Short Course Description
This course is an introductory course in Atmospheric Sciences, giving a broad background about the weather and climate of the Earth. We start with describing the Earth's motion as a planet, the seasons and Energy Balance in Chapter 1. This is followed (Chapter 2) by looking at the composition of the atmosphere, the role of water vapor in the atmosphere, and the long-wave and short-wave radiation entering and leaving our atmosphere. We also discuss light scattering in the atmosphere. Chapter 3 deals with the different gas laws, thermodynamics, atmospheric layer structures, instability in the atmosphere, with the resulting formation of clouds and rain. We then move onto the flow patterns in the atmosphere (winds) and oceans (currents) in Chapter 4, while also discussing cold and warm frontal systems. Finally in Chapter 5 we focus on two major crises that Atmospheric Scientists are dealing with in recent years: the Ozone Hole primarily over Antarctica, and Global Warming.
Full syllabus is to be published
