Courses
In this course students are introduced to the role of critical thinking in the development of scientific theories. Several major areas of science are explored with a focus on the link between conceptual thought and the resulting physical laws. The importance to society of scientists and citizens making informed decisions on science/technology issues are examined. Methods to gather and assess data are discussed and a number of examples of the use of scientific principles to prove fact or fraud are studied. The students will learn how to question propositions put before them.
85.415 - 85.416 Advanced Atmospheric Dynamics I and II
This two-semester sequence is a, mostly theoretical advanced treatment
of Atmospheric Dynamics. The textbook is "An Introduction to Dynamic
Meteorology" by J. R. Holton. This textbook is used by many graduate
schools. The aim of these courses is for the students to develop the theoretical
understanding behind many of the forecasting models that they are exposed
to in the more applied courses. Derivation of the governing equations are
explicitly carried out in class for the purpose of enlightening the students
to how and why various approaches are chosen. By use of scale analysis,
dynamical, and physical arguments, the governing equations are related
to meteorological models and the students develop a sense for the accuracy
of the models and discuss methods that may improve the models. A goal of
these courses is to show students the tight relationship between theoretical
and observational views of the world.
85.403 Physical Meteorology
This is a course in Cloud Physics that concentrates on the study of
the microphysical and macroscopic properties of clouds. The formation,
growth, transport, and dissipation of clouds are considered. The course
focuses on the measurement of the physical, chemical, thermodynamic, and
dynamic properties of clouds. The relationship of these properties to physical
processes and their effect on the planet are examined. Examples are taken
from the current scientific literature. Students are required to write
a scientific format paper on a topic related to the course. This course
gives students a feel for the current measurement techniques employed in
cloud research and, for many, their first attempt at writing a scientific
paper.
In this course students are introduced to the role of critical thinking in the development of scientific theories. Several major areas of science are explored with a focus on the link between conceptual thought and the resulting physical laws. The importance to society of scientists and citizens making informed decisions on science/technology issues are examined. Methods to gather and assess data are discussed and a number of examples of the use of scientific principles to prove fact or fraud are studied. The students will learn how to question propositions put before them.
85.306 Environmental Problem Solving
This course
is designed to improve problem-solving skills of students. The philosophy
of the course is to develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to solve
a wide range of interdisciplinary environmental problems. As such, the
entire classroom experience is devoted to solving problems. There is much
dialogue between the students and me, as we talk our way through problems
like "How many cobblers are there in the United States?" or ?How high is
the sky?? A range of solutions are presented from "hand-waving" to exact,
how and where to find the necessary governing equations and input, how
and when to make approximations, and how to ensure that your answer is
reasonable and, hopefully, correct. The emphasis is on how and why a particular
answer is obtained more than the answer itself. The goal is that students
leave the course knowing how to think like scientists and solve problems.
85.141 Weather and Climate
A general meteorology course for the non-science major. Topics include: atmospheric composition; solar radiation; temperature; moisture and condensation; relationship between air pressure and wind; weather patterns; severe weather; optical phenomena in the atmosphere; and the behavior and possible change of climate
85.313 Physical Climatology
This course
is about the dynamics of the climate of the Earth. Taking the position
of the Earth in the solar system as the primary driving force for our climate,
we question how the planet’s orbit (seasons), energy transfer and storage,
and dynamics of the ocean and atmosphere affect the climate. The history
of Earth’s climate is studied using paleoloclimatic data sources. The greenhouse
effect is explored and anthropogenic perturbations are discussed. Students
are required to write a scientific format research paper on a climate related
journal paper. They must give a scientific presentation on their work and
answer questions. For many, this is the first oral presentation they will
give. The course exposes them to scientific writing and helps develop their
oral communication skills, both important skills as students follow their
career paths.
85.503 Remote Sensing of Atmospheres
This is a
graduate/senior level course that was developed to present to the students
the current state of the art of remote sensing techniques applied to studying
atmospheres. The course starts with a brief introduction of remote sensing,
atmospheres and their properties, electromagnetic radiation, and the interaction
of matter with electromagnetic radiation. Next, methods are presented that
exploit the properties of matter and radiation and allow measurements to
be made from a distance. From the measurements information about the terrestrial
(or other planetary) atmospheres can be extracted. The emphasis in the
course is on understanding the processes that can be exploited, on knowing
what are the strengths and weaknesses of each, and having a feeling for
the accuracy of the measurements. Due to the rapid changing technology
of remote sensing, much of the material used is from scientific journals.
The students are required to do a class project, read journal articles,
and write a scientific format paper.