemistry, oxygen decline, and stratospheric ozone and the ozone hole.
Mon., 2 Feb., Finished atmospheric composition and particles, then began Chapter 2 on energy, units (SI), and forms of energy.
Weds., 4 Feb., Gravitational and kinetic energy, temperature scales, specific heat capacity, and mechanisms of energy transfer (conduction and convection).
Fri., 6 Feb., Quiz #2. Convection in the atmosphere (including cumulus clouds and boundary layers), sensible vs. latent heat, and phase changes.
Mon., 9 Feb., Phase changes of water, latent heat values, condensation and evaporation effects, and the air parcel concept (expansion cooling and compression warming).
Weds., 11 Feb., Convection vs. advection, wave–particle duality of radiation, blackbody radiation, and the Stefan–Boltzmann law.
Fri., 13 Feb., Quiz #3. Wien’s law, selective absorbers/emitters, Kirchhoff’s law, greenhouse gases (N₂O, CH₄, O₃, H₂O, CO₂), and the atmospheric window.
Mon., 16 Feb., Atmospheric windows, the greenhouse effect, albedo, Earth–atmosphere energy balance, and recent global temperature trends.
Weds., 18 Feb., Completed Chapter 2 review and began Chapter 3 on seasonal temperature variations, Earth–Sun geometry, and solstices/equinoxes.
Fri., 20 Feb., Quiz #4. Diurnal temperature cycle over land, surface energy balance, cold-air drainage at night, and application of the ideal gas law to density differences.
Mon., 23 Feb., Completed Chapter 3 with cold-air basins, thermal belts, frost protection methods, cloud effects on daily range, and began Chapter 4 on humidity.
Weds., 25 Feb., Began Chapter 4 with roles of water vapor, definitions of absolute/specific humidity and mixing ratio, relative humidity, and saturation concepts.
Fri., 27 Feb., Quiz #5. Conclusion of Chapter 4.
Mon., 2 Mar., Review for first mid-term exam.
Weds., 4 Mar., Mid-term Exam #1: Chapters 1 - 4.
Fri., 6 Mar., Long discussion about current weather, El Nino, then Begin Chapter 5: Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds. Today: Dew and frost.
Mon., 9 Mar.,
Weds., 11 Mar.,
Fri., 13 Mar., Quiz #6 on Chapter 5
Mon., 16 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Weds., 18 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Fri., 20 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Mon., 23 Mar.,
Weds., 25 Mar.,
Fri., 27 Mar.,
Mon., 30 Mar.,
Weds., 1 Apr.,
Fri., 3 Apr.,
Mon., 6 Apr.,
Weds., 8 Apr.,
Fri., 10 Apr.,
Mon., 13 Apr.,
Weds., 15 Apr.,
Fri., 17 Apr.,
Mon., 20 Apr.,
Weds., 22 Apr.,
Fri., 24 Apr.,
Mon., 27 Apr.,
Weds., 29 Apr.,
Fri., 1 May,
Mon., 4 May,
Weds., 6 May,
Fri., 8 May,
Weds., 11 May,

Dr. Mayor's page

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