Atmospheric Sciences 511, Earth and Space Sciences 532

“Formation of Snow and Ice Masses”

Spring 2007

Instructor:  Stephen Warren, ATG 524, tel. 543-7230, sgw@atmos.washington.edu

Topics

Geography of snow and ice

Structure and physical chemistry of ice and water

Nucleation of water droplets and ice crystals in clouds; growth of ice crystals; snowfall meteorology

Thermal properties of snow and ice; snow metamorphism                                 

Radiation in Earth's atmosphere and surface                                                     

Interaction of solar and infrared radiation with snow                                          

Remote sensing of snow in solar and infrared; colors of ice and snow    

Sea ice albedo; microwave remote sensing of snow and sea ice; radio-echo sounding of glaciers

Effects of wind on snow                                                                                   

Transfer of sensible and latent heat between snow and air; surface energy budget of snow

Snow hydrology; glacier mass balance                                                  

Sea-ice formation and structure; growth and melt of sea ice; models of sea-ice mass and energy balance

Marine ice                                                                                                       

Snowball Earth                                                                                    

Suncups on melting snow                                                                                 

Climatic records from isotopes and impurities in snow and ice               

Textbooks

E.R. LaChapelle, 1969:  Field Guide to Snow Crystals.   University of Washington Press.  Reprinted 1992 by International Glaciological Society.

D. McClung and P. Schaerer, 1993:  The Avalanche Handbook.  The Mountaineers.

W.S.B. Paterson, 1994:  The Physics of Glaciers, third edition.  Pergamon Press.

Assignments	fraction of grade
Homework	50%
Report (critical review of a paper or series of papers)	20%
Final exam	30%