Valley fog image obtained from the SSEC gopher.
A short Course in Cloud Physics - 3rd Ed.
Rogers and Yau
The standard class format where the professor talks and students copy board materials and jot down key items is known to be a poor environment for learning. It is much better if the student is actively involved in the learning process so you will be asked to be involved during class period.
Every person in the group who contributes to the solution will get the same score. Only one solution is to be submitted from the group. Persons not contributing will receive no credit. Problem sets are due two periods after they are assigned at the beginning of class. The lowest two problem set scores will be thrown out.
2 hour exams 40%
problem sets 20%
final exam 40%
_______
100%
Letter grades for each test are "counted" rather than a total point accumulation.
Meteorology 341 - Atmospheric Physics I
Aug. 21 Review of Basic Concepts and Systems of Units Systems Properties Composition and State of a System Equilibrium Temperature. Temperature Scales Systems of Units Aug. 23 Work of Expansion Modifications and Processes. Reversibility State Variables and State Functions. Equation of State Equation of State for Gases Aug. 25 Mixture of Ideal Gases Atmospheric Air Composition Aug. 28 The First Principle of Thermodynamics Internal Energy Heat Aug. 30 The First Principle. Enthalpy Expressions of Q. Heat Capacities Sept. 1 Calculation of Internal Energy and Enthalpy Sept. 4 NO CLASS Sept. 6 Latent Heats of Pure Substances. Kirchoff's Equation Adiabatic Processes in Ideal Gases. Potential Temperature Sept. 8 The Second Principle of Thermodynamics The Entropy Sept. 11 Formulations of the Second Principle Joint Mathematical Expressions of the First and Second Principles. Thermodynamic Potentials Sept. 13 Equilibrium Conditions and the Sense of Natural Processes Sept. 15 Calculation of Entropy Thermodynamic Equations of State. Calculation of Internal Energy and Enthalpy Sept. 18 Thermodynamic Functions of Ideal Gases Sept. 20 Water-Air Systems Heterogeneous Systems Sept. 22 Fundamental Equations for Open Systems Equations for the Heterogeneous System. Internal Equilibrium Number of Independent Variables Sept. 25 1st HOUR EXAM Sept. 27 Phase-Transition Equilibria for Water Thermodynamic Surface for Water Substance Clausius-Clapeyron Equation Sept. 29 Water Vapor and Moist Air Humidity Variables Oct. 2 Heat Capacities of Moist Air Moist Air Adiabats Oct. 4 Enthalpy, Internal Energy and Entropy of Moist Air and of a cloud Oct. 6 Aerological Diagrams, catch-up Oct. 9 Continued Oct. 11 Thermodynamic Processes in the Atmosphere Isobaric Cooling. Dew and Frost Points Condensation in the Atmosphere by Isobaric Cooling Oct. 13 Adiabatic Isobaric (Isenthalpic) Processes. Equivalent and Wet- Bulb Temperatures Oct. 16 Adiabatic Isobaric Mixing (Horizontal Mixing) Without Condensation Adiabatic Isobaric Mixing with Condensation Adiabatic Expansion in the Atmosphere Oct. 18 Saturation of Air by Adiabatic Ascent Reversible Saturated Adiabatic Process Oct. 20 Pseudo- or Adiabatic Equivalent and Wet-Bulb Temperatures Oct. 23 Pseudo- or Adiabatic Equivalent and Wet-Bulb Temperatures (con't.) Conservative Properties Oct. 25 2nd HOUR EXAM Oct. 27 Atmospheric Statics The Geopotential Field The Hydrostatic Equation Equipotential and Isobaric Surfaces. Dynamic and Geopotential Height Oct. 30 Thermal Gradients Constant-Lapse-Rate Atmospheres Atmosphere of Homogeneous Density Nov. 1 Dry-Adiabatic Atmosphere Isothermal Atmosphere Standard Atmosphere Nov. 3 Thermodynamics of Dry Air (Rogers) Atmospheric composition Equation of state for dry air The first law of thermodynamics Special processes Entropy Meteorological thermodynamic charts Nov. 6 Water Vapor and its Thermodynamic Effects Equation of state for water vapor Clausius-Clapeyron equation Moist air: its vapor content Thermodynamics of unsaturated moist air Ways of reaching saturation Nov. 8 Ways of reaching saturation (con't) Pseudoadiabatic process Adiabatic liquid water content Reversible saturated adiabatic process Nov. 10 Parcel Buoyancy and Atmospheric Stability Hydrostatic equilibrium Dry adiabatic lapse rate Buoyant force on a parcel of air Stability criteria for dry air The pseudoadiabatic lapse rate Nov. 13 Stability criteria for moist air Convective instability Horizontal restoring forces Geostrophic wind and geostrophic wind shear Slantwise displacement Symmetric instability Baroclinic instability Geopotential Nov. 15 Mixing and Convection Mixing of air masses Convective condensation level Convection: elementary parcel theory Modification of the elementary theory Nov. 17 3rd HOUR EXAM Nov. 18-26 THANKSGIVING RECESS Nov. 27 Observed Properties of Clouds Sizes of clouds and cloud systems Microstructure of cumulus clouds Cloud droplet spectra Microstructure of stratus clouds Likelihood of ice and precipitation in clouds Microstructure of large continental storm clouds Nov. 29 Formation of Cloud Droplets General aspects of cloud and precipitation formation Nucleation of liquid water in water vapor Atmospheric condensation nuclei Dec. 1 Con't. Dec. 4 The Physics of Condensation Notes Dec. 6 Con't. Dec. 8 Con't.