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ATMS 401

Introduction to Atmospheric Physics

Catalog2026-2027
Credits4 units
LevelUpper Division
Standard

Overview

Description

Atmospheric structure; global radiation balance; radiation scattering by gases and aerosol particles; introduction to radiation transfer; optical phenomena; atmospheric thermodynamics; cloud physics; aerosol mechanics; atmospheric electricity.

Requirements

Prerequisites

PHYS 181
Original catalog text

Prerequisites

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 181.

Units

Lecture4

Catalog Details

Offering

Offered: Every Fall

Terms

fall

Attributes

Standard

Learning Outcomes

  • articulate an understanding of how basic physical principles, such as the laws of thermodynamics, Newton’s laws, conservation laws and electromagnetism, govern the structure and general circulation of the atmosphere.
  • demonstrate a quantitative understanding of the relationships among physical variables describing atmospheric structure and dynamics, such as temperature, pressure, density, and winds through application of algebra and simple calculus to their governing equations.
  • discover how modern data and methods of atmospheric research lead to physical understanding of publicly available data sets and/or modern numerical techniques.