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BSc Physics with Theoretical Physics / Course details

Year of entry: 2021

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Course unit details:
Meteorology & Atmospheric Physics P511

Unit code	EART30351
Credit rating	10
Unit level	Level 6
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Offered by	Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Available as a free choice unit?	Yes

Overview

The unit will :

1. Show how the temperature profile of the atmosphere determines where convection forms, and the fundamental importance of moisture in this process

2. Explain how winds are related to pressure patterns in the atmosphere, and how vertical motion patterns determine where cyclones and anticyclones form

3. Provide background knowledge for understanding the processes affecting global climate change

4. Explain the formation, propagation and dissipation of weather systems

5. Explain the role of atmospheric aerosol and cloud microphysical processes in severe storm characteristics.

This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact. Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.

Pre/co-requisites

Pre-requisite: Completion of first year Physics or equivalent

Aims

This unit introduces students to the physics of the atmosphere, starting from basic dynamics and thermodynamics. We show how simple physical concepts can explain the weather we see around us – the formation of convective clouds and rain, the development of weather systems and the nature and role of fronts. The abundant weather resources on-line are used to illustrate how the concepts described in lectures influence the weather on the day, giving students the ability should they wish to prepare their own weather forecasts.

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Use on-line weather resources to interpret the weather on any day, and make simple weather predictions

Explain the factors that determine whether the atmosphere is convectively unstable

Analyse the forces acting in the atmosphere and derive the patterns of motion that result from these

Relate atmospheric motions to weather patterns and the weather we experience

Explain mechanisms of cloud formation with respect to the small scale dynamics and micro-scale processes occurring within them.

Compare mechanisms of precipitation formation and discuss the observational evidence for each; derive theoretical relationships to aid the discussion

Syllabus

1. Atmospheric Thermodynamics (4 lectures)

Potential temperature, Brunt-Vaisala frequency, convective instability, moisture in the atmosphere

2. Basic Atmospheric Dynamics (4 lectures)

Meteorological charts, introduction to synoptic scale.

Coriolis force and geostrophic balance

Thermal wind balance, pressure coordinates

3. Vorticity in the atmosphere (2 lectures)

Parcel stretching and rotation. The vorticity equation. (Rossby) Potential Vorticity

Convergence, divergence and vertical motion

4. Clouds and their properties (2 lectures)

Cloud types, microstructure, adiabatic liquid water content, and particle size distributions, Latham's geoengineering scheme.

5. Physics of cloud formation and growth of cloud particles (4 lectures)

CCN, growth of drops, ice nuclei, ice crystal growth, ice crystal habit.

6. Supersaturation in clouds (2 lectures)

Supersaturation; quasi-steady state supersaturation in liquid only and ice only clouds; mixed-phase clouds

7. Growth of cloud and precipitation particles (2 lectures)

Collision and coalescence, riming, aggregation.

Teaching and learning methods

The course is delivered through 20 lectures. Formative assessment is provided at regular intervals through 4 example sheets. Course materials, model answers to the assessments, web links and on-line text books are provided through Blackboard.

Assessment methods

Method	Weight
Other	20%
Report	20%
Set exercise	60%

Feedback methods

Assessment type	% Weighting within unit	Hand out and hand in dates	Length	How, when and what feedback is provided	ILO tested
Open book assessment	60	January exam period		Feedback is provided on the formative assessment sheets.	3-6
Online test - Blackboard test	20	Week 12		Provided through test	2-6
Individual report - Analysis of day’s weather	20	Hand in date during Jan exam period		Paper-based assignment, feedback provided individually	1,4

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	20

Independent study hours
Independent study	80

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Geraint Vaughan	Unit coordinator

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