Course Descriptions

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Course Descriptions

Undergraduate Level Courses

ATOC 1050-3. Weather and the Atmosphere. 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. Meets MAPS requirement for natural science: non-lab. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - elementary coursework. Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters.

ATOC 1060-3. Our Changing Environment: El Nino, Ozone, and Climate. Discusses the Earth’s climate for nonscience majors, focusing on the role of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface. Describes the water cycle, atmospheric circulations, and ocean currents, and how they influence global climate, El Niño, and the ozone hole. Discusses human impacts from climate change. Prereq., ATOC 1050. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - elementary coursework. Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters.

ATOC 1070-1. Weather and the Atmosphere Laboratory. Optional laboratory for ATOC 1050. Laboratory experiments illustrate fundamentals of meteorology. Covers collection, analysis, and discussion of data related to local weather. Uses computers for retrieval and interpretation of weather data from Colorado and across the U.S. Prereq. or coreq., ATOC 1050 or instructor consent. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - elementary coursework. Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters.

ATOC 3070-3. Introduction to Oceanography. Investigates the broad-scale features and dynamics of the Earth’s oceans. The course is roughly divided amongst the four major, interrelated disciplines of oceanography: marine geology, marine chemistry, physical oceanography (i.e. circulation), and marine biology. Specific topics include seafloor spreading, marine sediments, salinity, biogeochemical cycles, currents, waves, tides, primary production, marine ecology, marine resources, global warming, and much more. Prereq., any two-course sequence of natural science courses. Same as GEOL 3070. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - elementary coursework. Typically offered by ATOC in the fall semester.

ATOC 3300-3. Analysis of Climate and Weather Observations. Discusses instruments, techniques, and statistical methods used in atmospheric observations. Covers issues of data accuracy and analysis of weather maps. Provides application to temperature and precipitation records, weather forecasting, and climate change trends. Uses computers to access data sets and process data. Prereqs., ATOC 1050 and 1060, or ATOC 3600/GEOG 3601/ENVS 3600, or GEOG 1011 and 1-semester calculus. Same as GEOG 3301. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - elementary coursework. Typically offered by ATOC in the fall semester.

ATOC 3500-3. Air Chemistry and Pollution. Examines the composition of the atmosphere and sources of gaseous and particulate pollutants: their chemistry, transport, and removal from the atmosphere. Applies general principles to acid rain, smog, and stratospheric ozone depletion. Prereqs., two semesters chemistry. ATOC 3500 and CHEM 3151 are the same course. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework. Typically offered by ATOC in the spring semester.

ATOC 3600-3. Principles of Climate. 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. Includes forecasting climate and its application and human dimensions. Prereqs., One semester calculus. In addition ATOC 1050 and 1060, or ATOC 3300/GEOG 3301, or GEOG 1001. Same as GEOG 3601/ENVS 3600. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework. Typically offered by ATOC in the fall semester.

ATOC 3720-3. Planets and Their Atmospheres. Explores the physics and chemistry of the atmospheres of Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan. Examines evolution of the atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Mars; and the escape of gases from the Galilean satellites, Titan and Mars; the orbital characteristics of moons, planets, and comets. Uses recent results of space exploration. Elective for APS major and minor. Prereq., PHYS 1110-1120, and either MATH 1300-2300, or APPM 1350-1360, or instructor consent. Same as ASTR 3720. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework. Typically offered by ASTR in the spring semester.

ATOC 4215-3. Descriptive Physical Oceanography. Introduces descriptive and dynamical physical oceanography, focusing on the nature and dynamics of ocean currents and their role in the distribution of heat and other aspects of ocean physics related to the Earth’s climate. Dynamical material limited to mathematical descriptions of oceanic physical systems. Restricted to seniors. Same as ATOC 5215 and ASEN 4215/5215. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework. Typically offered by ASEN in the fall semester.

