NATS 101 Intro to Weather and Climate Section 32: 9:00 am MWF Bio W 301 Lecturer: Prof. Xubin Zeng TA: Koichi Sakacguchi

Lecture 1-Nats 1012 Who Am I?

Lecture 1-Nats 1013 Vital Statistics Office Hours: Dr. Zeng – WR 2:00-2:50 pm or by Appointment, PAS Mr. Sakaguchi – MF 11:00-12:00 am, PAS 526 Required Text: Essentials of Meteorology-An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 5 th Ed. by C. Donald Ahrens

Lecture 1-Nats 1014 Course Description Introduction to the science of weather processes and climate change: atmospheric structure and composition, energy balance, clouds and precipitation, wind systems, fronts, cyclones, weather forecasting, thunderstorms, lightning, hurricanes, ozone hole, air pollution, global warming and optical phenomena.

Lecture 1-Nats 1015 Course Description Emphasis will be given to phenomena that have strong impacts on human activities. The fundamental importance of physics, chemistry and mathematics will be noted. Atmospheric Sciences  Applied Physics

Lecture 1-Nats 1016 Attendance Policy Attendance is mandatory, and I reserve the right to tally it throughout the term. After three unexcused absences prior to week 9, I will submit to the Office of Curriculum and Registration an administrative drop from the course and assign a grade in accordance with UA policy.

Lecture 1-Nats 1017 Student Behavior UA Code of Academic Integrity, Code of Conduct and Student Code of Conduct are enforced in this course. Every student is responsible for learning these codes and abiding by them. Students can submit complaints online at

Lecture 1-Nats 1018 Grading Policy

Lecture 1-Nats 1019 Final Examination Section 32 (9:00 am MWF): Bio W 301 Dec 14, 8:00 am - 10:00 pm No Exceptions per UA Policy

Lecture 1-Nats Course Grading Course Grading Scale A 90% or higher B % C % D % E< 55.0%

Lecture 1-Nats Expectations Every student is expected to: Complete all of the assigned reading before the lecture, unless you hear otherwise. Devote a minimum of 2 hours outside of class studying, reading, etc. for every hour of classroom lecture. Unit Credit DefinitionUnit Credit Definition dismissedAttend class daily, arrive on time, leave when class is dismissed (courtesy to peer students).

Lecture 1-Nats The Golden Rule Instructor and students all show: Mutual Respect! What exemplifies respectful behavior? No talking No electronics Arriving on time Remaining seated

Lecture 1-Nats Literacy Requirements Although the writing requirement for this course is negligible, there is a science literacy requirement. This means that we: Use scientific notation for writing numbers (especially rather large or small ones). Specify units of physical quantities (e.g. meters for elevation, etc.). Attempt to quantify physical relationships.

Lecture 1-Nats Announcements Course Homepage…is functional! Click Students and Courses Click Course Links Click NATS101 – Zeng

Lecture 1-Nats Class Format: Lecture Days

Lecture 1-Nats Importance of Atmosphere Necessary for a wide spectrum of features Oceans Clouds, Rain, Fresh Water Erosion by Water and Wind Life, Life on Land Blue Skies, Red Sunsets, Twilight Sound

Lecture 1-Nats Importance of Atmosphere Point 1- Offers Protection Consider surface temperatures Without atmosphere? 0 o F average, large day-night swings Similar to the Moon’s Climate With atmosphere… 60 o F average, moderate diurnal swings

Lecture 1-Nats Importance of Atmosphere Point 2 - Offers Protection Consider Surface Radiation Shields against harmful UV radiation

Lecture 1-Nats Importance of Atmosphere Consider Survival Time Without Food  few weeks Without Water  few days Without Air  few minutes

Lecture 1-Nats To Understand the Atmosphere Examine its interfaces with land/ocean with space Sun Space Earth Atmosphere 13,000 km Is a very thin skin 99% below 50 km (31 miles) 50% below 5.5 km (3.4 miles) Atmosphere Picture Energy Flow Solar Input = Output to Space

Lecture 1-Nats NASA photo gallery Note “thinness” of atmosphere in light blue

Lecture 1-Nats Course Building Blocks Intro  1 st week or so Energy  ~2 weeks Moisture  ~2 weeks Dynamics  ~3 weeks Above are interdependent Specific Topics  ~6 weeks

Lecture 1-Nats Reading Assignment "How to a Professor" Article"How to a Professor" Homepage Link “Reading Assignments” Ahrens Pages 1-13