Who may enroll?

The course is intended for atmospheric science majors and graduate students, but anyone who wishes to learn more about how the atmosphere works, and has had at least Calculus I, is welcome to enroll.  The more the merrier!

What is the course about?

The basics: apply the laws of thermodynamics to the atmosphere; learn how water vapor influences behavior of atmospheric flows; and describe the growth and development of clouds and cloud systems.

The details:

• Course topics and learning goals are outlined in the Course Plan
• A question-and-answer version of Our Syllabus

When will it be taught?

Class meetings are now rescheduled for 9:25-10:40 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Only a 5-minute move -- we got lucky!  I still don't know where we will meet, though.  For information about connecting to our Zoom sessions, and where to physically attend class, please visit the Canvas page.

Once the semester starts, I will leave some reference info here but we'll do everything through Canvas.

Are there prerequisites?

Ideally, you have taken EAS-A 339, or A 340, or GEOG-G 304, but that's not required.  However, you really, really need to have a calculus background or unfortunately the course will not be for you.

What to buy?

A First Course in Atmospheric Thermodynamics by Grant Petty, 2008.

Note: I originally thought about using the book by Tsonis, but changed my mind.  If you already bought that book, and can demonstrate you did so before July 1st, bring it to campus in the fall and I'll pay you back, at the list price.

For More Details

Please email Dr. Kirkpatrick at codykirk (at) indiana.edu.