EAS 6412: Physical Meteorology

Professor: Rodney Weber
L1175 ES&T
Phone 404-894-1750
Rweber@eas.gatech.edu

Course Objective: To provide an introduction to the application of fundamental thermodynamics to the atmosphere.

Text Book: Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics, by M Salby, Academic Press, 1996.

Other Books:
Atmospheric Science: An introductory survey, by J. M. Wallace & P. V. Hobbs, Academic Press, 1977
Atmospheric Thermodynamics, by C. F. Bohren & B. A. Albrecht, Oxford University Press, 1998

Syllabus:

  1. Organizational

  2. Overview of the Earth's Atmosphere
    Origin of atmosphere, Temperature structure, Effective Gravity, Geopotential Height
  3. Ideal Gas Law and Application
    History, Units, State Variables, T and P, Gas Mixtures
  4. Hydrostatic Equation
    Hypsometric Equation, Continuum and Molecular View
  5. First Law of Thermodynamics-Dry Atmosphere

    • First Law
      Definitions, Conservation of Energy, Work, Heat, Internal Energy, Specific Heats, Enthalpy
    • Applications To Atmosphere
      Adiabatic Processes/Poissonâs Relations, Potential Temperature, Lapse Rate
  6. Static Stability
    Lapse Rates and Stability, Stability and Moisture, Potential Instability
  7. Moist Atmosphere
    Definitions, Ideal Gas Law and Moist Atm., Second Law of Thermodynamics, Clausius Clapeyron, Moist Air And The 1st Law, Equivalent Pot. T., Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate, Pseudo Adiabatic Chart
  8. Aerosols and Clouds
    Atmospheric Aerosols, Cloud Types/Characteristics, Nucleation, Kšhler Curves, Cloud Droplet Growth
  9. Radiation Transfer
    Production/Absorption, Interaction with Atmosphere, Radiometric Quantities, Black Body Radiation, Weins Law, Kirchoffs Law, Simple Radiation Equilibrium Models

Grades: 40% midterms (2), 25% Final Exam, 25% Homework, 10% Term Paper