Undergraduate Course: Meteorology: Atmosphere and Environment (METE08001)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | An introduction to the physical processes occurring in the Earth's atmosphere. Interpretation of weather maps and satellite images, cloud types and formation, atmospheric structure, thermodynamic processes, rain formation, solar and terrestrial radiation, energy balance at the surface, cumulus and cumulonimbus convection, air pollution. |
| Course description |
Week 1: Overview, introduction to weather maps and satellite imagery
Weeks 2-3: Atmospheric structure, meteorological observations, interpreting charts
Week 4: Air masses and weather fronts
Week 5: Clouds and precipitation
Weeks 6-7: Vertical profiles through the atmosphere: physics, stability, thunderstorms
Weeks 8-9: Atmospheric radiation, surface energy balance, rainbows
Week 10: Air pollution, course review
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 30,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 12,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
150 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 70%, Course Work: 30 %
Both coursework and the exam must be passed (i.e. a mark of 40% or above). There is no option to resit coursework in the summer, unless special circumstances are a factor.
Coursework is made up of three items, each worth 10%: (i) the mid-S1 assessment - this typically involves analysis and interpretation of some meteorological data - e.g., calculations, plotting graphs, writing something; (ii) the completed lab-book - with entries for each of the eight labs; (iii) the observations test.
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Meteorology: Atmosphere and Environment | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
| By the end of the course you will have a broad knowledge of the main areas of Meteorology and you will be able to: - Use and evaluate numerical and graphical data: - Interpret weather maps in terms of local weather - Plot and interpret vertical temperature and moisture soundings - Observe, code and plot weather elements in standard format - Recognise cloud types and be able to describe their formation mechanisms - Describe the basic processes occurring in the atmospheric boundary layer - Describe and explain the structure, physics and dynamics of thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail formation - Describe the layers of the atmosphere from the surface to 100km+ - Explain the basic physics of atmospheric processes, such as radiation at the surface, water in the atmosphere and its phase changes - Carry out routine lines of enquiry into professional level problems - Undertake critical analysis and synthesis of mainstream ideas as part of the coursework assessment.
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Reading List
Introducing Meteorology: A Guide to Weather, J. Shonk
Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey (2nd Ed), J.M. Wallace and P.V. Hobbs
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Met A&E |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr David Stevenson
Tel: (0131 6)50 6750
Email: Jenni.Brown@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Matthew Hathaway
Tel: (0131 6)51 7274
Email: |
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