Week 16 12 December
Monday-Tuesday
Class evaluations are open now. Please do so for this class.
Start final presentations continue on Monday and Tuesday, and Thursday as needed. Stay tuned.
THURSDAY: The take home final exam will be available through WebCampus at 8 a.m.
Reach out if you have questions.
It will be due on Tuesday December 20th at midnight.
Possible class notes as time permits.
Chapter 4: Radiation transfer (presentation).
OneNote notes for chapter 4 (right click and save to disk. Open with OneNote).
OneNote notes for chapter 4 in PDF format.
Theory for light scattering and absorption by gases, aerosol, and hydrometeors.
Radiation balance at the Earth's surface.
Radiation transfer by clouds above a reflecting ground.
Summary of scattering regimes.
Additional Notes:
Earth's global energy budget (slide 26) and surface radiation only budget (slide 17).
Surface temperature calculation (simple Python code) due to the green house effect of infrared active gases.
Online Python interface.
Take solar radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the surface, showing effects of gaseous and aerosol absorption and scattering on the spectra See slides 27- 32.
Global radiation balance and deficit See slides 12, 26.
How radiation absorption couples with atmospheric thermodynamics and layer heating.
Layer heating rate = -divergence of net irradiance (also known as flux). Slides 39, 41, 42.
Related Information:
Corona from the forward scattering of light by cloud droplets on Friday December 9th.
Week 15 5 December
Monday-Thursday
Start final presentations on Wednesday December 7th.
Chapter 4: Radiation transfer (presentation).
OneNote notes for chapter 4 (right click and save to disk. Open with OneNote).
OneNote notes for chapter 4 in PDF format.
Theory for light scattering and absorption by gases, aerosol, and hydrometeors.
Radiation balance at the Earth's surface.
Radiation transfer by clouds above a reflecting ground.
Summary of scattering regimes.
Additional Notes:
Earth's global energy budget (slide 26) and surface radiation only budget (slide 17).
Surface temperature calculation (simple Python code) due to the green house effect of infrared active gases.
Online Python interface.
Take solar radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the surface, showing effects of gaseous and aerosol absorption and scattering on the spectra See slides 27- 32.
Global radiation balance and deficit See slides 12, 26.
How radiation absorption couples with atmospheric thermodynamics and layer heating.
Layer heating rate = -divergence of net irradiance (also known as flux). Slides 39, 41, 42.
Related Information:
Derivation of the 2 Stream Model for transmission and reflection of light by a cloud.
Week 14 28 November
Monday-Thursday
Discuss theory for Homework Assignment 6 (will do this together in class).
Chapter 4: Radiation transfer (presentation). OneNote notes for chapter 4 (right click and save to disk. Open with OneNote).
Theory for light scattering and absorption by gases, aerosol, and hydrometeors.
Radiation balance at the Earth's surface.
Radiation transfer by clouds.
Reminder of final project, due at the end of the semester (5-10 minute presentation, and for 611 students, a manuscript/paper as well).
Due December 7th.
Preparation:
Read chapter 4: Radiation transfer and assignment 6.
Additional Notes:
Earth's global energy budget (slide 26) and surface radiation only budget (slide 17).
Surface temperature calculation (simple Python code) due to the green house effect of infrared active gases.
Online Python interface.
Take solar radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the surface, showing effects of gaseous and aerosol absorption and scattering on the spectra See slides 27- 32.
Global radiation balance and deficit See slides 12, 26.
How radiation absorption couples with atmospheric thermodynamics and layer heating.
Layer heating rate = -divergence of net irradiance (also known as flux). Slides 39, 41, 42.
Related Information:
Derivation of the 2 Stream Model for transmission and reflection of light by a cloud.
Real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of water (and spreadsheet with values.)
Electromagnetic penetration depth compared with typical hydrometeor diameter.
Theory of multiple scattering in one dimension (an excellent research and teaching paper).
Dipole radiation pattern related to Rayleigh scattering.
Surface temperature calculation (simple Python code) due to the green house effect of infrared active gases.
Online Python interface.
 |
Cloud types (from the NWS).
Seasons and sun-Earth distance, relevant to the last homework assigment. (from Met. Today. 13 Ed.)
Radar Backscatter efficiency for spherical ice and water hydrometeors for a wavelength of 10.71 cm.
Click image for a larger version.
Week 13 21 November
Monday-Wednesday
Discuss theory for Homework Assignment 5.
