Meeting Time: Mon & Wed 3:00-3:50 Duane G131
Fri 2:00-5:00 Stadium 136
Instructor: Frank Evans Duane D317 492-4994
evans@nit.colorado.edu
Office Hours: Wed 9-11 Thu 1-3
(or call, email, or drop by)
Description:
This course will cover the basic physics of, and computational methods
for, the interaction of visible and infrared radiation with the gases and
particles in planetary atmospheres. The applications will be mainly in
the role radiation plays in determining planetary temperature structure
and in climate change. The emphasis will be on the Earth's atmosphere.
Topics include:
Required Text: An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation,
Liou, 2001 (in press).
Recommended: Radiative Transfer in the Atmosphere and Ocean,
Thomas & Stamnes, 1999.
Others:
Atmospheric Radiation: Theoretical Basis, Goody and Yung, 1989.
Atmospheric Radiative Transfer, Lenoble, 1993.
Atmospheric Transmission, Emission, and Scattering, Kyle, 1991.
Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles, Bohren and Huffman, 1983.
Radiation and Cloud Processes in the Atmosphere, Liou, 1992.
Remote Sensing of the Lower Atmosphere: An Introduction, Stephens, 1994.
Prerequisites: ASTR 5110 or ATOC 5225; ATOC 5235 (Remote
Sensing) or radiative transfer experience is recommended; computer
programming experience will be useful.
Grading:
25% Computational labs
25% Homework
30% Tests (2)
20% Project
Format of the course:
I will not be lecturing in the traditional sense of presenting all the course material for you to absorb in class. Instead I will put the week's lecture notes on the class Web site by the previous Friday. Students will be expected to read the notes, and hopefully some of the assigned text reading, for the Monday and Wednesday classes. On Monday and Wednesday I'll review the notes, answer questions, and work examples with the class. Towards the end of some Wednesdays we'll have practice problem solving in groups. You should bring a calculator and your notes to every class.
Most Fridays we will have a computational laboratory in the ATOC
Weather Lab (Stadium 136). Radiative transfer is a computational
science in that almost no real world calculations are done without
computer models. The purpose of the labs will be to obtain hands on
experience in running radiative models and to learn the underlying
physics by graphing and explaining the model results.
Assignments:
There will be 11 computational labs on Fridays. You should be able to complete the lab work in the two to three hour lab period. The lab results and answers to questions will be due the following Friday.
There will be homework assignments handed out about every two weeks and due one week later. You may get help on the homework, but what you turn in must be your own work. Late homework will be accepted, but the grade will be reduced.
There will be two written tests during the semester, but no final exam. These tests will be about two hours in length and will be scheduled later (probably mid October and late November).
A research project in atmospheric radiation is required in lieu of
a final exam. The project must include using a radiative transfer model
in a well defined study. Some examples are modeling to interpret
surface flux data, developing a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model for
inhomogeneous atmospheres, modeling to develop a remote sensing
inversion algorithm, and using a radiative convective equilibrium model
to determine a planetary response to various radiative forcings. You
will describe the objectives, methods, and results in a poster
presentation during the final exam period.