METO451 - Atmospheric and Oceanic modelling
Prerequisites: Math 246 or equivalent.  The processes that regulate the earth's climate are too complicated to be represented in a laboratory.  Instead, the physical and chamical principles can be used to construct computer models of the natural system, which then serves as a base from which to conduct experiments.  In this course we introduce the student to key physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere and ocean and use these to address the important problem of short term climate variability.

Week 1 Introduction

Week 2 Structure of the atmosphere

Week 3 Motion in the atmosphere

Dynamics of a rotating fluid
hydrostatic and geostrophic equilibria
General circulation of the atmosphere

(second class will be devoted to discussion atmospheric model)

Homework #2

Week 4 modelling the atmosphere
Finite difference models
stability of finite differences
Spectral models

(second class will be devoted to:
First student presentations (5 minute presentations of results of homework #2)

Week 5 Structure in the ocean
Composition of the Ocean
Solar Radiation and wind forcing
Stability and Instability in the Ocean
Global Bugets of Heat, Water, and Salt

(2nd class will be devoted to introducing oceanic model)

Homework #3

Week 6 Motion in the Ocean

Week 7 Modelling the ocean

Finite difference models
Stability of finite differences
Level versus layer formulations

(2nd class will be devoted to:
Second student presentations (5 minute presentations based on Homework #4)

Week 8 Observed atmospheric chemistry

Ozone hole, greenhouse gases, aerosols, global warming, air pollution,
acid rain, tropospheric ozone, cloud processes
 

Week 9 Modelling atmospheric chemistry I

Global models for stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric chemistry
models (ozone, sulfur, aerosols)
Start students building atmospheric chemistry box model (start with simple
CO - NOx - O3 photochemistry, then add additional species and reactions)
Homework #5
Week 10 Modelling atmospheric chemistry II
 
Global models for stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric chemistry
models (ozone, sulfur, aerosols)

Start students building atmospheric chemistry box model (start with simple
CO - NOx - O3 photochemistry, then add additional species and reactions)

Week 11  Coupled atmosphere/ocean motion

Observed El Nino/Southern oscillation
How the atmosphere and ocean interact
Stability of the coupled system

(the second class will be devoted to introducing the coupled model)

Homework #6

Week 12  Modelling the coupled atmosphere/ocean system I

Observed El Nino/Southern oscillation
How the atmosphere and ocean interact
Stability of the coupled system

(the second class will be devoted to discussing the class projects)


Week 13  Modelling the coupled atmosphere/ocean system II
 

(both classes this week will be devoted to discussing the class projects)

Week 14  Student presentations (15 minute presentations and 6 page papers)

 
Final examination

 

The class grade will be based on:
Homework and  in-class presentations     -40%
Final Project presentation and paper        -40%
Final examination                                     -20%
 

Required reading:
A Climate Modelling Primer (Research and Developments in Climate and Climatology), K. McGuffie, Ann Henderson-Sellers, Kendal McGuffle,  John Wiley & Son Ltd; ISBN: 0471955582

Recommended reading:
Modeling Dynamic Climate Systems, Walter A. Robinson, Springer Verlag; ISBN: 0387951342