CLIM 759 Atmospheric Convection
- Course Objective
To provide a deep understanding of the structure and theory of atmospheric moist convection, particularly as it relates to the structure and sensitivity of climate system.
- Course Outline
Part I: How do individual clouds work
- Review and basic concepts
- Moist thermodynamic proces
- Thermodynamic Diagrams
- Characteristics of non-precipitating clouds
- Characteristics of precipitating clouds
Part II: How do large collections of clouds interact with the large-scale circulation
- Stevens, B., 2005: Atmospheric moist convection. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 33, 605-643.
- Houze, R. A., 2018: 100 Years of research on mesoscale convective systems. Meteological Monographs, 59, 17.1-17.54.
- Wood, R., 2012: Review stratocumulus clouds. Monthly Weather Review, 140, 2373-2432.
- Clouds effects on the Radiation Budget
- Slingo A. and J. M. Slingo, 1988: The response of a general circulation model to cloud longwave radiative forcing. I: Introduction and initial experiments. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 114, 1027-1062.
- Slingo J. M. and A. Slingo, 1991: The response of a general circulation model to cloud radiative forcing. II: Further studies. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 117, 333-364.
- Oker-Bell and D. Hartmann, 1992: The effect of cloud type on the earth's energy balance: results from selected regions, Journal of Geophysical Research, 86, 9739-9760.
- Class Approach
The methods of conducting the class will be divided into two general approaches:
- The lecture-question method, in which the instructor delivers the lectures on the introductory subjects listed in Part I. When the class meets the next time it is opened with a question period during which the lecturer quizzes the students on the subject matter of the previous week's lecture and reading in connection with it.
- Discussing in the class the papers listed in Part II, in which students will receive reading assignments and will be asked to explain/present it in their own words.