Catalog Course Search Details

 Department:    EASC

 Course #:    102

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    5.5

 CIP:    400703

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2024

 Course Description  

A survey of atmospheric science, emphasizing weather observation and global viewpoint. Forecasting, weather map interpretation, physics and chemistry of the atmosphere, and optics. The interaction between human activity and the atmosphere is stressed. Lab included.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: ENGL 099 with a grade of "C" or higher (or placement into college-level English); and either placement into OR co-enrollment in OR completion of a college-level Math course with a grade of "C" or higher.

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 44

Lab: 22

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0

Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Natural Sciences  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify common weather patterns using weather charts, and know what the patterns imply for local and regional weather.
2. Identify clouds and cloud elevations, and use this knowledge along with surface winds and barometric pressure to make fairly accurate weather predications when outdoors.
3. Know how the physics of the atmosphere controls not only weather and climate, but also distribution of pollution and optical behavior.
4. Know how global and regional climate interacts with geography, seasonal air patterns, ocean circulation, and human culture (for example, monsoons, urban heat islands, photochemical pollution).
5. Know some basic ideas about the possibilities of global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, and other large-scale climatic changes, and understand the ramifications of various courses of action to address these problems.
6. Identifies the ways in which cultural expectations, assumptions and beliefs define who we are, how others see us, and influence how others and we perform science.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

Course Contents

1. Introduction, Basic physics of gases and water
2. Energy, Heat, and Temperature-Equation of State
3. Optics. Refraction/dipersion and rainbows
4. Clouds and Rain-BF process; Lapse rates, Instability
5. Wind I: pressure gradient force, Coriolis force, Pressure
6. Wind II: Fronts, Jet Stream, Convergence
7. Midlatitude cyclones, clyconogenesis, monsoons
8. Major storms: hurricanes, tornados, wind storms
9. Climate-regional pattersn, variations, ice ages
10. Air pollution I-chemistry adn distribution, local effects
11. Air pollution II-Global and regional (ozone depletion, greenhouse warming)