Here you can find the subject matter and assigned reading for every class day as well as expected homework dates.
Please check back here frequently as the schedule is subject to change.
The class meets every Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:35 - 11:30 AM in ETEC 482.
The course outline closely follows the chapters in the book A First Course in Atmospheric Thermodynamics by Grant W. Petty, Sundog Publishing, 2008
Note that exact due dates / times are given on Brightspace! The reading assignments are typically due by 11:59 pm the night before we begin covering the material in class.
Table 1:Class schedule
| Date (2024) | Class No. | Topic | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/26 | 0 | Course overview | |
| 8/28 | 1 | Math review; Physical Problem Solving | Appendix C response due |
| 8/30 | 2 | Physical Problem Solving; Pressure and hydrostatic balance | Appendix B response due |
| 9/2 | NO CLASS (Labor Day) | ||
| 9/4 | 3 | Atmospheric Composition | Chapter 1 response due; Assignment 1 handed out |
| 9/6 | 4 | Temperature and observed temperature profiles | |
| 9/9 | 5 | Thermodynamic systems and variables (video lecture will be posted on Brightspace) | Chapter 2 response due |
| 9/11 | 6 | Example problem 2.3, review of integrating separable equations | Assignment 1 due; Assignment 2 handed out |
| 9/13 | 7 | Equation of state (video lecture will be posted on Brightspace) | Chapter 3 response due. No physical class meeting this day |
| 9/16 | 8 | Equation of state for water vapor | |
| 9/18 | 9 | Equation of state for moist air | |
| 9/20 | 10 | Specific humidity and mixing ratio | Assignment 2 due; Assignment 3 handed out |
| 9/23 | 11 | Virtual temperature and buoyancy | |
| 9/25 | 12 | Ideal gas expansion laboratory demo | |
| 9/27 | 13 | Hydrostatic balance (a more careful look) | Assignment 3 due |
| 9/30 | 14 | Masses of air vs water columns; Estimating the height of ETEC from pressure measurements | Chapter 4 response due. |
| 10/2 | 15 | Homework review | |
| 10/4 | 16 | MIDTERM EXAM 1 | |
| 10/7 | 17 | Altitude dependence of g; Geopotential height | |
| 10/9 | 18 | Midterm solutions | |
| 10/11 | 19 | Thickness and the hypsometric equation | Assignment 4 handed out |
| 10/14 | NO CLASS (Fall break) | ||
| 10/16 | 20 | Idealized temperature and pressure profiles | |
| 10/18 | 21 | Standard Atmosphere and altimeter settings | Assignment 4 due |
| 10/21 | 22 | Pressure-Volume work | Chapter 5 response due |
| 10/23 | 23 | The First Law of thermodynamics | Assignment 5 handed out |
| 10/25 | 24 | Adiabatic processes and potential temperature | |
| 10/28 | 25 | Dry adiabatic lapse rate | |
| 10/30 | 26 | Enthalpy, cyclic processes and work on a Skew-T diagram | |
| 11/1 | 27 | Reversibility, entropy and the Second Law | Assignment 5 due; Chapter 6 response due. |
| 11/4 | 28 | Water vapor saturation and dewpoints | Reading response due for Chapter 7, part 1 (7.1 through 7.6) |
| 11/6 | 29 | Midterm exam review | |
| 11/8 | 30 | MIDTERM EXAM 2 | |
| 11/11 | 31 | Latent heat and example saturation problems | |
| 11/13 | 32 | The Clausius-Clapeyron Equation (introduction) | Assignment 6 handed out |
| 11/15 | 33 | The Clausius-Clapeyron Equation (details) | |
| 11/18 | 34 | Vapor lines and Lifting Condensation Level | Reading response due for Chapter 7, part 2 (7.7 through 7.10) |
| 11/20 | 35 | The Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate | |
| 11/22 | 36 | Equivalent potential temperature, wet bulb temperature and applications | Assignment 6 due; Assignment 7 handed out |
| 11/25 | 37 | Dry Static Stability | Reading response due for Chapter 8 |
| 11/27 | NO CLASS (Thanksgiving break) | ||
| 11/29 | NO CLASS (Thanksgiving break) | ||
| 12/2 | 38 | Brunt-Väisäila frequency | Assignment 7 |
| 12/4 | 39 | Conditional and potential instability | |
| 12/6 | 40 | CIN and CAPE | |
| 12/9 | 41 | Pre-exam review Q&A | LAST DAY OF CLASSES |
FINAL EXAM Tuesday December 17 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm (per the University exam calendar