MT4GCD: Global Climate Dynamics

Module code: MT4GCD

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

Credits: 20

Level: Level 4 (Undergraduate Masters)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor John Methven, email: j.methven@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, email: a.j.charlton-perez@reading.ac.uk

Additional teaching staff 1: Professor Andy Turner, email: a.g.turner@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE MT2AOD OR TAKE MT24A (Compulsory)

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: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to develop students understanding of the large-scale atmospheric circulation of the Earth. It will help students to understand how physical and dynamical process, including constraints on momentum, energy and moisture, contribute to producing the circulation.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Critically assess the relevance and applicability of conceptual models that underpin our understanding of atmospheric circulation.
2. Use re-analyses and other datasets to describe the large-scale circulation.
3. Interpret these models and the circulation in the context of a rapidly changing climate.
4. Discuss the aspects of the atmospheric circulation outlined in the module content.

Module content

Unit 1: Fundamentals

• Observed structure of the global atmosphere 
• Fundamental conserved quantities and their budgets (Momentum, Energy, Moisture)
• The basic equations and their application to the tropics and mid-latitudes
• Introduction to quasi-geostrophic equations
• Outline of potential vorticity thinking

Unit 2: Diagnosing the global circulation

• Re-analyses and other datasets used to describe the atmosphere
• Averaging in the atmosphere
• The mean meridional circulation in the troposphere and stratosphere
• Developing python code for the analysis of dynamical datasets 

Unit 3: The Hadley circulation

• The physical properties of the Hadley circulation
• The Held-Hou model of the Hadley circulation
• The role of eddies in the Hadley circulation
• The Hadley circulation in a changing climate: what we know

Unit 4: ENSO and the MJO

• Observations of the oceanic and atmospheric components of the ENSO system
• Dynamical theories of ENSO mechanisms
• Observations of the Madden-Julian oscillation
• Competing theories for the MJO, including the role of air-sea interaction
• ENSO and the MJO in a changing climate: what we know

Unit 5: Monsoons

• The dynamics of monsoons
• Comparisons between the Indian and West African monsoons as examples of strong and weak monsoon systems
• Monsoons in a changing climate: what we know

Unit 6: Waves,stormtracksand interaction with the mean flow 

• Mid-latitude stormtracks and eddy fluxes 
• Rossby waves on the jet stream, Rossby wave breaking and blocking. 
• Wave activity fluxes and teleconnections. 
• Wave-mean flow interaction (Transformed Eulerian Mean theory). 
• Simple one and two-layer models of the mid-latitude circulation. 
• The mid-latitude circulation in a changing climate: what we know. 

Unit 7: The stratosphere 

• The Charney-Drazin theorem and vertical wave propagation and breaking. 
• The Polar Vortex and Sudden Stratospheric Warmings. 
• The Brewer-Dobson circulation. 
• The tropical stratosphere: QBO and SAO. 
• The Stratopsheric circulation in a changing climate: what we know. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be taught in a mixed mode with elements of classroom teaching and flipped learning with practical classes aiming at putting theory into practice.

For each unit, key concepts will be introduced with a two-hour classroom lecture each week. Students will then be expected to view videos and complete online quizzes at home between the lecture and the practical session (flipped learning mode). There will be a two-hour practical session each week in which students will work on problems related to the content during that part of the unit. Problems will be open-ended but with a clear starting point for students to work on. Students will keep a lab book with a record of their experiments in the practical sessions.

In Assessment 1, students will choose one of the practical class problems to write up as a mini-research paper. As part of this task, students will be asked to write a review of another students work. Together this activity will account for 40% of the mark for the module.

The students will also take a two-hour exam at the end of the module which will focus on problem solving through the application of theory, including some numerical calculations. 

Study hours

At least 42 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 50% 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.

Weekly practical sessions will include formative feedback

Reassessment

Additional costs