| Unit name | Environmental Physics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS30027 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Wakeford |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
120 credit points at Level I/5 in single or joint honours Physics. |
| Co-requisites |
None. |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
This third-year undergraduate physics course introduces students to the physical mechanisms that drive the motion of the oceans and the atmosphere. Students will learn how to describe the oceans and the atmosphere in terms of thermodynamics, radiation transfer and basic fluid dynamics.
In studying the role of the atmosphere in the thermodynamics of the Earth, students will learn the theory underlying current concerns about climate change and in studying how the interplay of thermodynamics and fluid dynamics gives rise to oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns they will learn what possible effects of climate change may have on the weather.
Fundamentals of Fluid Dynamics
Students will be introduced to the mathematical methods of fluid dynamics in the simplest case of inviscid incompressible fluids, neglecting more advanced topics such as viscosity and thermal transport.
Atmospheric Thermodynamics
Students will study how radiation balance determines the temperature of a planet in the presence and in the absence of an atmosphere.
Simplified models of the greenhouse effect and related feedback mechanisms will be discussed in reference to the threat of climate change.
Atmospheric Dynamics
Students will study how thermal processes drive the motion of the atmosphere, applying their understanding of simple fluid dynamics and thermodynamics to understand the form and origins of atmospheric circulation patterns and how extreme weather systems form.
Environments of Other Planets
Students will learn how the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere makes it different from other planets and what the climate of other planets can teach us about the Earth’s environment.
Students will be able to:
1.Apply simple concepts from the mathematical description of fluids, these may include:
2.Apply principals of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics to explain environmental phenomena such as:
3.Explain the physical principals underlying concerns about climate change, examples may include:
The unit will be taught through a combination of
Written, timed, open-book examination (100%)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHYS30027).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
