Atmospheric Science Courses

16:107:532 Atmospheric Physics (3)* Syllabus
Instructor: Mark Miller
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
The atmospheric physics of gravitation, clouds and aerosols, precipitation, energy and momentum transfer, solar and terrestrial radiation, optics, acoustics.

16:107:536 Air Sampling and Analysis Techniques (3)
Prerequisite: 11:375:421 or equivalent
Instructor: Mainelis
Theory and laboratory exercises in ambient and indoor air sampling. Topics range from classical air sampling trains to the use of state-of-art direct-reading instrumentation, and measurements of airborne nanoparticles and airborne biological agents.

16:107:539 Introduction to Radiative Transfer in the Atmosphere and Ocean (3)
Instructor: Mark Miller
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Theory and simple models of radiative transfer in the ocean and atmosphere. Current research utilizing these techniques, including modeling clouds, aerosols and climate, and environmental remote sensing.

16:107:544 Modeling of Climatic Change (3) Syllabus
Instructor: Robock
Prerequisites: At least one graduate course in meteorology, oceanography, or physical geography. Knowledge of a high-level programming language, such as FORTRAN or C.
Climate models, including energy-balance, radiative-convective, and general circulation models. Actual practice running climate models and analyzing output.

16:107:545 Physical Climatology (3)* Syllabus
Instructor: Robock
Prerequisite: A basic course in meteorology or climatology.
The climate system, surface-energy balance, past climate variations, climate-feedback mechanisms, climate modeling, causes of climate change, detection and attribution of anthropogenic climate change.

16:107:553 Mechanisms of Past Climate Change (3) Syllabus
Instructor: Broccoli
Prerequisite: Graduate-level coursework in meteorology, oceanography, geology, or physical geography.
Mechanisms responsible for changes in climate during Earth's distant past, including orbital forcing of climate change, millennial-scale climate variability, and past changes in tropical atmosphere-ocean interaction.

16:107:603,604 Independent Study in Atmospheric Science (BA,BA)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
The student conducts an independent comprehensive literature review and investigation of meteorological areas of interest other than the thesis topic. Regular reports of progress made in conference.

16:107:605,606 Special Topics in Atmospheric Science (3,3)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Selected topics in atmospheric science. Current literature and recent advances.

16:107:671,672 Seminar in Atmospheric Science (1,1)
Prerequisites: 11:670:323, 324, or equivalent.
Review of recent advances in atmospheric science.

16:107:701,702 Research in Atmospheric Science (BA,BA)
Research in atmospheric science.

Courses in other graduate programs that are part of our curriculum or recommended for our students:

16:375:524 Source Control of Atmospheric Pollution (3)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Instructor: Turpin
Principles, operation, performance, and application of methods and devices to control aerosol and gaseous emissions.

16:375:540 Atmospheric Chemistry (3)*
Prerequisite: 11:375:421 or permission of instructor
Air pollutants, trace gases, and aerosols discussed in terms of their observed distribution in time and space; sources and sinks in the atmosphere and its boundaries; budgets and cycles. Emphasis on tropospheric chemical reactions.

16:180:563 Advanced Hydrology (3)
Instructor: Staff
Hydrologic processes and modeling: evapotranspiration, infiltration, precipitation and snow melt, overland flow, subsurface and surface flow relations, channel and watershed routing; hydraulic flood routing, numerical methods; watershed modeling; stochastic processes in hydrology; flood and drought risks, flood plain analysis and management.

16:650:636 Turbulence (3)
Prerequisite: 16:650:530
Physical aspects and methods of analysis of turbulent flows; scaling laws, modeling techniques, and statistical description of turbulence; application to problems in engineering science and geophysical fluid dynamics.

16:650:640 Acoustics (3)
Pre- or co-requisite: 16:642:530 Undergraduate fluid mechanics / Advanced mathematics
Sound-wave propagation in gases and liquids. Reflection and transmission phenomena. Emission and absorption of sound.

16:712:501 Physical Oceanography (3)*
Prerequisite: One year of college calculus and college physics.
Instructors: James Miller, Chant, and Haidvogel (in rotation: two on, one off)
The physical and chemical properties of sea water; sound and radiation in the oceans; heat, water, and momentum exchange at air-sea interface; tides, waves, and currents.

16:712:502 Large Scale Ocean and Atmosphere Dynamics (3)* Syllabus
Prerequisite: 16:712:501 or permission of instructor
Instructors: Haidvogel and Levin
The theoretical basis for the observed large-scale, atmospheric and ocean circulation is presented. Topics include: derivation of the three-dimensional equations of motion; vorticity and energy; the planetary boundary layer; synoptic-scale motions; linear waves; hydrodynamic instability; the general circulation on the sphere; the effects of boundaries on large-scale horizontal flow; and vertical structure and motion.

16:712:552 Remote Sensing of Oceans and Atmospheres (3)* Syllabus
Prerequisite: Permission of instructors
Instructors: Mark Miller, James Miller, Wilkin
This course provides an introduction to physical principles of remote sensing; an overview of past, present, and future instruments on satellites, aircraft, the surface, and under the ocean; and a description of many applications in oceanography and atmospheric sciences.

16:712:560 History of Earth Systems (3)
Instructor: Falkowski
Prerequisite: Introductory chemistry, biology, and physics or by permission.
This course integrates atmospheric, oceanographic, geological and biological concepts with a historical perspective to introduce the student to the major processes that have shaped Earth's environment. The course will examine climatic processes on geological time scales, the evolution of organisms, the cycling of elements, and the feedbacks between these processes.

16:712:603 Numerical Modeling of the Atmosphere and Ocean I (3)
Instructors: Haidvogel and Levin
Prerequisites:\ 16:712:615, or equivalent basic programming skills.
Introduction to techniques used to model geophysical fluid systems: approximation of functions and equations; finite difference, finite element, Fourier and spectral methods; advection algorithms; parameterization and smoothing; model testing and evaluation.

16:712:604 Numerical Modeling of the Atmosphere and Ocean II: Coupled Systems (3)
Instructors: Haidvogel, Fuchs, and Levin
Prerequisites: 16:712:501 Physical Oceanography or by instructor permission.
Introduction to topical approaches to the modeling of coupled geophysical systems; meridional circulation and geochemical cycling; coupled physical/biological response in the surface ocean, steady-state geochemical box models; one-dimensional (vertical) circulation models; various types of least-squares estimation (e.g., for data assimilation).

16:712:615 Geophysical Data Analysis (3)*
Instructors: Chant, Wilkin
Prerequisites: Calculus, differential equations, linear algebra.
Quantitative analysis and display of spatial and time-series data; filters; spectral analysis; covariance; coherence; confidence intervals; goodness-of-fit; optimal interpolation of unequally spaced data; empirical orthogonal functions; and harmonic analysis. Practical exercises using Matlab to analyze data from marine and environmental instruments, satellites, and climatologies. Communicating quantitative results to an audience.

16:960:590 Design of Experiments (3)
Prerequisite: 01:960:484 or 401 or equivalent.
Fundamental principles of experimental design; completely randomized variance component designs; randomized blocks; Latin squares; incomplete blocks; partially hierarchic mixed-model experiments; factorial experiments; fractional factorials; and response surface exploration.