Chapter 4: Radiation transfer (presentation). OneNote notes for chapter 4 (right click and save to disk. Open with OneNote).
Astronomical energy balance: Sun and Earth.
Response time of the atmosphere and ocean to sudden climate change like volcanic eruption.
Energy balance at the surface.
Blue sky, white clouds, radar, aerosol: Unified theory for light scattering and absorption by gases, aerosol, and hydrometeors.
Reminder of final project, due at the end of the semester (5-10 minute presentation, and for 611 students, a manuscript/paper as well).
Preparation:
Read chapter 4: Radiation transfer and assignment 5.
Related Information:
Variation of the Earth-sun distance over the year due to the elliptical orbit.
Blackbody curve calculator.
Real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of water (and spreadsheet with values.)
Electromagnetic penetration depth compared with typical hydrometeor diameter.
Theory of multiple scattering in one dimension (an excellent research and teaching paper).
Dipole radiation pattern related to Rayleigh scattering.
Week 12 14 November
Tuesday-Thursday
Chapter 4: Radiation transfer (presentation). OneNote notes for chapter 4 (right click and save to disk. Open with OneNote).
Basic relationships for black body radiation (radiation with a certain spectral distribution). (Planck).
Short wave and long wave radiation
Astronomical energy balance: Sun and Earth. Shortwave and longwave radiation.
Energy balance at the surface.
Blue sky, white clouds, radar, aerosol.
Homework 5.
Visit the UNR weather station and view the downwelling solar and IR radiation for the last week.
Reminder of final project,
Preparation:
Read chapter 4: Radiation transfer and assignment 5.
Related Information:
Variation of the Earth-sun distance over the year due to the elliptical orbit.
Blackbody curve calculator.
Real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of water (and spreadsheet with values.)
Electromagnetic penetration depth compared with typical hydrometeor diameter.
Theory of multiple scattering in one dimension (an excellent research and teaching paper).
Monday
Flow over mountain ranges.
Lenticular clouds discussion.
Sound propagation in the atmosphere.
Chapter 3 presentation.
.
Week 11 7 November
Monday-Wednesday (and a little of Thursday).
Student presentations of Homework 4. Presentations are due on Sunday night, November 6th.
Flow over mountain ranges.
Lenticular clouds discussion.
Sound propagation in the atmosphere.
Chapter 3 presentation.
Related Information:
Radar movie for 3 July 2021 Reno at 0Z.
Week 10 31 October
Thursday
Work on homework assignment 4 in class. Bring questions to class about your case study.
Flow over mountain ranges.
Chapter 3 presentation.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
Homework assignment 4 in class. Have your skewT image and text ready for use in going through some of the steps together.
Discuss stability analysis made using the vertical distribution of potential and equivalent potential temperatures.
Work on obtaining the infrared and radar images, and in interpreting them.
Chapter 3 presentation.
Related Information:
Radar discussion.
Thunderstorms.
The 500 mb pressure chart.
Satellite imagery interpretation in brief.
Week 9 24 October
Thursday
Homework assignment 4 in class. Have your skewT ready for use in going through some of the steps together.
Chapter 3 presentation.
Related Information:
Convective available potential energy discussion.
Tuesday and Wednesday
Chapter 3 presentation.
Homework assignment 4 discussion, get started right away, and we will go through some of the steps together in class.
Dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Potential temperature derivation and applications.
Latent heat of transformation from vapor to liquid, etc.
Flow over a mountain range with precipitation on the upwind side.
Stability of the atmosphere.
Convective available potential energy and convective inhibition.
Monday
Chapter 3 presentation.
Homework assignment 4 discussion, get started right away, and we will go through some of the steps together in class.
Specific heat capacity at constant volume and pressure.
Dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Potential temperature derivation and applications.
Latent heat of transformation from vapor to liquid, etc.
Flow over a mountain range with precipitation on the upwind side.
Stability of the atmosphere.
Convective available potential energy and convective inhibition.
Related Information:
Reno soundings for October: Note the differences between the morning and afternoon soundings.
Wavier Jet Stream Due to Asymmetrical Surface Thermal Forcing.
Week 8 17 October
Thursday
Chapter 3 presentation.
Types of thermodynamic processes.
First law of thermodynamics and applications.
Specific heat capacity at constant volume and pressure.
Dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Potential temperature derivation and applications.
Latent heat of transformation from vapor to liquid, etc.
Flow over a mountain range with precipitation on the upwind side.
Stability of the atmosphere.