ATOC 4500 (1-3). Special Topics in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Acquaints students with current research in atmospheres, oceans, and climate. Topics may vary each semester. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Students may register for more than one section of this course in the same semester. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework.

ATOC 4700-3. Weather Analysis & Forecasting. Utilizing a range of operational weather observations to analyze current weather conditions, providing hands-on experience interpreting observations and relating those observations to the physical principles that govern atmospheric behavior is the course emphasis. It focuses on how to read weather reports, analyze observations, and how to prepare weather maps to analyze current conditions and how to interpret numerical weather forecasts. Prereqs., ATOC 1050 or 1060. Recommended prereq., ATOC 4720. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural science.

ATOC 4720-3. Introduction to Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics. Introduces the fundamental physical principles that govern the atmosphere, and provides an elementary description and interpretation of a wide range of atmospheric phenomena. Topics include atmospheric structure and composition, electromagnetic radiation, clouds, precipitation, energy balance, atmospheric motion, and climate. Prereqs., one year of calculus and one year of physics with calculus. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework. Typically offered in the spring semester.

ATOC 4750-3. Desert Meteorology and Climate. Introduces students to the dynamic causes of deserts in the context of atmospheric processes and land-surface physics. Discusses desert severe weather, desert microclimates, human impacts and desertification, inter-annual variability in aridity (drought), the effects of deserts on global climate, and the impact of desert climate on humans. Prereq., ATOC 1050 or equivalent. Same as ATOC 5750. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: natural sciences. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework.

ATOC 4800-3. Policy Implications of Climate Controversies. Examines controversial issues related to the environment, including climate change. Covers scientific theories and the intersection between science and governmental policy. Includes discussion, debate, and critical reading of textual materials. Prereqs., ATOC 1060 or 3600. Credit not granted for this course and ATOC 5000. Elective for ATOC minor - advanced coursework.

ATOC 4900 (1-3). Independent Study. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Prereq., instructor consent.

ATOC 4950 (1-3). Honors Thesis. Students work independently on a research topic under the guidance of a faculty member. A written thesis and an oral presentation of the work are required. Registration by arrangement and with consent of faculty mentor. Prereq., junior or senior standing, and minimum 3.00 GPA.

Graduate Level Courses

NOTE: Most ATOC graduate level courses require one year of college chemistry and calculus-based physics, and math up through differential equations.

ATOC 5000-3. Critical Issues in Climate and the Environment. Discusses current issues such as ozone depletion, global warming, and air quality for graduate students in nonscientific fields. Provides the scientific background necessary to understand, follow scientific developments, and critically evaluate these issues. Same as ENVS 5830. Credit not granted for this course and ATOC 4800.

ATOC 5050-3. Introduction to Atmospheric Dynamics. 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. ATOC graduate core course - atmosphere and oceanography tracks. Elective for ATOC certificate. Typically offered in the fall semester.

ATOC 5051-3. Introduction to Physical Oceanography. Provides fundamental knowledge of the basic dynamics, thermodynamics, and mixing processes of the ocean. Prereq., basic algebra and calculus. ATOC graduate core course - atmosphere and oceanography tracks. Elective for ATOC certificate. Elective for Oceanography certificate. Typically offered in the spring semester.

ATOC 5060-3. Dynamics of the Atmosphere. Examines large-scale motions in a stratified rotating atmosphere, and quasi-geostrophic flow, barotropic and baroclinic instabilities, cyclogenesis, global circulations, and boundary layer processes. Ageostrophic motions, including Kelvin waves, internal gravity waves, and the theory of frontogenesis are also considered. Prereq., ATOC 5050 or equivalent. ATOC graduate core course - atmosphere track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Typically offered in spring semester.

