ACM40840 Meteorology & Climate Dynamics

Academic Year 2020/2021

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to weather and climate through atmospheric science and physical meteorology.

We will study the processes that act in the Earth's atmosphere and drive our weather and climate. We will consider the laws that govern the atmosphere, using some fundamental ideas and relationships from thermodynamics.

Students will have the opportunity to apply the basic concepts of physical meteorology to practical situations, and analyse weather and climate data from all around the world.

Students will study the processes that control climate and how it evolves. We will examine the global energy balance, and study the interactions between the atmosphere, the ocean and the land. We will describe our present climate, and introduce simple conceptual models that can account for global-scale winds, and ocean circulation. The forcing and feedback mechanisms involved in global climate change will be investigated, and we will discuss the case of human-induced greenhouse warming. Patterns in the climate, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation will be described.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students will have a basic foundation in meteorology and climate dynamics, and should be able to:
- Explain the connection between basic thermodynamic concepts (temperature, pressure, ideal gas law, hypsometric equation) and underlying molecular motion;
- Discuss the stability of dry and moist atmospheres, including the use of tephigrams;
- Quantitatively describe the absorption, emission and scattering of radiation in clear and cloudy atmospheres.
- Quantitatively describe the role of radiation and convection in determining surface and atmospheric temperatures;
- Discuss the mechanisms controlling the equator-pole temperature gradient;
- Discuss the forcing and feedback mechanisms involved in global climate change;
- Describe the dominant planetary-scale features of the atmospheric circulation and account for them in terms of plausible physical arguments.

Indicative Module Content:

Overview of Earth System
Automatic Weather Station
Basic Physics of Atmosphere
Solar and Infrared Radiation
Atmospheric Thermodynamics
Water Vapour
Atmospheric Stability
Global Circulation and Winds
Fronts and cyclones
Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

42
Small Group

6
Computer Aided Lab

24
Autonomous Student Learning

48
Total

120
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures, tutorials, enquiry and problem-based learning. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Class Test: Writen Class Test 1 Week 6 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

35
Continuous Assessment: 4 MetEd modules Varies over the Trimester n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

10
Class Test: Written Class Test 2 Week 12 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

35
Continuous Assessment: 10 online tests Throughout the Trimester n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

20

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.