Convective available potential energy and convective inhibition.
Homework assignment 4.
Wednesday
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Reduction to sea level pressure.
Pressure definitions.
Google Earth map of Oakland and Reno.
Reno and Oakland California National Weather Service reported value.
Altimeter using pressure and temperature measurements.
Types of thermodynamic processes.
First law of thermodynamics and applications.
Specific heat capacity at constant volume and pressure.
Dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Potential temperature derivation and applications.
Latent heat of transformation from vapor to liquid, etc.
Flow over a mountain range with precipitation on the upwind side.
Stability of the atmosphere.
Convective available potential energy and convective inhibition.
Homework assignment 4.
Monday and Tuesday
Hurricane problem: temperature in the eye of the hurricane. Homework problem 4.
Getting references using WebOfScience and Endnote.
Reduction to sea level pressure.
Altimeter using pressure and temperature measurements.
Types of thermodynamic processes.
First law of thermodynamics and applications.
Specific heat capacity at constant volume and pressure.
Dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Potential temperature derivation and applications.
Latent heat of transformation from vapor to liquid, etc.
Flow over a mountain range with precipitation on the upwind side.
Stability of the atmosphere.
Convective available potential energy and convective inhibition.
Homework assignment 4.
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Related Information:
Hurricane model.
Tornado dynamics.
Week 7 10 October
Wednesday and Thursday
Thickness of atmospheric layers.
Isothermal atmosphere approximation.
Hypsometric Equation.
Cold front surfaces.
Use of height of atmosphere layers to calculate
geostrophic winds.
Hurricane problem: temperature in the eye of the hurricane. Homework problem 4.
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Related Information:
500 mb predicition for North America.
Tuesday
Density discussion.
Hydrostatic equation.
Variation of g with altitude.
Geopotential discusssion: geopotential height.
Thickness of atmospheric layers.
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Related Information:
Clouds looking to the northwest from UNR, on 10/10/2022. Click image for larger version.
Monday
Here's the skewT we worked on together in class today.
Goals for the day:
Finish the classroom demonstration of temperature and wetbulb temperature and obtaining quantities from it.
We found P=873 mb, T=20.8 C, and Tw=11.1 C.
It is the setup for problem 3 in the homework.
We will use this skewT diagram.
Read problem 3 of homework 3.
Check results using this program and the Python 2.7 interpreter.
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Week 6 3 October
Thursday
Classroom demonstration of temperature and wetbulb temperature and obtaining quantities from it: Setup for problem 3 in the homework.
We will use this skewT diagram.
Read problem 3 of homework 3.
Check results using this program and the Python 2.7 interpreter.
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Related Information:
Tuesday and Wednesday
Chapter 3.
Preparation: Read chapter 3 and homework assignment 3.
Argon discussion in relation to partial pressure.
Saturation vapor pressure of water vapor: partial pressure due to water vapor.
Properties of water vapor, and saturation over water and ice surfaces. Brief discussion of cloud microphysics.
Kinetic theory relationship for pressure.
Virtual temperature.
Water vapor mixing ratio.
Hydrostatic approximation.
Related Information:
Argon in the atmosphere.
Origin of Argon in the atmosphere.
Monday
Ideal gas equation for air in its many forms.
Dalton's law of partial pressures and an example.
Preparation:
Read chapter 3, Atmospheric Thermodynamics.
Read homework 3.
Chapter 3 topics
We will have several homework assignments from this especially important chapter.
The goals (learning and review objectives)
a. Ideal gas equation applied to dry and moist air.
b. Virtual temperature.
c. Potential temperature.
d. Hydrostatic equation.
e. Increasingly detailed description of the temperature and pressure distribution in the atmosphere.
f. SkewT logP diagrams.
f-g. Relative humidity, absolute humidity.
g. Dew point temperature.
h. Wet bulb temperature.
i. Equivalent potential temperature.
j. Latent heat release and absorption in condensation and evaporation of water.
k. Stability of air parcels.
l. Indices on soundings.
m. Brunt–Väisälä frequency and gravity waves.
o. Sound propagation in the atmosphere.
p. Hurricane thermodynamics and dynamics.
Related Information:
Hurricane Ian discussion on Tuesday, on Wednesday and on Thursday, September 27-29.
Week 5 29 September
Thursday
Discussed Hurricane Ian, and a specific Tropical Tidbits graphic of MSLP, 1000-500 mb thickness, and preciptation rate.
Derived an expression for the thickness of this layer using the connection with mean virtual temperature.
