Fall 2018
ATMOS 5000 Lecture Topics
Prof. Zhaoxia Pu

1. Introduction

Basic math review

Origin, composition and gas concentrations

Distribution of temperature, wind and precipitation

2. Atmospheric Thermodynamics

The gas law

The hydrostatic equation

The first law of thermodynamics and adiabatic lapse rate

Water vapor, wet adiabatic laps rate, static stability

Second law of the thermodynamic

3. Atmospheric Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Processes

Atmospheric aerosols and cloud nucleation

Microphysical processes

Cloud types & cloud morphology

Thunderstorms, hurricane, & cyclones

4. Radiative Transfer

Electromagnetic spectrum & blackbody radiation

Absorptivity, emissivety & solar absorption

Infrared radiative transfer & scattering of sunlight

Energy balance in the upper atmosphere & surface

Effects of trace gases, aerosols, & clouds on energy balance

5. Atmospheric Dynamics

Vector analysis (review)

Basic forces

The equation of motion