Meteorology Courses

Introduction to Weather and Climate (3 cr) Offered Fall and Spring Semesters Structure, physics, dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere; weather phenomena weather forecasting, climate and climate change. Contemporary topics covered in this class include global warming, the ozone hole, hurricanes and El Nino. Not for major or minor.

Survey of Modern Meteorology (3 cr) Offered Fall Semester Dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere as they relate to contemporary issues in meteorology. Overview of numerical weather prediction techniques and new technologies for monitoring weather and climate. Prerequisite : MTH 108 Open to majors or minors with permission of instructor.

Current Weather and Climate  Topics (2 cr for met majors/1 cr for non-met majors) Offered Spring Semester Guest lectures on weather and climate-related phenomena such as hurricanes, severe storms, and global warming

Global Climate Change (3cr) Offered Spring Semester, Fall occasionally,  The Earth’s climate and the role of natural and anthropogenic processes in shaping climate change. Prerequisite, ATM 103, GSC 110 or GEG 120.

Weather Forecasting (3 cr) Offered Fall Semester Application of physical principles to weather forecasting; use and interpretation of computer-generated forecast guidance products of the U.S. Weather Service. Prerequisite: ATM 103; MTH 108

Meteorological Instrumentation (3 cr) Offered Spring Semester Techniques for measuring meteorological variables at the ground and in the free atmosphere. Prerequisite: ATM 103: PHY 101 or 205

Atmospheric Thermodynamics (3 cr) Offered Fall Semester Equation of state; water vapor and moist air thermodynamics; phase changes and latent heat; buoyancy and atmospheric convection; thermodynamic diagrams. Prerequisite: ATM 103; PHY 205; Corequisite MTH 310

Advanced Principles in Broadcast Meteorology (3 cr) Offered Spring Semester Broadcast meteorology including the production of professional weather briefings and weather news for on camera delivery. Emphasis on accurately communicating complex meteorological concepts, use of computer graphics, and on-camera delivery.

Introduction to the physics of climate (3 cr) Offered Every Other Spring Semester The physical mechanisms which govern the earth’s climate and climate variability. Prerequisite: ATM 305

Scientific Programming in the Atmospheric Sciences (3 cr) Offered Every Other Spring Semester An introduction to scientific programming in a Linux environment using the FORTRAN 90/95 language with specific applications to meteorology. Prerequisite ATM 103, CSC 120, MTH 162 and MTH 210 or permission of instructor

Readings in Atmospheric Science (1-2 cr) Offered Fall and Spring Semesters Library research with faculty supervision; bibliography to be submitted in preparation for laboratory and/or field research project.

Atmospheric Dynamics I (3 cr) Offered Spring Semester Derivation and scaling of the equations of atmospheric motion; hydrostatic and geostrophic balance; circulation and vorticity. Prerequisite: ATM 305.

Atmospheric Dynamics II (3 cr) Offered Fall Semester Baroclinic and barotropic instability; boundary layer dynamics; mathematical principles of numerical weather prediction; maintenance of the general circulation. Prerequisite: ATM 405.

Weather Analysis (3 cr) Offered Fall Semester Three-dimensional analysis of synoptic-scale weather systems; application of the fundamental laws of atmospheric dynamics to observed weather patterns; practical questions of worldwide data exchange and display. Prerequisite: ATM 305, ATM405.

Physical Meteorology (3 cr) Offered Spring Semester Cloud microphysics: nucleation, condensation growth, coalescence, ice crystal growth, rain production, and Atmospheric radiation: solar and infrared radiative transfer. Prerequisite: ATM 305

Projects in Atmospheric Science (1-3 cr) Offered Fall and Spring Semesters Individual, independent research with faculty supervision. A formal written report is required. Prerequisite: MSC 371, and permission of the coordinator during the semester preceding registration.

Physical Oceanography (3 cr) Offered fall semesters Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Applied Data Analysis (3 cr) Offered spring semesters Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Broadcast Meteorology (3 cr) Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Tropical Meteorology (3 cr) Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Convective and Mesoscale Meteorology (3 cr) Offered alternate spring semesters Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Global Climate Change (3 cr) Offered Fall Semester Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.