Autumn 2003
ATM S 431A
Atmospheric Physics: Radiation and Boundary Layer
5 credits
M-T-W-Th-F 11:30 - 12:20 PM
Room 310 ATG
Grading:
30% assignments (8 assignments)
10% Quiz One (Oct 13)
25% Mid-term (Oct 28)
10% Quiz Two (Nov 14)
25% Final Exam
Office Hours: 12:30 - 1:00 PM [after class]
Other hours by arrangement
Nov. 11: Veterans' Day
Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 10: Last Day of Instruction
Dec 16: Final Exam 2:30 - 4:30, Room 310C
A. Radiation Transfer: Sept 29-Oct 31
Text: "An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation" by K.N. Liou;
Class notes
Introduction and basic terminology and concepts: The importance and relevance of the subject in the atmospheric sciences; The role of radiative transfer in the global energy balance; spectrum of radiation; solid angle, radiance and irradiance; scattering, absorption, and emission.
Thermal emission and simple aspects of radiative transfer: Blackbody radiation; Kirchhoff's law; Greenhouse effect; absorption line formation and broadenings; Beer-Bouguer-Lambert law; Schwarzschild's equation; plane-parallel atmospheres; remote sensing applications.
Absorption process in the atmosphere: Absorption spectrum of the atmosphere, HITRAN data base; band models; solar heating rates; IR cooling rates; photochemical processes and O3 layer; CO2 and climate.
Solar radiation at the TOA: The sun as an energy source; the Earth's orbit about the sun (seasonal effects and orbital effects); solar spectrum and solar constant; solar insolation. Light scattering and solar radiative transfer in the atmosphere.
Earth radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface; Cloud radiative forcing.
B. Boundary-Layer Meteorology: Nov 1 - Dec 10
Text: "Introduction to Micrometeorology" by S. Pal Arya;
Energy Budget Near the Surface.
Soil Temperature and Heat Transfer.
Air Temperature and Humidity in the PBL.
Wind Distribution in the PBL.
Atmospheric Turbulence and Turbulent Kinetic Energy and PBL Momentum
Equations.