MT1WCF: Weather and Climate Fundamentals

Module code: MT1WCF

Module provider: Meteorology; School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Peter Inness, email: p.m.inness@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Hilary Weller, email: h.weller@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): Before taking this module, you must have A-Level Mathematics. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Applying the universal laws of physics to explain the Earth’s weather and climate systems. This will be done through idealised calculations and analysis of real weather systems. You will develop skills in problem solving, data analysis and application of theory.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Explain basic physical laws and their significance to the atmosphere, and use them to construct conceptual models of the Earth’s climate and its weather systems.
2. Derive meteorological relationships from universal physical laws in order to determine forces in the atmosphere, the atmospheric state and how weather systems evolve.
3. Describe components of the Earth’s energy budget and apply the principles to other planets.
4. Apply the first law of thermodynamics to air parcels in order to interpret the vertical temperature and humidity structure of the atmosphere using tephigrams.

Module content

Theory:

1. Radiation laws and simple models.
2. Thermodynamics; first law, application to thermodynamic diagrams and stability.
3. Dynamics; forces acting on an air parcel (pressure gradient, Coriolis, centrifugal, gravity, friction) and balance (hydrostatic, geostrophic and gradient wind).
4. Atmospheric moisture; mixing ratio, dew point temperature, relative humidity.
5. Analysis of atmospheric state using a tephigram.
6. Temperature gradient effects; thermal wind and thermal advection.
7. Weather system analysis; mass conservation, divergence, vorticity, ageostrophic wind, vertical motion, jets, frontogenesis, cyclogenesis, equations of motion.

Practicals:

Plotting and analysis of tephigrams, surface and upper air charts.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Interactive lectures covering the relevant laws of physics and their application to the Earth’s atmosphere

Problem classes, applying the theory to idealised situations

Seminars discussing the way to approach scientific problem solving

Online revision quizzes

Weather system analysis practicals applying theoretical concepts to weather case studies

Study hours

At least 53 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

A series of formative problem sheets throughout the semester.

Reassessment

Additional costs