• Reference book: “Climatology”, By Robert V. Rohli, Anthony J. Vega, Jones & Bartlett Learning (2011), Paperback - 432 pages - ISBN 0763791016
    • GGS 670 Spring 2021: Introduction to Atmosphere and Weather

    GGS 670 Spring 2021
    Introduction to Atmosphere and Weather

    Atmosphere

    http://estc.gmu.edu/Course/GGS670-21/

      Course Information
          Title: GGS 670 Introduction to Atmosphere and Weather
          CRN: 18675
          Time:  Online synchronous 10:00AM-12:30 (ET), Wednesdays, 01/25-05/10/2021 & online asynchronous
          Instructor: Prof. John Qu
          Telephone: (703) 993-3958
          Office Hour: 12:30-1:00PM (ET, virtual), Wednesdays or make appointment

      Course Description

      This course will introduce the students to the fundamental principles upon which the atmospheric sciences are based and to provide quantitative description and interpretation of the wide range of atmospheric phenomena with an emphasis on sub-synoptic scales (i.e. weather and regional scale climate). One of the main goals of this course is not only to provide the basic knowledge of fundamentals of the atmosphere science and weather, important in our Erath system, but also to prepare students for the science of climate and climate change. This course is designed for both science majors and non-majors taking their first course in atmosphere science. We will focus on atmosphere and climate change in Spring 2021.

      Prerequisites

      College Math (such as MATH 214) and physics (such as PHYS 262), or permission of instructor.

      Final project

      Weather and atmosphere science related final presentations and final term papers are encouraged.

      Grading
      Grades will be based upon your performance on the homework exercies, midterm, class attendance and final term paper and presentation. The weighted contribution of each of these utems to your final grade is:

    • Homework 30%
    • Midterm 30%
    • Final Project 35%
    • Class Attendence 5%

      •      (A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=<60)

      Textbooks
      Required Textbook:

      1. Understanding Weather and Climate, Seventh Edition, 2015, by Edward Aguado and James E. Burt, Pearson (ISBN-13: 978-0321987303 and ISBN-10: 0321987306, ISBN-13:9780133943641 (eText), 570 pages

      Recommended References:

      1. “Meteorology: Understanding the Atmosphere”, Fourth Edition, by Steven A. Ackerman and John A. Knox 2014, Jones & Bartlett Learning (2014), ISBN 978-1-284-02737-2 (paperback edition), 575 pages
      2. Climate Change and Sustainable Earth by John J. Qu and Raymond Motha, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021.
      3. Wallace, J. M., and P. V. Hobbs, Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2006.
      4. Reference book: “Climatology”, By Robert V. Rohli, Anthony J. Vega, Jones & Bartlett Learning (2011), Paperback - 432 pages - ISBN 0763791016
      5. What We Know about Climate Change, Updated Edition, (2018) Kerry Emanuel, MIT Press, ISBN:9780262535915


      Detailed Schedule

      Week one Introduction to Atmosphere
      Week two Solar Radiation and the Seasons
      Week three Energy Balance and Temperature
      Week four Atmosphere Pressure and Wind
      Week five Atmosphere Moisture
      Week six Cloud and Precipitation
      Week seven Atmospheric Circulation and Pressure Distributions
      Mid-term
      Week eight Air Masses, Fronts, and Midlatitude Cyclones
      Week nine Lightning, Thunders, and Tornadoes
      Week ten Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
      Week eleven Weather Forecasting and Analysis
      Week twelve Human Effects on the Atmosphere
      Week thirteen Earth Climate
      Week fourteen Climate Changes: Past, Present and Future
      Week fifteen Student Final Presentations
      Week sixteen Final Project Term Paper and Presentation (due)