EAS 2750b: Physics of the Weather

Fall Semester 2002
MWF Ð 10:00
Rm. 110 Old Civil Engineering

Text: The Atmosphere by Lutgens and Tarbuck.

Lecturer: Prof. Greg Huey
office Ð 332 Baker Building (GTRI)
E-mail: greg.huey@eas.gatech.edu
Phone: (404) 894-5541

Office Hours: by appointment

Grading:
Problem sets Ð Will be assigned but not graded.
Class periods will be used to go over problem sets.
Five online quizzes will be given that are worth 20 points each.
Two exams will be given. Each exam is worth 100 points for a total of 300 points.
The second exam will be given on the last day of classes.
Exams and Quizzes will consist of word problems, multiple choice and term definition.
Quizzes are taken online and use of your notes or text is allowed. Exams are closed book.
One information sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper is permitted. Calculators are allowed. Old tests are off limits. Test questions will be taken from the lecture materials and the text.

Grading Scale:
254+ points - A, 225-254 points - B, 180-224 points - C, 165-179 points - D, -165 points - F.
The number of points needed to obtain a C or a D is fixed. The number of points required for an A or a B may be slightly less depending on the test averages. Anyone who scores 0 on a test will fail. If you are taking the class pass/fail you need at least 165 points to pass.

Extra Credit: Each student may write one 3-5 page paper on a topic relevant to this course. The topic must be approved in advance and the paper is due no later than Dec. 1. The paper will be graded and assigned a score of up to 25 points. Note that these points can't be used to increase your grade from a B to an A.

Web Page: A home page will be established for this class on WebCT and will be listed under EAS 2750. The quizzes will be taken on the WebCT page. A general outline of most lectures will be posted. The outline will highlight important concepts, useful equations, relevant sections of the text, and supplementary images or diagrams shown in class. In general, the last third of the course will follow the text very closely and lecture notes will not be posted for this material. The posted notes should not be considered complete. The posted notes are not a substitute for attending class and reading the text.

Course Outline

  1. Composition and general structure of atmosphere (Chapter 1)
  2. EarthÕs relationship to the Sun and the seasons, Solar and terrestrial radiation, black body radiation, Greenhouse effect, temperature scales. (Chapters 2-3)
  3. Vertical structure of the atmosphere: pressure and temperature profiles, hydrostatic law, ideal gas law, Archimedes principle.
  4. Atmospheric Stability, latent heat, phase transformations, sensible heat, heat capacity first law of thermodynamics, adiabatic expansion. (Chapter 4)
  5. Cloud formation and classification. Precipitation Ð terminal velocity and fall speed. (Chapter 5)
  6. Air pressure and winds, Rotation of the planet and Coriolis force. Trade winds. (Chapter 6-7)
  7. Air Masses and Fronts (Chapter 8-9)
  8. Thunderstorms and Tornadoes (Chapter 10)
  9. Hurricanes (Chapter 11)
  10. Climate change, greenhouse effect, light scattering and climate forcing. (Chapter 14, 16)
  11. Student choice of topic = Atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, Antarctic ozone hole, sulfur cycle and particle formation.