Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences

Provides undergraduate students in atmospheric sciences a basic grounding in the principles of atmospheric radiation. In particular: 1) Students will show an understanding of atmospheric radiation processes; 2) Students will recognize the mathematical framework and physical principles of atmospheric radiation; 3) Students will use the mathematical skill and physical principles to solving atmospheric radiation problems.

1. Introduction
   1.1  Relevance to Climate and Weather
   1.2  Relevance to Remote Sensing
2. Properties of Radiation
   2.1  The Nature of Electromagnetic Radiation
   2.2  Frequency
   2.3  Polarization
   2.4  Energy
   2.5  A Mathematical Description of EM Waves
   2.6  Quantum Properties of radiation
   2.7  Flux and Intensity
   2.8  Insolation
3. The Electromagnetic Specgrum
   3.1  Frequency, Wavelength and Wavenumber
   3.2  Major Spectral Bands
   3.3  SOlar and Terrestrial Radiation and Energy
4. Reflection and Refraction
   4.1  Index of Refraction
   4.2  Rainbow and Halos
5. Radiative Properties and Natural Surfaces
   5.1  Natural Surface Idealized as Planar Boundaries
   5.2  Absorption and Reflectivity
   5.3  Angular Distribution of Reflected Spectra
   5.4  Solar Heating and Vis/IR SAtellite Imaging
6. Thermal Emission
   6.1  Blackbody Radiation
   6.2  Emissivity
   6.3  Thermal Emission Applications
   6.4  Radiative Cooling and Global Radiation Balance
7. Atmospheric Transmission
   7.1  Extinction, Scattering and Absorption Coefficients
   7.2  Extinction over a Finite Path
   7.3  Plane Parallel Approximation
   7.4  Optical Thickness and Transmission of clouds
8. Atmospheric Emission
   8.1  Schwarzschild's Equation
   8.2  Radiative Transfer in a Plane parallel Atmosphere
   8.3  Emission Spectrum, Profile Retrieval and Water Vapor Imaging
9. Absorption by Atmospheric Gases
   9.1  Basis for Molecular Absorption/Emission
   9.2  Absorption/Emission Lines
   9.3  Line Shapes
   9.4  Continuum Absorption
   9.5  Atmospheric absorptoion in the IR
10. Broadband Fluxes and Heating Rates in the Cloud-free atmosphere
    10.1  Line-by-line calculation
    10.2  Band Transmission Models
    10.3  The K-Distribution Method
    10.4  Fluxes and Radiative Heating/cooling
11. RadiativeiTransferlEquilibrium (RTE) with Scattering
    11.1  RTE with Scattering
    11.2  The Scattering Phase Function
    11.3  Single vs Multiple Scattering
    11.4  Atmospheric Visibility

Petty, G.: A first course in Atmospheric Radiation, 2nd Edition, Sundog Publishing, Wisconsin, Madison, USA, ISBN-13:978-0-9729033-1-8

Periodic homework is assigned and is due at the start of the class indicated. Late submission without a grade penalty will be accepted only in case of sickness or pre-approval from instructor granted on the day the homework is assigned. Homework will be graded and returned. For each homework, you will submit a reflection which will allow you to think critically about the work you did after you have completed it. Students are required to keep a journal for the course and submit journal entries periodically. There will be one midterm exam during the semester and a Final. Exams are designed to test basic concepts and are closed books and closed notes.