Undergraduate Course: Meteorology: Atmosphere and Environment (METE08001)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Meteorology |
Other subject area | Environmental Courses |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | 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. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2014 |
| Breakdown of 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 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| 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 | |
Summary of Intended 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. |
Assessment Information
70%: Examination at the end of First Semester in December
30%: Coursework
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.
The 2 hour exam is split into two sections: (A) 20 multiple choice questions, worth 40%; (B) 4 longer answer questions, choosing one question from each of four groups of two questions. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
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 |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Introducing Meteorology: A Guide to Weather, J. Shonk
Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey (2nd Ed), J.M. Wallace and P.V. Hobbs |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Met A&E |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr David Stevenson
Tel: (0131 6)50 6750
Email: David.S.Stevenson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Meredith Corey
Tel: (0131 6)50 5430
Email: meredith.corey@ed.ac.uk |
|
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