Welcome to the GEOS 170, Atmospheric Science, webpage for the Spring 2021 semester.
Spring 2021 Lectures on Zoom: MWF, 12:00 - 12:50 PM.
Required book: Meteorology Today 13th edition by C. Donald Ahrens and Robert Henson.
Mon. 25 Jan., Weather discussion and Review syllabus.
Weds., 27 Jan., Billion dollar weather and climate disasters and Begin Chapter 1.
Fri., 29 Jan., Hydrologic cycle and composition of the atmosphere including greenhouse gases.
Mon., 1 Feb., Composition and average vertical structure of the atmosphere.
Weds., 3 Feb., Homework #1 due. Weather technologies, esp. radars and satellites.
Fri., 5 Feb., Quiz #1. Begin Chapter 2: Energy, First law, temperature, heat capacity.
Mon., 8 Feb., Phase change and latent heats. Conduction and convection.
Weds., 10 Feb., Homework #2 due. Continue conduction, convective, and advection.
Fri., 12 Feb., Quiz #2. EM-radiation, blackbodies, greenhouse gases, atmospheric windows.
Mon., 15 Feb., Calculating density; then greenhouse effect and global energy budget.
Weds., 17 Feb., Begin Chapter 3: Seasons and diurnal temperature cycles
Fri., 19 Feb., Quiz #3. Cold pools and thermal belts. Then Begin Chapter 4: atmospheric humidity
Mon., 22 Feb., Saturation vapor pressure and relative humidity.
Weds., 24 Feb., Dew point, sling psychrometers, wet and dry bulb.
Fri., 26 Feb., Quiz #4. Lecture cancelled due to illness.
Sun., 28 Feb., Special assignment #1 due at midnight.
Mon., 1 Mar., Mid-term exam #1 on Chapters 1 - 4.
Weds., 3 Mar., Begin Chapter 5: Condensation. Dew, frost, droplets, condensation nuclei
Fri., 5 Mar., Types of Fog: radiation, advection, upslope, and mixing
Mon., 8 Mar., Quiz #5 on dew, frost, and fog. Begin section 5.6: Clouds
Weds., 10 Mar., Complete Chapter 5 on clouds.
Fri., 12 Mar., Quiz #5b on clouds. Reading: Clouds in a Glass of Beer.
Mon., 15 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Weds., 17 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Fri., 19 Mar., Spring break. No classes.
Mon., 22 Mar., Begin Chapter 6: Stability and cloud development.
Weds., 24 Mar., How to evaluate stability. Absolutely stable atmospheres.
Fri., 26 Mar., Stabilization, unstable atmospheres, conditionally unstable atmospheres.
Sun., 28 Mar., Chapter 6 homework due at midnight.
Mon., 29 Mar., Quiz on Chapter 6. Neutrality, cloud development, controls on convection.
Weds., 31 Mar., Holiday: Cesar Chavez Day. No classes.
Fri., 2 Apr., Complete Ch. 6 (cloud streets, waves, and billows) and begin Chapter 7: Precipitation.
Mon., 5 Apr., Curvature and solute effects, surface area to weight ratio, collision and coalescence.
Weds., 7 Apr., Ice-crystal (Bergeron) process, human influences on clouds, and types of precipitation.
Fri., 9 Apr., Complete Chapter 7 and Begin Chapter 8 on Air Pressure and Wind.
Mon., 12 Apr., Quiz on Chapter 7. Pressure, ideal gas law, tale of two cities, constant P surfaces.
Weds., 14 Apr., Pressure gradients and PGF, hydrostatic balance. Newton's first and second laws.
Fri., 16 Apr., Quiz on Ch. 8. Complete Chapter 8: Geostrophic winds and winds in the PBL.
Mon., 19 Apr., Exam #2 on Chapters 5 - 8.
Weds., 21 Apr., Begin Chapter 9. Small scale wind. Scales of motion. Begin molecular viscosity.
Fri., 23 Apr., Molecular and eddy viscosity, momentum flux, planetary or atmospheric boundary layer.
Mon., 26 Apr., KHI, CAT, aeolian processes, flow over water, wind generated waves in water.
Weds., 28 Apr., thermal highs/lows, land/sea and mountain/valley breezes, katabatic/anabatic flows.
Fri., 30 Apr., Complete Chapter 9: wind blown dust, dust bowl, haboobs, gust fronts.
Mon., 3 May, Quiz on Ch. 9. Begin Ch. 10: Global atmospheric circulation. 3-cell model.
Weds., 5 May, Semi-permanent high/lows and jet streams.
Fri., 7 May, Atmosphere-Ocean interactions: gyres, Ekman spiral, upwelling. Begin ENSO.
Mon., 10 May, Quiz on Ch. 10. Complete Chapter 10: ENSO. Then comparison of low, mid, and high latitudes.
Weds., 12 May, .
Fri., 14 May, Questions and answers on any material during the entire semester.
Weds., 19 May, Comprehensive final exam.
Dr. Mayor's page