Explores theories of the large-scale ocean, including quasigeostrophic, planetary geostrophic, and shallow water equations. Topics may vary to focus on ocean climate (e.g. thermocline, westward intensification), ocean waves (e.g. gravity, Rossby, and Kelvin), or ocean models (toy, analytic, and numerical). Maybe repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Department enforced prereqs., ATOC 5400 and ATOC 5051 or ATOC 5060. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Reviews basic kinetics and photochemistry of atmospheric species and stratospheric chemistry with emphasis on processes controlling ozone abundance. Tropospheric chemistry focusing on photochemical smog, acid deposition, oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, and global climate change. ATOC graduate core course. Same as CHEM 5151. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Follows Graduate Atmospheric Chemistry (CHEM/ATOC 5151) and explores advanced topics in atmospheric chemistry, such as secondary aerosol formation, oxidant formation, the chemistry of global climate change, and/or design of advanced laboratory experiments. Recommended prereq., CHEM 5151 or ATOC 5151. Same as CHEM 5152.
Provides a large-scale synthesis of the processes impacting ocean biogeochemistry. Transforms theoretical understanding into real-world applications using oceanographic data and models. Topics include: chemical composition, biological nutrient utilization and productivity, air-sea gas exchange, carbonate chemistry, ocean acidification, ocean deoxygenation, iron fertilization, biogeochemical climate feedbacks, and much more. Same as ATOC 4200. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Examines fundamentals of radiative transfer and remote sensing with primary emphasis on the Earth's atmosphere; emission, absorption and scattering by molecules and particles; multiple scattering; polarization; radiometry and photometry; principles of inversion theory; extinction- and emission-based passive remote sensing; principles of active remote sensing; lidar and radar; additional applications such as the greenhouse effect and Earth's radiative energy budget. ATOC graduate core course. Department enforeced prereq., one year of calculus-based physics, and math up through differential equations. Same as ASEN 5235. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Covers the role of the ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and atmosphere in the global carbon cycle. Specific topics include marine carbonate chemistry, biological production, terrestrial fluxes, anthropogenic emissions, and the evolution of the global carbon cycle in a changing climate. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Covers equations of fluid motion relevant to planetary atmospheres and oceans, and stellar atmospheres; effects of rotation and viscosity; and vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, and wave motions. Introduces instability theory, nonlinear equilibration, and computational methods in fluid dynamics. Department enforeced rereq., partial differential equations or equivalent. Same as ASTR 5400. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Nonlinear waves and instabilities; wave-mean and wave-wave interactions, resonant triads; secondary instability and transition to turbulence; diagnosis, modeling, and parameterization of turbulent flows in geophysics and astrophysics. Department enforced prereq., ASTR 5120 or ATOC 5060 or ATOC 5400. Same as ASTR 5410. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Applied mathematics course; provides necessary analytical background for courses in plasma physics,fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, and radiative transfer. Covers integration techniques, linear and nonlinear differential equations, WKB and Fourier transform methods, adiabatic invariants, partial differential equations, integral equations, and integrodifferential equations. Same as ASTR 5540. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Investigating main processes that control weather and climate in the western United States and other mountain ranges around the world is the emphasis of this course. Provides an advanced survey of synoptic, mesoscale, and microscale meteorology in complex terrain including orographically modified cyclone evolution, front-mountain interactions, terrain and thermally driven flows, mountain waves, downslope winds, and orographic precipitation. Same as ATOC 4550.
Application of radiative transfer theory to problems in planetary atmospheres, with primary emphasis on the Earth's atmosphere; principles of atomic and molecular spectroscopy; infrared band representation; absorption and emission of atmospheric gases; radiation flux and flux divergence computations; radiative transfer and fluid motions; additional applications such as the greenhouse effect, inversion methods and climate models.Department enforced prereq., ATOC 5235. Same as ASTR 5560. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Clouds and aerosols are ubiquitous in planetary atmospheres, where they impact climate, atmospheric chemistry, remote sensing, and weather. Applies basic microphysical, radiative, and chemical processes affecting particles to issues in current literature. Department enforced prereq., one year of college chemistry and calculus-based physics and math up through differential equations. ATOC graduate core course. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Covers the fundamentals underlying the design, construction, and use of instrumentation used for astrophysical research ranging from radio-wavelengths to gamma rays. Topics include: Fourier transforms and their applications; optical design concepts; incoherent and coherent signal detection; electronics and applications; signal acquisition and processing. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Explores the complex interactions of the atmosphere and wind energy generation. Surveys wind turbine designs. Explores planetary boundary layer dynamics, traditional and novel wind measurement methods, forecasting methods, wind turbine and wind far wakes, wind far optimization, sound propagation from wind plants, climate change impacts on wind resources, and the impacts of wind plants on local environments. Same as ATOC 4770.
Covers the structure, composition, and dynamics of planetary atmospheres. Also includes origin of planetary atmospheres, chemistry and cloud physics, greenhouse effects, climate, and the evolution of planetary atmospheres past and future. Same as ASTR/GEOL 5810. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Reviews protoplanetary disks, condensation in the solar nebula, composition of meteorites, planetary accretion, comets and asteroids, planetary rings, and extrasolar planets. Applies celestial mechanics to the orbital evolution of solar system bodies. Same as ASTR 5820 and GEOL 5820. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Covers current topics in planetary science based on recent discoveries, spacecraft observations, or other developments. Focuses on a specific topic such as Mars, Venus, Galilean satellites, exobiology, comets, or extrasolar planets. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours, provided the topics vary. Same as ASTR 5830 and GEOL 5830. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Studies current research on a topic in planetary science. Subjects may vary each semester. May be repeated up to 4 total credit hours to meet candidacy requirements. Same as ASTR 5835 and GEOL 5835. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Students may register for more than one section of this course in the same semester. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Studies an area of current research in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Students read selected papers from the literature. Students and faculty give presentations and participate in discussions. May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours within the degree. May be repeated for a total of 3 credit hours within a semester. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Discusses background theory and procedures used for modeling climate on a variety of space and time scales. Includes numerical simulation of weather and climate with models in a hierarchy of complexity, assessments of error growth, prediction of circulations and impact of radiative and other influences. Explores various numerical methods, develops core computing skills, and considers data handling and visualization. Consists of a combination of lectures and laboratory. Department enforced prereq., ATOC 5050 or calculus. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
Explores the techniques used to make short-term weather forecasts in the mid-latitudes using real-time weather observations, numerical forecast model output, and conceptual models of mid-latitude weather phenomena. Students will be required to develop and defend conceptual models of the short-term evolution of the weather and will conduct detailed post-forecast analysis of successful and unsuccessful forecasts. May be repeated up to 3 total credit hours. Department enforced prereq., ATOC 5050 and ATOC 5060. Requisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