ATOC 5061-3. Dynamics of Oceans. Explores theories of the large-scale ocean, including quasigeostrophic, planetary geostrophic, and shallow water equations. Topics may vary to focus on ocean climate (e.g. thermocline, westward intensification), ocean waves (e.g. gravity, Rossby, and Kelvin), or ocean models (toy, analytic, and numerical). Maybe repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Prereqs., ATOC 5400 and ATOC 5051 or 5060 or equivalent. ATOC graduate core course - oceanography track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Elective for Oceanography certificate.

ATOC 5151-3. Atmospheric Chemistry. Reviews basic kinetics and photochemistry of atmospheric species and stratospheric chemistry with emphasis on processes controlling ozone abundance. Tropospheric chemistry focusing on photochemical smog, acid deposition, oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, and global climate change. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent. Same as CHEM 5151. ATOC graduate core course - atmosphere track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Typically offered by CHEM in spring semester.

ATOC 5215-3. Descriptive Physical Oceanography. Introduces descriptive and dynamical physical oceanography, focusing on the nature and dynamics of ocean currents and their role in the distribution of heat and other aspects of ocean physics related to the Earth’s climate. Dynamical material limited to mathematical descriptions of oceanic physical systems. Restricted to seniors. Same as ATOC 4215 and ASEN 4215/5215. ATOC graduate core course - oceanography track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Elective for Oceanography certificate. Typically offered by ASEN in fall semester.

ATOC 5235-3. Introduction to Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Remote Sensing. Examines fundamentals of radiative transfer and remote sensing with primary emphasis on the Earth’s atmosphere; emission, absorption and scattering by molecules and particles; multiple scattering; polarization; radiometry and photometry; principles of inversion theory; extinction- and emission-based passive remote sensing; principles of active remote sensing; lidar and radar; additional applications such as the greenhouse effect and Earth’s radiative energy budget. Same as ASEN 5235. ATOC graduate core course - atmosphere track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Typically offered by ATOC in fall semester.

ATOC 5300-3. The Global Carbon Cycle. Covers the role of the ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and atmosphere in the global carbon cycle. Specific topics include marine carbonate chemistry, biological-production, terrestrial fluxes, anthropogenic emissions, and the evolution of the global carbon cycle in a changing climate.

ATOC 5400-3. Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Covers equations of fluid motion relevant to planetary atmospheres and oceans, and stellar atmospheres; effects of rotation and viscosity; and vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, and wave motions. Introduces instability theory, nonlinear equilibration, and computational methods in fluid dynamics. Prereq., partial differential equations or equivalent. Same as ASTR 5400. ATOC graduate core course - oceanography track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Elective for Oceanography certificate. Typically offered by ASTR in fall semester.

ATOC 5410-3. Fluid Instabilities, Waves, and Turbulence. Nonlinear waves and instabilities; wave-mean and wave-wave interactions, resonant triads; secondary instability and transition to turbulence; diagnosis, modeling, and parameterization of turbulent flows in geophysics and astrophysics. Prereq., ASTR 5120, ATOC 5060, or 5400. Same as ASTR 5410. Elective for ATOC certificate. Elective for Oceanography certificate. Typically offered by ASTR in spring semester.

ATOC 5540-3. Mathematical Methods. Applied mathematics course; provides necessary analytical background for courses in plasma physics, fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, and radiative transfer. Covers integration techniques, linear and nonlinear differential equations, WKB and Fourier transform methods, adiabatic invariants, partial differential equations, integral equations, and integrodifferential equations. Same as ASTR 5540. Elective for ATOC certificate.

ATOC 5560-3. Radiative Processes in Planetary Atmospheres. Application of radiative transfer theory to problems in planetary atmospheres, with primary emphasis on the Earth’s atmosphere; principles of atomic and molecular spectroscopy; infrared band representation; absorption and emission of atmospheric gases; radiation flux and flux divergence computations; radiative transfer and fluid motions; additional applications such as the greenhouse effect, inversion methods and climate models. Recommended prereq., ATOC 5235. Same as ASTR 5560. Elective for ATOC certificate.