OneNote notes.
Discuss the Ruddiman hypothesis for the fate of the Earth's climate.
Overview of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Vertical structure of the atmosphere.
Hurricane Ian makes landfall.
Model prediction of rainfall amount and other properties -- Tropical Tidbits site.
Atmospheric Science news.
Hurricane Ian discussion on Tuesday, on Wednesday and on Thursday, September 27-29.
Tuesday and Wednesday
Continue with problem 3 in class.
Calculate the scale height of the atmosphere for Rochambeau and Barrow from the graph of ln P(z) and z.
You could install Google Earth (free) and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, free when you login using your netID) on your home computer.
We will use them for problem 3 (and others later).
Discuss the Ruddiman hypothesis for the fate of the Earth's climate.
Overview of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Monday
Continue with problem 3 in class.
It is a writing and reporting assignment based on data analysis we'll do together.
Discuss the pressure and temperature variation for Barrow and Rochambeau.
Calculate and graph density and water vapor density for both sites.
You could install Google Earth (free) and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, free when you login using your netID) on your home computer.
We will use them for problem 3 (and others later).
Discuss the Ruddiman hypothesis for the fate of the Earth's climate.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Begin chapter 3.
Related Information:
High resolution rapid refresh weather model video.
Week 4: 19 September
Wednesday and Thursday
Continue with problem 3 in class.
It is a writing and reporting assignment based on data analysis we'll do together.
You could install Google Earth (free) and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, free when you login using your netID) on your home computer.
We will use them for problem 3 (and others later).
Discuss the Ruddiman hypothesis for the fate of the Earth's climate.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
High resolution rapid refresh weather model video.
Tuesday
We will go through problem 3 in class. It is a writing and reporting assignment based on data analysis we'll do together.
You could install Google Earth (free) and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, free when you login using your netID) on your home computer.
We will use them for problem 3 (and others later).
Discuss the Ruddiman hypothesis for the fate of the Earth's climate.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
High resolution rapid refresh weather model video.
Monday
If class gets cancelled due to poor air quality we will still meet through Zoom.
Finish discussion of homework assignment 2.
Preparation: Read chapter 1 and read over homework assignment 2, especially problems 3 and 4.
Finish problem 1.20 (PPT and OneNote)
Calculate the mass flux carried by the trade-winds, and the time for the entire atmosphere mass to pass through the tradewinds.
Discuss problem 4 in the homework associated with the seasonal variation in surface pressure in each hemisphere.
Discuss problem 3.
Discuss the Ruddiman hypothesis for the fate of the Earth's climate.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Full disk satellite infrared imagery. Identify the ITCZ and meteorology in action.
Full disk GOES East infrared imagery.
Full disk IR at night and solar during the day.
Week 3: 12 September
Thursday
If class gets cancelled due to poor air quality we will still meet through Zoom.
The Zoom meeting will be recorded.
Discuss homework assignment 2.
Preparation: Read chapter 1 and read over homework assignment 2, especially problems 3 and 4.
Discuss problem 1.20 (PPT and OneNote)
Calculate the mass flux carried by the trade-winds, and the time for the entire atmosphere mass to pass through the tradewinds.
Discuss problem 4 in the homework associated with the seasonal variation in surface pressure in each hemisphere.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
EPA AirNow air quality site.
CalFire site for mapping fire area.
Wednesday
Class cancelled due to poor air quality, smoke from the Mosquito fire.
Tuesday
Discuss the US standard atmosphere, atmospheric ozone formation in the stratosphere, and water vapor distribution, tropopause height. (OneNote and PPT).
Discuss problem 1.12 of HW2, lapse rate in Antarctica. Look at soundings there to see if uncommonly strong temperature inversions can be found.
Discuss homework assignment 2.
Preparation: Read chapter 1 and read over homework assignment 2, especially problems 3 and 4.
You could install Google Earth (free) and Microsoft Office (Excel, etc, free when you login using your netID) on your home computer to help with this and other assignments.
We will use them for problem 3 (and others later).
Discuss problem 1.20.
Calculate the mass flux carried by the trade-winds, and the time for the entire atmosphere mass to pass through the tradewinds.
Discuss problem 4 in the homework associated with the seasonal variation in surface pressure in each hemisphere.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Heat wave temperature anomaly for much of Asia, from here.
NYT article on the same subject.
Heat wave temperature anomaly for much of North America, especially the west. From TropicalTidbits.
