GEO 250

Meteorology

This course is a study of the atmosphere and the complex processes that control weather and climate. Special attention is given to: the different forms of energy that are operative in the atmosphere and how these control temperature, the various optical phenomena that are observed in the atmosphere, the hydrologic cycle and the mechanisms of cloud formation and precipitation, air pressure and the winds that result from its differences at the surface and aloft, and the formation of air masses and their movement as frontal systems. Human interactions with atmospheric processes will be examined, including the topics of air pollution, hurricanes, tornadoes, ozone depletion, global warming, acid rain, and photochemical smog. Laboratory

Units: 4.0