ATOC 5600-3. Physics and Chemistry of Clouds and Aerosols. Clouds and aerosols are ubiquitous in planetary atmospheres, where they impact climate, atmospheric chemistry, remote sensing, and weather. Applies basic microphysical, radiative, and chemical processes affecting particles to issues in current literature. ATOC graduate core course - atmosphere track. Elective for ATOC certificate. Typically offered in fall semester.

ATOC 5750-3. Desert Meteorology and Climate. Introduces students to the dynamic causes of deserts in the context of atmospheric processes and land-surface physics. Discusses desert severe weather, desert microclimates, human impacts and desertification, inter-annual variability in aridity (drought), the effects of deserts on global climate, and the impact of desert climate on humans. Prereq., ATOC 1050 or equivalent. Same as ATOC 4750. Elective for ATOC certificate.

ATOC 5810-3. Planetary Atmospheres. Covers the structure, composition, and dynamics of planetary atmospheres. Also includes origin of planetary atmospheres, chemistry and cloud physics, greenhouse effects, climate, and the evolution of planetary atmospheres past and future. Prereq., graduate standing in a physical science, or instructor consent. Same as ASTR/GEOL 5810. Elective for ATOC certificate.

ATOC 5820-3. Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems. Reviews protoplanetary disks, condensation in the solar nebula, composition of meteorites, planetary accretion, comets and asteroids, planetary rings, and extrasolar planets. Applies celestial mechanics to the orbital evolution of solar system bodies. Prereq., graduate standing in a physical science, or instructor consent. Same as ASTR 5820 and GEOL 5820. Elective for ATOC certificate.

ATOC 5830-3. Topics in Planetary Science. Covers current topics in planetary science based on recent discoveries, spacecraft observations, or other developments. Focuses on a specific topic such as Mars, Venus, Galilean satellites, exobiology, comets, or extrasolar planets. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours, provided the topics vary. Prereq., graduate standing in physical sciences, or instructor consent. Same as ASTR 5830 and GEOL 5830. Elective for ATOC certificate.

ATOC 5835-1. Seminar in Planetary Science. Studies current research on a topic in planetary science. Subjects may vary each semester. May be repeated up to 4 total credit hours to meet candidacy requirements. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent. Same as ASTR 5835 and GEOL 5835.

ATOC 5900 (1-6). Independent Study. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Students may register for more than one section of this course in the same semester. Prereq., instructor consent.

ATOC 6020-1. Seminar in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Studies an area of current research in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Students read selected papers from the literature. Students and faculty give presentations and participate in discussions. May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours within the degree. May be repeated for a total of 3 credit hours within a semester. Prereq., graduate standing and instructor consent.

ATOC 6100-3. Modeling Weather and Climate. Discusses background theory and procedures used for modeling climate on a variety of space and time scales. Includes numerical simulation of weather and climate with models in a hierarchy of complexity, assessments of error growth, prediction of circulations and impact of radiative and other influences. Explores various numerical methods, develops core computing skills, and considers data handling and visualization. Consists of a combination of lectures and laboratory. Prereq., ATOC 5050, calculus, or instructor consent.

ATOC 6950 (1-6). Master’s Thesis. A minimum of 4 (but no more than 6) master's thesis hours are required for student's wishing to pursue a Master's Degree with Thesis.

ATOC 7500 (1-3). Special Topics in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Acquaints students with current research in atmospheres, oceans, and climate. Topics may vary each semester. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Students may register for more than one section of this course in the same semester.

ATOC 8990 (1-10). Doctoral Dissertation. A minimum of 30 semester hours of dissertation credit (with no more than 10 having been accrued prior to the semester the comprehensive examination was passed) is required for students pursuing the doctoral degree. Up to 10 hours of dissertation credit may also be taken during the semester the comprehensive examination is passed. Note: students can take a maximum of 10 dissertation credit hours per semester, and a total of 15 credit hours of combined dissertation and general class hours per semester.