METR Course Descriptions
[ES] 140. Severe and Unusual Weather (3 cr). Prereq: MATH 101 or equivalent. METR 140 will not count toward the major in meteorology.
Meteorological basics to help understand ice storms, blizzards,tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, droughts and other unusual weather.
[ES] [IS] 200. Weather and Climate (4 cr) Lec, lab. Prereq: MATH 101 or equivalent.
Physical behavior of the atmosphere; elements of weather and climate and their distribution over the earth. Weather map analysis and forecasting. Atmospheric circulation, precipitation processes, severe weather, air pollution, and the use of weather radar. Concepts of weather forecasting.
205. Introduction to Atmospheric Science (4 cr). Prereq: MATH 106 or 108H; METR 200; PHYS 211.
Conceptual foundations for synoptic and dynamic meteorology. Meteorological data analysis, the dynamics of atmospheric motions, and atmospheric thermodynamics.
[ES] [IS] 370. Basic and Applied Climatology (3 cr). Prereq: METR 200 or permission.
Processes that give rise to spatial and temporal differences in climate. Various interralationships between humans and climate including: influence of climate on building styles, the economy,, water resources, human health, and cosiety as well as humans' inadvertent and purposeful modification of the atmosphere.
399. Independent Study (1-24 cr, max). Prereq: Permission.
399H. Honors Course (1-4 cr). Prereq: Admission to the University Honors Program or by invitation; candidate for degree with distinction or with high distinction or with highest distinction in the College of Arts and Sciences; and permission..
408/808. Microclimate: The Biological Environment (AGRO, GEOG, HORT, NRES 408/808, WATS 408) (1-4 cr). Prereq: Junior standing, MATH 106 or equivalent, 5 hrs physics, major in any of the physical or biological sciences or engneering; or permission.
Physical factors that create the biological environment. Radiation and energy balances of earth's surfaces, terrestrial and marine. Temperature, humidity, and wind regimes near the surface. Control of the physical environment through irrigation, windbreaks, frost protection, manipulation of light, and radiation. Applications to air polution research. Instruments for measuring environmental conditions and remore sensing of the environment.
411/811. Dynamic Meteorology I (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: CSCE 150E; MATH 208; METR 205; PHYS 211/211H.
Equations of thermodynamics, momentum, and continuity are derived and applied to atmospheric motion. Energy conservation, flows and conversions.
412/812. Dynamic Meteorology II (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: CSCE 150E; MATH 208; METR 411/811; PHYS 211/211H.
Applications of the principles of dynamic meteorology to the problems of forecasting and meteorological problems.
415/815. General Circulation of the Atmosphere (3) Lec 3. Prereq: Junior standing, MATH 106; METR205, 475; PHYS 211,221; and permission.
Development of the atmospheric circulation regimes, from planetary scale (e.g., the planetary waves) to synoptic scale (e.g., the cyclones and anticyclones) and mesoscale, their seasonal variations, and their roles in horizontal and vertical energy and water transports and budgets in the Earth system.
423/823. Physical Meteorology (4 cr) Lec 4. Prereq: CSCE 150E; METR 205; PHYS 212.
Physical principles that provide the foundation for meteorology, including the absorption, scattering, and transmission of radiation in the atmosphere, cloud physics, precipitation process, stmospheric optics and lightning.
428/828. Atmospheric Chemistry (3) Lec 3. Prereq: Chem 109; 6 hrs METR.
Basic processes (e.g., emission, transport, chemical reaction, and deposition) associated with atmospheric chemistry and combining meteorology and atmospheric chemistry for air quality forecasting. Environmental topics: acid rain, smog, air pollution, and ozone holes in the context of climate change.
441/841. Synoptic Meteorology (4 cr) Lec 3, lab 2. Prereq: METR 205.
Dynamic and thermodynamic concepts and principles are applied to synoptic-scale weather forecasting. Dynamics, energetics, structure, evolution, and motion of extratropical cyclones emphasized. Meteorological communications, interpretation and analysis of weather maps, and thermodynamic diagrams covered during laboratory periods.
[IS] 442/842. Advanced Synoptic Meteorology-Climatology (4 cr) Lec 3, lab 1. Prereq: METR 441/841.
Analysis and forecasting of subsynoptic scale weather systems.Includes convection, thunderstorm models, severe local storm forecasting techniques, mesoscale convective complexes, vertical cross-sections, isentropic analysis, and weather radar.
443/843. Severe Storms Meteorology-Climatology (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: METR 205.
Dynamics of various types of severe weather (blizzards, flash floods, lightning, thunderstorms and winter and summer tornado outbreaks), with emphasis on an interpretation of the numerical and statistical models utilized to forecast these phenomena. Numerous synoptic case studies of severe weather occurrences supplemented by review of recent research findings as presented in the professional journals.
