12.307 Weather and Climate Laboratory
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Course contentA Laboratory Course intended to
illustrate, by means of "hands on" projects, the basic dynamical and
physical principles that govern the general circulation of the atmosphere and
ocean and the day to day sequence of weather events. Real time meteorological observations will be studied together with
laboratory fluid experiments. Click here for projects for grading and calendar. Projects based on the use of
real-time meteorological observations will stress the analysis and dynamical
interpretation of weather and climate phenomena. These will be complemented by rotating tank experiments,
which will offer the possibility of using a controlled laboratory environment to
plan an experiment, explain ideas to be tested, observe and record the data. The projects will be introduced
by means of written Assignments and by brief introductory lectures, explaining
the underlying physical and dynamical ideas.
The lecture component will be minimal, with emphasis on the planning and
discussion of each project by the students themselves. List of Projects - see calendar Project 1: Mass and Wind: balanced motion (effects of rotation: cyclostrophic, geostrophic and ageostrophic) (Geostrophic/Ageostrophic Flow)
Project 2: Fronts (Hydrostatic balance and thermal wind shear)
Project 3: Convection (Thermodynamics)
Project 4: General Circulation and Climate
Students will be asked to critically summarize the results of each project in a written 'Project Report', on which grades will be based. There is a new 'project theme' every three weeks (see calendar), a total of four during the semester. Each comprises an atmospheric data component and a fluids laboratory component. Students are also required to
present their projects orally to the whole class. It is our intent to give to the students not only an
opportunity to develop oral presentation skills but also a chance to discuss
results with their peers. |
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