The purpose of this class is to learn fundamental meteorology from global to regional scales and its practical use in various science and engineering fields, thereby providing the intellectual basis for tackling global warming and/or urban heat island effects.
Students will be able to:
(1) Obtain the intellectual basis to examine global climate changes by understanding the mechanism of global wind, heat and water circulations
(2) Obtain the intellectual basis to examine regional climate changes by understanding the mechanism of regional wind, heat and water circulations
Wind, temperature and water circulations from global to regional scales: Meteorology over various land surfaces: Human and Climate
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
The topics offered are not comprehensive but intended for wide and practical use in interdisciplinary fields. The lecture highlights the mechanism and physical background of interesting meteorological phenomena. Several exercises will contribute to deepen the understanding the physics.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Global surface temperature | Understand the mechanism of the globe surface temperature with radiative equilibrium and greenhouse gas effect. |
Class 2 | Global atmospheric circulation | Understand the mechanism of global atmospheric circulation including the Hadley circulation and the Westerlies with baroclinic instability |
Class 3 | Global water circulation | Understand the mechanism of global water circulation. Where and how much water exist on the globe? How frequently does the existing water exchange? |
Class 4 | Vertical profile of the atmosphere | Learn the vertical profile of the temperature, pressure and density within the troposphere, and understand the concept of potential temperature. |
Class 5 | Atmsopheric stability of dry air | Understand the atmospheric stability of dry air using adiabatic laps rate and potential temperature gradient. |
Class 6 | Atmsopheric stability of moist air | Understand the atmospheric stability of moist air using the concepts of latent instability and/or convective instability. |
Class 7 | Cloud and rainfall | Learn the life cycle of cumulus cloud, its deformation due to wind shear, and organized squall line |
Class 8 | Review the former half of the class and the mid-term examination | Review important concepts learned in the former half of the class and confirm achievement by the mid-term examination |
Class 9 | Atmospheric boundary layer | The troposphere can be divided into the atmospheric boundary layer below adjacent to the surface and free atmosphere above. Learn the difference of physics between these two layers |
Class 10 | Surface layer | Understand the mechanism of surface layer formation in which vertical profiles of variables such as temperature, wind and humidity follow the simple similarity law. |
Class 11 | Local circulations | Learn the mechanism of local circulations including see-land breezes and katabatic-anabatic winds, and understand their influence on the regional climate. |
Class 12 | Surface energy balance | Understand the concept of surface energy balance with relevant land surface parameters. |
Class 13 | Forest meteorology | Understand the characteristics of energy balance and weather produced by forests. |
Class 14 | Urban meteorology | Understand the characteristics of energy balance and weather produced by cities. |
Class 15 | Bio meteorology | Understand the influence of climate on human health and thermal sensation. |
Nothing
Nothing
mid-term examination(40%)
exercise (20%)
term-end examination(40%)
Nothing