450/850. Climate and Society (AGRO, GEOG 450/850; NRES 452/852) (3 cr). Prereq: METR 200 0r 370 or equivalent, or permission. Offered spring semester of even-numbered calendar years.
Impact of climate and extreme climatic events on society and societal responses to those events. Global in scope and interdisciplinary.
454/854. Statistical Analysis of Atmospheric Data (3) Lec 3. Prereq: MATH 107; 6 hrs METR.
463/863. Radar Meteorology (3) Lec 3.
464/864. Satellite Meteorology (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: METR 205.
Concepts and principles related to meteorological observations from satellites. Applications to weather analysis and forecasting.
465/865. Satellite Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere (3) Lec 3. Prereq: MATH 107; 6 hrs METR.
Principles of atmospheric radiation and techniques for satellite image processing. Application of data calibration, image registration and enhancement, noise filtering and multi-spectral classification of satellite imageries. Survey of various satellite sensors used for monitoring different atmospheric processes and constituents.
469/869. Bio-atmospheric Instrumentation (AGRO, GEOG, MSYM 469/869; HORT 407/807) (3 cr I) Lec 2/ lab 1. Prereq: Junior standing; MATH 106; 4 hrs physics; physical or biological science major. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered calendar years.
Discussion and practical application of principles and practices of measuring meteorological and related variables near the earth's surface including temperature, humidity, precipitation, pressure, radiation and wind. Performance characteristics of sensors and nodern data collection methods are discussed and evaluated.
470/870. The Climate System (3) Lec 3.
Maintenance of the climate system and climate change over time. Global budgets of energy, water, and momentum and their balance. Development of simple, physically-based models of climate and climate change.
475/875. Physical Climatology (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: METR 205.
Global energy and water balance regimes of the earth and its atmosphere. Utilization of physical laws to reveal causes and effects of interrelationships in the climatic system.
[IS] 478/878. Regional Climatology (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: METR 370.
Regional differentiation of the climates of the earth on both a descriptive and dynamic basis. Analysis of the chief systems of climatic classification.
483/883. Global Climate Change (NRES 467/867) (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: MATH 106;5 hrs PHYS; METR 475/875. Offered fall semester of even-numbered calendar years.
Elements of climate systems, El Nino and/or LaNina cycle and monsoons, natural variability of climate on interannual and interdecadal scales. Paleoclimate, and future climate, developed climate change scenarios and climate change impacts on natural resources and the environment.
487/887. Earth's Climate: Past, Present, Future (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: 6 hrs METR or 6 hrs GEOL.
How the Earth's climate has varied and the forcing mechanisms related to those changes. Themes that reappear through Earth's climate history and into the future; causes of climate change; the natural response times of the multiple components; and the role of greenhouse gases within the climate system at differing time scales.
495/895. Internship in Meteorology-Climatology (1-6 cr, max ) Fld. Prereq: Permission. Pass/ No Pass only. Only 3 cr hrs of METR 495 may be applied to the major and/or minor in meteorology-climatology.
Application of meteorology-climatology learning with on-the-job training.
498/898. Special Topics in Meteorology- Climatolo (1-24 cr, max). Prereq: Permission.
499. Independent Study (1-24 cr, max). Prereq: Prior agreement with instructor and permission.
499H. Honors Courses (1-4 cr). Prereq: Admission to the University Honors Program or by invitation, candidate for degree with distinction or with high distinction or with highest distinction in hte College of Arts and Sciences, and permission..
903. Seminar in Meteorology and Climatology (3 cr) Lec 3.
907. Agricultural Climatology (AGRO, HORT, NRES 907) (3 cr II). Prereq: NRES 808; STAT 801 or equivalent. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered calendar years.
Analysis and use of climatological data as applied to agricultural activities and the use of climatological information to assist in decision making.
908. Solar Radiation Interactions at the Earth's Surface (AGRO, HORT, NRES 908) (3 cr II). Prereq: MATH 208, NRES 808, or equivalent or permission. Offered spring semester of even-numbered calendar years.
Quantitative study of radiative transfer to the earth's surface and subsequent interactions of radiation with vegetative components and underlying surfaces. Applications of canopy radiative modeling and remote sensing techniques, particularly in understanding land-surface processes, are discussed.
987. Seminar in Climatic Change (3 cr).
Climates of the past emphasizing the Quaternary period. Paleogeographic changes in response to climatic fluctuations. Techniques for recording and reconstructing past climatic variations. Modeling the changing climate. Climatic changes and human affairs.