Density current visualized by smoke, from the National Weather Service on September 11th 2022. See in depth article describing it.
Before and during the smoke that moved in on Monday afternoon, from the top of the Physics building.
Mosquite fire location.
Monday
Discussed the Reno and Slidell soundings from Assignment 1 in relation to an air parcel lifted from the surface and parallel to the hot air balloon problem.
Introduced CAPE and lifted air parcels.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Smoke Conditions
Geostationary satellite loop for the western US
Smoke Pollution Measurements at UNR
Purple Air network for smoke and aerosol pollution
Week 2: 5 September
Thursday
Archimedes principle derivation and hot air balloons as an example. Conditions ideal for maximizing payload.
Hydrostatic approximation.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Wednesday
Discussed precipitable water vapor, lapse rate, wind speed, angle, and direction, inversions, hot air balloons.
Bring questions about homework assignment 1 to class.
Precipitable water discussion. Wind speed and direction discussion.
Air parcel from the surface: Trajectory on the skewT logP diagram.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Hot air balloons this week. An application of Archimedes principle and air density.
Lightning from this summer in Colorado.
Tuesday
Discussed SkewT diagrams, and use of Google Earth to visualize locations, relevant to homework assignment 1.
Precipitable water discussion. Wind speed and direction discussion.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height.
Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Continue the introduction to SkewTLogP thermodynamic diagrams for the atmosphere.
Homework assignment 1.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
World time zone map and Greenwich England.
Current time UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).
How to convert to and from UTC.
World time converter.
Week 1: 29 August
Thursday
Note: If you had issues with the Python example on Wednesday, review it from the Zoom recording, and/or reach out to me.
Mercury barometer, and quiz.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height. Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Introduction to SkewTLogP thermodynamic diagrams for the atmosphere.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Wednesday
Earth's surface pressure.
Pressure and mass of the entire atmosphere calculated with the Python tool. Prepare by setting up an account. Example code.
Pressure under water.
Mercury barometer, and quiz.
Exponential model for pressure variation with height, and relationship for scale height. Cold and warm air meet on the polar front; jet stream.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Tuesday
Continue pressure and density discussion.
Density variation with height in the atmosphere.
Ideal gas equation for density, the average molecular mass for dry air, composition of dry air.
Hot air parcel examples: aircraft in Phoenix in the afternoon, circulations set up by differential heating, autoconvecting atmosphere and mirages.
Basin cities and cold air pools as cold air parcel example.
Composition of the atmosphere presentation, and temperature variation.
Related Information:
Undergraduate research opportunity.
Look at the surface meteorology for the last 7 days from the UNR weather station.
Mass of the atmosphere discussion.
Archimedes principle: Wiki page,
Monday
Introductions and pressure discussion using OneNote.
| Introductions -- each student introduce themselves. |
| Syllabus. |
| Homework. |
| Webcampus for online homework assignments/reading. |
How to monitor smoke conditions, ATMS example Geostationary satellite loop for the western US Smoke Pollution Measurements at UNR |
|
Online Homework 1 is due 4 Sept 2022. See webcampus. This is based on MetEd. Online Homework 2 is due 11 Sept 2022. See webcampus. This is based on MetEd. Homework 1 is due 6 Sept 2022, to be turned in through web campus. Homework 2 is due 22 Sept, to be turned in through web campus. |
The final project has been posted. |
Additional homework for this week: Read chapter 1.
This class is:
One part lecture;
One part active class participation/activity involving atmospheric data from around the world;
One part study using online modules for atmospheric science education.
Start with a discussion of atmospheric pressure.
Mass of the atmosphere calculation using an online Python editor.
Overview Presentation: Atmospheric Science relies heavily on measurements and models!
Vertical structure of the atmosphere.
Related Information:
It's hurricane season! Image and animation of the Eastern Pacific. Images from this very useful weather website.
Hurricane track.
Hurricane formation discussion.
It's fire season too! Loyalton fire tornado!
Satellite imagery for 19 August 2020.
Satellite imagery (NASA polar orbiting satellite) and from GOES 16 (NOAA geostationary satellite).
Fire and meteorology feedback: Air pollution in Reno on the 16th of August 2020. Meteorology on the 15th and 16th of August 2020.
Note the difference in stability and boundary layer height.
World record hail stone in Vivian South Dakota. See more on hail.
Wind barbs. Click image for larger version.
Reminder of cause for the seasons.
The fountain in Pittsburgh PA and its rainbow.
