CORNELL UNIVERSITY
COURSES IN ATMOSPHERIC AND RELATED SCIENCES, 1994-95
- SCAS 131 Basic Principles of Meteorology. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: None
- M.W. Wysocki
- A simplified treatment of the structure of the atmosphere: heat balance
of the earth; general and secondary circulations; air masses, fronts, and
cyclones; and hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and atmospheric
condensation. In the laboratory, emphasis is on techniques of analysis of
weather systems.
- ASTRO 202 Our Home in the Solar System. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: Some background in science. Limited to 25 students.
- P. Gierasch
- A comparison of the Earth with the other worlds in our solar system, with an emphasis on the nature and fragility of planetary environments. Topics to be discussed include the climate and weather, species extinctions, the history of climate change, evolution of the atmosphere of the Earth and other planets, ecology and biological interdependence, and threats to the current global environment - including ozone layer depletion, greenhouse warming, and nuclear winter. Possible solutions to these problems, including their economic and social costs and their ethical implications, will be considered. The course will attempt to develop skills in writing and in elementary physics and chemistry.
- SCAS 231 Climate and Climate Change. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 131 or instructors approval.
- K.H. Cook
- Study of the features of today's climate, including a discussion of the processes that maintain the observed atmospheric circulation, moisture, and temperature distributions. Investigation of past climates and a survey of current climate change issues.
- SCAS 250 Meteorological Observations and Instruments. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 131.
- M.W. Wysocki
- Methods of principles of meteorological measurements and observations
including surface, free-air, and remote systems. Instrument siting,
mounting, and protection. Instrument response characteristics,
calibration, and standardization. Recorders and data logging systems.
Laboratory exercises in observation and data analysis. Intended to serve
as preparation for Observers Examination. Lab fee $45.
- SCAS 331 Climate Dynamics (also ASTRO 331) Fall. 4 Credits
- Prerequisite: Math 112 or 192 or equivalent, or instructor's approval
- K.Cook, P.Gierasch
- The purpose of this course is to develop a physical understanding of the
climate system. Processes that determine climate and contribute to its
change are discussed, including comparisons with the climates of other
planets. Applications to problems of climate change and variability include
the astronomical theory of ice ages, greenhouse warming, the ozone hole,
African drought, and Amazonian deforestation.
- SCAS 334 Microclimatology. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: A course in Physics is recommended
- D.S. Wilks
- The relationships of radiant energy, temperature, wind, and moisture in
the atmosphere near the ground. The interplay between physical processes
of the atmosphere, plant canopies, and soil is examined with emphasis on
the energy balance.
- SCAS 342 Theoretical Meteorology I. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisites: One year of calculus and one semester of physics
- M.W. Wysocki
- Introduction .to the thermodynamics and hydrostatics of the atmosphere
and to the methods of description and quantitative analysis used in
meteorology. Topics covered include thermodynamic processes of dry air,
water vapor and moist air, and concepts of hydrostatics and stability.
- SCAS 343 Theoretical Meteorology II. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisites: One year each of calculus and physics
- W. W. Knapp
- Introduction to atmospheric dynamics and to the methods of description
and quantitative analysis used in meteorology. Topics considered include
equations of atmospheric motion, motion in the free atmosphere, vertical
variations of wind and pressure fields, mathematical representation and
characteristics of fronts, mechanisms of pressure change, concepts of
circulation and vorticity, and effects of friction on atmospheric motion.
- SCAS 352 Synoptic Meteorology I. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 342 and concurrent enrollment in SCAS 343
- M.W. Wysocki
- Weather map analysis and forecasting techniques are studied by applying
the principles of fluid and heat flow. This course will strengthen
previously introduced meteorological concepts which will be applied to
forecasting mid-latitude synoptic scale weather systems, such as cyclones,
anticyclones, jet streams, fronts and waves.
- SCAS 353 Applications of Fortran in Meteorology. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 131 plus one computer programming course.
- M.W. Wysocki
- An introduction to numerical techniques using Fortran to solve meteorological problems. No previous experience with Fortran is expected.
- SCAS 357 Atmospheric Air Pollution. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 342 and one semester of chemistry, or permission of instructor.
- M.W. Wysocki
- This course will examine sources, effects, transport, measurement, and controls of air pollution. The basic principles in each area will be discussed with an emphasis on their local, regional and global impacts.
- SCAS 435 Statistical Methods in Meteorology. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisites: An introductory course in statistics
- D.S. Wilks
- Statistical methods used in climatology, operational weather
forecasting, and selected meteorological research applications. Some
statistical characteristics of meteorological data, including probability
distributions, intercorrelations, and persistence. Operational forecasts
derived from multiple regression models, including the MOS system.
Forecast verification techniques and scoring rules. Time series analysis,
EOFs, and other research topics as time permits.
- SCAS 444 Tropical Meteorology Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 343 or instructors approval.
- Offered alternate years
- K.H. Cook
- Structure and dynamics of the tropical atmosphere on a wide range of time and space scales ranging from meso-scale convective systems to planetary waves. Topics include hurricanes, monsoonal circulation, and El Nino.
- SCAS 446/646 Modeling the Earth System. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: Programming knowledge and instructor's approval.
- Offered alternate years
- K.H. Cook
- Project-oriented exploration of aspects of the Earth System through
computer modeling. Intended primarily for science majors with computing
experience, preferably in Fortran. Lectures focus on facilitating student
projects, discussing basic concepts governing the Earth system dynamics,
and evaluating complex models. Students develop a model on a topic of their
choice.
