The following classes are taught by Jan Lenaerts:

ATOC-5050: Atmospheric Thermodynamics & Dynamics (Fall 2017, Fall 2019)

Covers atmospheric motion and its underlying mathematical and physical principles. Explores the dynamics of the atmosphere and the mathematical laws governing atmospheric motion. Topics include atmospheric composition and thermodynamics, conservation laws, geostrophic balance, vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, and baroclinic instability. Department enforced prereq., one year of college chemistry and calculus-based physics and math up through differential equations. ATOC graduate core course.  Typically offered in fall.

ATOC-1050: Weather and the Atmosphere (Spring 2019, Fall 2020)

Introduces principles of modern meteorology for nonscience majors, with emphasis on scientific and human issues associated with severe weather events. Includes description, methods of prediction, and impacts of blizzards, hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, floods, and firestorms.

NEW: ATOC 4500/7500: Ice Sheets and Climate (Spring 2020, Spring 2022)

The main topics discussed in this course (“What will we cover?”) are: 

  • The role of ice sheets in the climate system over a range of temporal and spatial scales
  • The formation and evolution of ice sheets in the geological era.
  • The interactions between ice sheets, oceans, and the atmosphere.
  • Ice sheet climate and related concepts (mass balance, conservation of mass, ice flow, accumulation/ablation, etc.)
  • Ice sheet meteorology and climatology: katabatic winds, surface fluxes, radiation, clouds, seasonal variations.
  • Ice sheet surface processes: snow, firn, albedo, hydrology.
  • Ice sheet mass balance in present and future climate, and methods for observing and modeling ice sheets

 

ATOC 3600: Principles of Climate (Fall 2021)

Describes the basic components of the climate system: the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and lithosphere. Investigates the basic physical processes that determine climate and link the components of the climate system. Covers the hydrological cycle and its role in climate, climate stability and global change.

For all courses offered by ATOC, and much more information, visit the ATOC courses page: http://www.colorado.edu/atoc/academics/courses