INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. M. L. Shelton
167 Hoagland Hall
Department of Land, Air and Water Resources
Atmospheric Science Program
Telephone: 752-6344
E-mail: mlshelton@ucdavis.edu
Office Hours: M W 1:00-2:00

TEACHING ASSISTANTS:

TBA

TA OFFICE HOURS AND LOCATION

Room 107 Hoagland Hall (Northeast corner of building)

DISCUSSION SECTIONS:

CRN 43142:   10:00-10:50 am, Thursday, 159 Hoagland
CRN 43143:   12:10-1:00 pm, Friday, 159 Hoagland
CRN 43144:   12:10-1:00 pm, Thursday, 159 Hoagland
CRN 43145:   1:10-2:00 pm, Thursday, 159 Hoagland

TEXT:
Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate and the Environment, C. D. Ahrens, Brooks/Cole, 2000, Sixth Edition.

COURSE GOALS:
To provide understanding of the scientific methods and principles used to observe and analyze the physical processes underlying atmospheric phenomena related to extreme or unusual weather, such as thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

PREREQUISITE - High school physics.

COURSE FORMAT - Two lectures per week emphasizing concepts, relevant principles, and applications of interpretive techniques. One discussion hour per week for clarifying selected issues and for introducing complementary material.

EXAM FORMAT - One mid-term exam and a final exam are scheduled for the dates shown on the syllabus. Exams are closed book. The exams will be multiple choice and short essay questions addressing identification of selected terms, concepts, or principles covered during the periods specified on the syllabus. Make-up exams are not provided except for verifiable emergency circumstances.

HOMEWORK (HW) - HW is due by the end of the lecture on the announced date which is one week after it is assigned. These dates are indicated on the syllabus. HW assignments consist of problem solving and a minimum of one page of written response. HW is collected at the lecture, or it can be left in the envelope designated for ATM 10 homework attached to the office door at 167 Hoagland Hall. However, the security of this envelop is not monitored and proof of HW submission is the student's responsibility. Do not submit homework by e-mail. All HW must be your personal and individual work and completed in your own words. Written work must be clearly and concisely presented, preferably typed, using appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation. Use appropriate citations (author, date, title, and journal title, volume and page numbers) when referring to published work. No credit is given to any student whose homework is virtually identical to the work of another student.

LATE HOMEWORK POLICY - No credit is given for HW submitted after the announced due date and time.

COURSE GRADE - The mid-term exam will contribute 25% of the course grade, and the final exam will contribute 45% of the course grade. These weightings reflect the relative proportion of the lecture material covered by each exam. Homework will contribute 30% of the course grade. The point values for graded work are adjusted on the basis of the assigned percentage weightings. The letter grade for the course is determined by the class distribution of the total accumulated weighted points relative to the total possible weighted points. Assignment of letter grades will be guided by the constraint that 87% cannot be lower than an A-, 77% cannot be lower than a B-, 67% cannot be lower than a C-, and 57% cannot be lower than a D-.