Lecture Syllabus
AOS 100: Introduction to Weather and Climate
Textbook:
Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation
to the Atmosphere, Fifth Edition by C. Donald Ahrens
(Also
available via
iChapters.com in eBook and eChapter forms.)
Website:
-
www.aos.wisc.edu/~aalopez/aos100.html -
The course website will be a valuable tool for you during your AOS 100
experience. It will be updated with the latest homework assignments,
past homework solutions, announcements, exam information, lecture
outlines, and handouts. Please let me know ASAP if you have any problems
access anything on the site.
Grading:
Your final grade will be a function of 7 short answer homeworks, 3 multiple
choice mid-term exams, and a multiple choice final exam. The percentage
distribution is as follows:
- Homework: 35% (5% each)
- Midterm Exams: 45% (15% each)
- Final Exam: 20%
Exams:
All the exam dates are set (see calander/notes for dates). If you know you have
a schedule conflict, let me know ASAP so that arrangements can be made.
Each midterm will correspond to one section of the course and will be
administered during the scheduled class period.
- Exam 1 on Section 1: Earth's atmosphere and energy
- Exam 2 on Section 2: Radiative transfer and water in our atmosphere
- Exam 3 on Section 3: Force balances and wind, extra-tropical cyclone and thunderstorms
- The final exam will be slightly longer than the mid-term exams
and will be
- 60% cumulative
- 40% on Section 4: Hurricanes, climate changes and atmospheric optics
Homework:
Homework can be turned in no later than the beginning of class on the due
date. A drop box will be provided for you to turn in your assignment as
you arrive in class. Homework assignments and due dates (roughly every 2
weeks) are posted on the homework page of course website. Homeworks can be
turned in early in person to either Andrea or Nick or may be turned in
prior to the due date in my mailbox on the 8th floor of the AOS
building. Due to the large number of students in the class, homework will not
be accepted via email.
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED!
Accessibility:
If you have a documented disability and may require some accommodation
or modification in procedures, class activity, instruction, etc., please
see me early in the semester with your McBurney visa. Documentation is
provided by the McBurney Center. If you need additional information,
please contact the McBurney Center at 608-263-2741 or visit
http://www.mcburney.wisc.edu
Lecture and Readings:
This course provides and introduction to weather and climate, by no means
is it a comprehensive overview of all that weather and climate has to
offer. With that being said, I intend to use the textbook as a guide for
what we speak about in lecture, however, the text does contain several
section that we will not cover. So, how much of the reading will be on
the exam? I will provide updated reading lists on the
notes page of course website with the specific pages relevant to the
lecture material. If something you read is not covered in lecture, it will
not be on the exam. Come to class regularly to be sure of what is covered
in lecture.
I will come to class prepared to lecture but I encourage you to start a
conversation and ask questions in class if you do not understand something/
If you have a questions, chances are someone else has the same question,
go ahead and speak up. The classroom should be an open and inviting
environment so that everyone feels free to participate and discuss the
material. Everyone is responsible for creating this type of environment,
I want to ask you to leave your distractions at the door.
Please turn off your cell phone before you get to class.
iPods and cell phones must be put away and in no way will they be
tolerated during exams.
Welcome to AOS 100: Introduction to Weather and
Climate!
All of us, at some point in our lives, have been
effected by the weather. It cancels evens, starts conversations, and can
be a cause for celebration. The collection of phenomena we call the
weather is the interesting and fascinating subject of this course. As your
instructor I hope to motivate you to make the course material personal,
how do you own experiences fit in with what we're learning? In lecture
we will dissect the weather, including fronts, cyclones, severe weather,
and hurricanes, in an intelligent way while keeping in mind our own real
world examples.