- SCAS 448 Physical Meteorology. Fall . 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: One year each of calculus and physics
- Offered alternate years
- W. W. Knapp
- Primarily a survey of natural phenomena of the atmosphere, with emphasis
on their underlying physical principles. Topics include composition and
structure of the atmosphere, atmospheric optics, acoustics and electricity,
solar and terrestrial radiation, and principles of radar probing of the
atmosphere.
- SCAS 451 Synoptic Meteorology II. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: SCAS 352 or permission of instructor.
- S.J. Colucci
- Advanced topics in synoptic meteorology, such as the behavior of midlatitude weather systems, fronts and jets, and precipitation-producing structures.
- SCAS 456 Mesoscale Meteorology Spring. 3 Credits
- Prerequisite: SCAS 451 or permission of instructor.
- Not offered every year
- S.J. Colucci
- Structure and dynamics of mid-latitude mesoscale weather systems such as squall lines, convective complexes, precipitation bands, downslope windstorms, mountain breezes, sea breeze circulations, and lake effect snowstorms.
- SCAS 635 Advanced Statistical Meteorology. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisites: Coursework in statistics, calculus, matrix algebra,
and computer programming
- D.S. Wilks
- Lectures and topics concurrent with SCAS 435, plus an extra forty-minute
session per week in which selected topics from SCAS 435 are treated in more
depth, and additional topics are covered which may vary from year to year
according to student interest. Term project required.
- SCAS 652 Atmospheric Dynamics Spring. 3 Credits
- Prerequisite: SCAS 451 or permission of instructor.
- Not offered every year
- S.J. Colucci
- Advanced topics in theoretical meteorology such as atmospheric waves,
hydrodynamic instability, the general circulation of the atmosphere, and
middle atmospheric dynamics.
- ELE E 487 Introduction to Antennas and Radar. Fall. 3 credits.
- Prerequisites: ELE E 301 and ELE E 304 (or a grade of B or better in ELE E 303).
- D. Farley
- Fundamentals of antenna theory, including gain and effective area, near and far fields, phased arrays, aperture antennas and aperture synthesis. Fundamentals of radar, including detection, tracking, Doppler shifts, sampling, range and frequency aliasing. Pulse compression principles and the ambiguity function; synthetic aperture radars and remote sensing from aircraft and satellites; over-the-horizon (OTH) radars and ionospheric propagation effects; radar astronomy techniques, including range-Doppler mapping of planets and the problem of overspread targets.
- ELE E 581 Introduction to Plasma Physics. Fall. 4 credits.
- Prerequisites: ELE E 303 and ELE E 304 or equivalent. First-year graduate-level course, open to exceptional seniors with permission of instructor.
- 3 lecs.
- M. Kelley
- Plasma state; motion of charged particles in fields; drift-orbit theory; coulomb scattering, collisions; ambipolar diffusion; elementary transport theory; two-fluid and hydromagnetic equations; plasma oscillations and waves, CMA diagram; hydromagnetic stability; elementary applications to space physics and controlled fusion.
- ELE E 582 Advanced Plasma Physics (also A&EP 607). Spring. 4 credits.
- Prerequisites: ELE E 581 and A&EP 606.
- 3 lecs.
- M. Kelley
- Boltzmann and Vlasov Equations; dielectric tensor; waves in hot-magnetized plasma; Landau and cyclotron damping; microninstabiolities; drift waves, low-frequency stability; test particles, Cerenkov emission; fluctuations; collisional effects; applications.
- CEE 632 Hydrology. Spring. 3 credits.
- Prerequisite: CEE 331.
- W.H. Brutsaert
- Physical and statistical prediction methods for design related to hydrologic processes. Hydrometeorology and evaporation. Infiltration and base flow. Surface runoff and channel routing. Linear and nonlinear hydrologic systems. Storage routing and unit hydrograph methods.
- CEE 634 Boundary Layer Meteorology. Fall. 3 Credits
- Prerequisite: SCAS 343 or CEE 331.
- Not offered every year.
- W.H. Brutsaert
- Physical processes in the lower atmospheric environment: turbulent transport in the atmospheric boundary layer, surface-air interaction, disturbed boundary layers, radiation. Applications include sensible and latent heat transfer from lakes, plant canopy flow and evapotranspiration, turbulent diffusion from chimneys and cooling towers, and related design issues.
- SCAS 652 Atmospheric Dynamics Spring. 3 Credits
- Prerequisite: Familiarity with Chapters 1-6 in Holton's An Introduction to Dynamic
- Meteorology
- S.J. Colucci
- Advanced topics in theoretical meteorology such as atmospheric waves, hydrodynamic instability, the general circulation of the atmosphere, and middle atmospheric dynamics.
- ASTRO 673 Seminar: Planetary Atmospheres. Spring. 2 credits.
- P. Gierasch
- M&AE 734 Turbulence and Turbulent Flow. Fall. 4 credits.
- Prerequisite: M&AE 601, graduate standing,or permission of instructor.
- J.L. Lumley
- Topics include the dynamics of buoyancy and shear-driven turbulence, boundary-free and bounded shear flows, second-order modeling, the statistical description of turbulence, turbulent transport, and spectral dynamics.
Revision 2/95
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