Meeting Times: 11:00-12:20 am, T TH, ATG 610

Grading: 30% assignments, 30% midterm, and 40% final exam.

Office Hours: 1:00 - 2:00 pm, T TH

Prerequisites: Phys 225 or permission of instructor (no permission needed for our grads).

Reference books:

An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation by K.N. Liou

Atmospheric Radiation by R.M. Goody and Y.L. Yung

Radiative Transfer in the Atmosphere and Ocean by G.E. Thomas and K. Stamnes

Course Outline:

1. Introduction

The nature of the problem; the thermal structure of the atmosphere;

the chemical composition of the atmosphere; global energy balance.

2. Fundamentals of Radiative Transfer

Concepts and definitions; black body radiation laws; simple aspects of radiative transfer; remote sensing applications; nature of solar and terrestrial radiation.

3. Absorption and Scattering of Radiation by Atmospheric Gases

Absorption line formation; line shapes; absorption spectra of atmospheric gases;

Midterm

photochemical processes and O3 layer; Rayleigh scattering.

4. Band Models

Isolated lines; random models; k-distribution method; transmission through a nonhomogeneous atmosphere.

5. Radiative Transfer and Climate

Radiation models, Radiative heating rates, Cloud radiative forcing, Constraints on the thermal structures.

Final