ATM 551 - Introduction to Atmospheric Science
Course Description: This core graduate course covers the basics of atmospheric science including atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric dynamics, weather systems, the boundary layer, and climate dynamics.
ATM 614 - Introduction to Weather and Climate
Course Description: This course will cover the structure, physics, dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere; including weather analysis, weather forecasting, climate and climate change. Contemporary topics covered in this class will include global warming, the ozone hole, hurricanes, thunderstorms and other severe weather phenomena.
ATM 653 - Climate Change
Course Description: Overview of the physical processes which regulate the earth's climate and response to forcing.
ATM 683 - Topics in Climate Dynamics
Course Description: The field of climate dynamics is rapidly evolving. There are a number of issues that are being hotly debated within the scientific community as well as in public arenas, but which are not covered in textbooks or traditional climate dynamics courses. The goal of this course is to expose students to emerging topics in the literature, and to have them critically evaluate journal articles to identify advances as well as the questions that remain open.
ATM 732 - Climate Dynamics
Course Description: Basic understanding of the Earth's Climate System and its variability on time scales ranging from weeks to millennia. Topics include internal atmospheric variability, coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the theory, observations and modeling of climate change.
ATM 765 - General Circulation of the Atmosphere
Course Description: Course topics include structure and behavior of planetary scale motions, energy, momentum, and moisture budgets of the general circulation, and models of the general circulation and climatic change.
ATM 768 - ENSO Dynamics, Prediction and Predictability
Course Description: This course will provide students with a comprehensive observational and mechanistic understanding of the El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomen a and how ENSO impacts the natural variability of the global climate system. Topics will include: Observations and theories of the seasonal and interannual changes in the ocean circulation and temperature, and interactions with the atmosphere; equations of motion and theories of tropical ocean and atmosphere circulation; tropical wave dynamics; large scale air-sea coupling; mechanisms for EN SO: delayed oscillator theory, recharge oscillator theory, slow SST modes; ENSO prediction and predictability; ENSO-monsoon-Indian Ocean intersctions; Global climate response to ENSO; decadal ENSO variability; ENSO in a changing climate. This course has a phenomenological focus, which complements current MPO course offerings. In particular, students who have taken dynamic and physical meteorology, ocean general circulation or geophysical fluid dynamics will be exposed to how general theory (e.g., wave dynamics) relates to particular phenomena an d current research foci. In addition, student will have the opportunity to design and implement numerical hypothesis testing experiments.
RSM 620 - Climate and Society
Course Description: Climate is one of the most salient public policy issues across local, regional, national, and international scales today. Assessing and managing the risks posed by climate variability and change, now and in the future, is a major driver of national policy and is an issue of lively public debate. This course starts with an examination of the changing relationships between climate and societies through history with a focus on the role that climate science has played. Through the course we examine the direct and indirect consequences of climate variability and change for society, both now and potentially in the future. These consequences - physical effects, policy responses, economics, risk perceptions, discourses, and debates - will be examined from a number of different disciplinary perspectives. By the end of the course, you will understand both the science and how the science has been used in a number of different contexts.
RSM 672 - Introduction to Science Policy
Course Description: This graduate level course provides an introduction to some of the fundamental concepts in science policy and public policy. It is designed for graduate students in the physical and biological science disciplines who want to gain an understanding of science in societal contexts. Through this course, students will learn the basics for scientists engaging in the policy and political processes. It will provide an opportunity for scientists to learn to become as disciplined about policy as they are their own science.
