Course

20806245 Weather and Climate
Course Information
Description
Weather & Climate examines the variability of atmospheric elements such as temperature, precipitation, clouds, and wind. Topics include storm systems, fronts, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and forecasting, climate & climate change, seasonal patterns, air composition, global wind systems, and meteorological challenges.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies (Course Outcomes)
  1. Explore the many integrated and interactive atmospheric and climatic events and processes occurring over a wide range of time and space scales.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  2. Examine the formation and evolution of the Earth's atmospheric chemical composition and physical properties.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  3. Discuss basic atmospheric physics, such as air/surface interaction, cloud and precipitation formation, lightning, atmospheric chemistry, radiative transfer, and atmospheric optics.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  4. Discuss basic atmospheric dynamics, including local, regional, and global vertical and horizontal wind circulation patterns.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  5. Analyze the role and impact of severe weather, including storms, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, droughts, and other weather-related phenomena.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  6. Examine how different weather information is collected, analyzed, interpreted, including surface observations, upper air observations, radar, satellite, and other related weather products.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  7. Explore the weather forecasting process. Examine and discuss how and why weather systems move and evolve.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper
    Criteria
    Describe how and why weather systems move and evolve

  8. Examine past, current, and future climate change.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  9. Explore how different proxy information is collected, analyzed, and interpreted related to climate change.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  10. Discuss the role of the ocean and the atmosphere in modulating the response to solar forcing.
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, written paper

  11. Describe a significant weather event that impacted you.
    Assessment Strategies
    Report

This Outline is under development.