SPRING 2003 ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES COURSES

SPRING 2003 COURSE OVERVIEW (details below)

SPRING 2003 Course Descriptions

ATM 606 (3 Credits) ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY

Instructor: Dr. Bill Simpson

URL: http://www.uaf.edu/chem/606s03/

Time and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays 09:45A - 11:15A at NSCI 165.

Course Description: ATM606 (cross listed as CHEM406/606) is a stacked undergraduate / graduate course on atmospheric chemistry. We study the chemistry of the troposphere and stratosphere including photochemistry, kinetics, thermodynamics, box modeling, and biogeochemical cycling. We apply this knowledge to study of aerosols and their impacts on climate and visibility, stratospheric ozone and ozone depletion, oxidation chemistry,ozone air pollution and acid rain, and Arctic atmospheric chemistry.

For further information contact: Bill Simpson at wrs@ozone.gi.alaska.edu .

ATM 445/645 (3 Credits) ATMOSPHERIC DYMANICS

Instructor: Dr. Gerhard Kramm

URL: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/~kramm/syllabus.html

Time and Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays TR 03:40P - 05:40P at IARC 319.

Course Description: Atmospheric Dynamics mainly comprises the fundamentals of the thermodynamics and dynamics of the troposphere. The integral and local balance equations for dry air, water substances, trace constituents, total mass (equation of continuity), momentum (Newton's 2nd axiom), energy (1st principle of thermodynamics), and entropy (2nd principle of thermodynamics) are presented and explained, where inertial frames and moving frames rotating with the earth are considered. This presentation includes different kinds of co-ordinate systems. Simplifications like the hydrostatic and geostrophic approximations are related to scaling considerations (scale analysis). Balanced curved flows, streamlines and trajectories are explained, too. Circulation and vorticity principles are discussed to analyse rotational fluid fields. This part includes, for instance, circulation theorems, vortex lines and tubes, absolute and relative vorticity as well as potential vorticity, and the balance equation of vorticity. Wave analysis is explained on the examples of gravity waves and Rossby-Haurwitz waves. Fundamentals of numerical weather predictions and large scale dynamics are discussed with emphasis on the central unifying role of the quasi-geostrophic theory. Principles of the physics of the atmospheric boundary layer are presented to point out the effects of turbulent motion.

Prerequisite/co-requisite:
• ATM F445 - ATM F401 and PHYS F333

• ATM F645 - ATM F601 and graduate standing

For further information contact: Gerhard Kramm at kramm@gi.alaska.edu.

ATM 693 F02 (3 Credits) Atmospheric Remote Sensing

Instructor: Dr. Kenneth Sassen

Time and Location: TBA

Course Description: Modern atmospheric research is becomingly increasingly reliant on measurements made from afar using instruments sensing various portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Using principally microwave radars and visible-wavelength laser lidars, often combined with passive measurements from radiometers, many properties of the atmosphere can be routinely profiled by remote sensors located at the ground, from aircraft, or satellites. Radar and lidar users have a large variety of techniques at their disposal including Doppler, polarization, and spectroscopic methods. In this course we concentrate on the fundamentals of these families of active remote sensors, including their designs and operating principles, applicable backscattering and extinction theories, and derive the basic radar equation. In highlighting the meteorological applications of these instruments for research ranging from determining air molecular density, cloud phase, and precipitation intensity, we learn how to choose the proper devices for each application, and invert their signals through the development and application of algorithms. Since coordinating multiple remote sensor observations has become a powerful tool used in modern field research campaigns, students will have the opportunity to observe this synergy in the operation of the lidars, millimeter-wave radar, and radiometers at the UAF Arctic Facility for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (AFARS), and assist in analyzing the data. This course compliments Cloud Physics in that these tools have strongly contributed to understanding the physics of clouds.

For further information contact: Ken Sassen at ksassen@gi.alaska.edu

ATM 693 (3 Credits) TOPICS IN POLAR CLIMATOLOGY: Special Lecture Series

Sponsored by UAF Chapman Chair, Prof. N. Untersteiner

Time and Location: TR 3:30-4:30 p.m., Elvey Auditorium at the GI (except first month)

George Ewing, Professor, Dept, of Chemistry, U. of Indiana
Starting 16 January 2003, Prof. Ewing will teach the first month of the course on Ice Physics (GEOS 614 given by Dr. M Truffer)
This course takes place on Tues and Thurs, 9:45 - 11:15 a.m. in Nat.Sci.Facility, Room 207

Gregory Dash, Professor, Dept. of Physics, U. of Washington
18 February: Ice surface melting and frost heave
20 February: History of the search for a theory of surface melting

Cecilia Bitz, Research Scientist, APL, U. of Washington
25 February: Sea ice in climate models - basic structure
27 February: Sea ice in climate models - survey of different models in use

Kenneth Hunkins, Sr. Scientist, Lamonty-Doherty, Columbia U.
4 March: The oceanography of Fram Strait - observations
6 March: The oceanography of Fram Strait - theories

Brad Coleman, National Weather Service, Seattle WA
11 March: Experiences with a Real-Time Mesoscale Predection System
13 March: A New Weather Forecast Preparation SystemTo Be Used by the National Weather Service

17 – 23 March spring recess

David Battisti, Professor, Dept. of Atmos. Sciences, U. of Washington
24 March: Is the Gulf Stream responsible for Europe's Mild Winters?
26 March: Climate Surprises

ATM 693 F03 (1 Credit) ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE INFORMAL SEMINAR

Instructor: Dr. Nicole Mölders

URL: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/~molders/zeitplan.htm

Time and Location: Wednesdays at 1:30pm, IARC (room varies)

Course Description: The Atmospheric Science Informal Seminar is a seminar series wherein ongoing research in atmospheric science is presented by the scientists. This seminar is the opportunity to get to know about newest research results, ideas and direction long before you can find them published in peer-reviewed journals. Presentations cover the broad range of Atmospheric Sciences and the links to neighbored sciences as they are required to answer questions on global variability, climate change, and assessment studies. Themes that will be presented and discussed in this spring semester are the progress towards quantifying the locations of carbon sources and sinks in the Northern Hemisphere, data assimilation of soil moisture from satellite derived skin-temperature within weather forecast models, NO3-detection, the atmospheric response to summertime sea ice anomalies, and special aspects of mesoscale modeling in Polar regions. Review and oversight talks will address aspects of turbulence, visibility in Alaska or the ongoing lidar research at GI.

This seminar can be taken as a 1 credit class with pass/fail grade. Pre-requisites are graduate standing. The full seminar schedule can be found at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/~molders/zeitplan.htm. First meeting is January 22, 2003 at 1:30 pm in IARC 401.

For further information contact: Nicole Mölders, phone 474 7910, email molders@gi.alaska.edu

ATM 693 F01 (1 Credit) WEATHER DISCUSSION PRACTICUM

Instructor: Dr. Jeff Tilley

Time and Location: Friday, 12-1:00 p.m. and by appointment, IARC 351c (NWS offices)

Course Description: This course, conducted in collaboration with the Fairbanks National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office, provides an opportunity to practically apply meteorological theory and knowledge as participants in the weekly UAF/NWS Synoptic Weather Briefings .

Registered students will be required to attend the weekly briefings, participate in discussion and present a full briefing (or two halves in conjunction with either the instructor, NWS staff or other students) to an mixed audience of researchers, students, staff and the general public. Grading will be based on participation and the quality of the presentation.

Pre- or Co-Requisite: Atm 601

For more information contact Dr. Tilley (jeff@gi.alaska.edu: 474-5852) or Mr. John Dragomir (john.dragomir@noaa.gov; 458-3704)

Please note that courses are offered in a variety of departments (Physics, Chemistry, Oceanography, Geology and Geophysics, and others) that are appropriate for your research specialty and interests. Additional course listings for this semester can be found in the UAF course catalog.

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