Atmospheric Sciences (ATM)

University Directory
University Courses

ATM 404 ATMOSPHERIC THERMODYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: PHYS 211 and MATH 225 or permission of instructor. This course will cover topics related to the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, particularly as they apply to a parcel of air. It will include the history of gas laws leading to the ideal gas law, the first and second laws of thermodynamics, adiabatic transformations and the introduction of entropy, the thermodynamic properties of water in its three phases, the effects of water vapor on the thermodynamics of atmospheric processes. Vertical stability will be introduced and atmospheric thermodynamic diagrams will be discussed.

ATM 692 TOPICS
1 to 3 credits. Lecture course or seminar on a topic or field of special interest, as determined by the instructor.

ATM 460/560 ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 321 and PHYS 211. Equations of motion, kinematics of fluid flow, continuity equation, vertical motion, theorems of circulation and vorticity, quasigeostrophic systems, and wave motions in the atmosphere. Satisfies the meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program. Students enrolled in ATM 560 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolled in ATM 460.

ATM 591 INDEPENDENT STUDY
1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Directed independent study of a topic or field of special interest. This may involve readings, research, laboratory or fieldwork, and preparation of papers, as agreed to in advance, by student and instructor.

ATM 301 INTRODUCTION TO ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: PHYS 111 or PHYS 113 or equivalent. Basic physical principles are applied to the study of atmospheric phenomena. Topics covered include the structure of the atmosphere, radiative processes, atmospheric motions, meteorological processes, air masses, fronts, weather map analysis, weather forecasting, and severe storms including thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards.

ATM 391 INDEPENDENT STUDY
1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Includes directed study, problems, readings, directed readings, special problems and special projects. Students complete individualized plans of study which include significant one-on-one student-teacher involvement. The faculty member and students negotiate the details of the study plans. Enrollments are usually 10 or fewer students. Meeting frequency depends upon the requirements of the topic. May be repeated to a total of six credit hours.

ATM 392 TOPICS
1 to 3 credits. Includes current topics, advanced topics and special topics. A course devoted to a particular issue in a specified field. Course content is not wholly included in the regular curriculum. Guest experts may serve as instructors. Enrollments are usually 10 or fewer students with significant one-on-one student/teacher involvement. May be repeated to a total of six credit hours.

ATM 401/501 ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: PHYS 213, MATH 321, or equivalent. An introduction to physical processes that govern the behavior of the atmosphere. Topics will include atmospheric thermodynamics; absorption, scattering and radiative transfer; convective motion, tropospheric chemistry, cloud and precipitation development; and atmospheric electricity. Satisfies the meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program. Students enrolled in ATM 501 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolled in ATM 401.

ATM 402/502 THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: One semester each of college level biology, chemistry, and physics. The fundamental processes that describe the keystone position of carbon and life in the earth system will be covered in detail. The majority of the course will focus upon photosynthesis and respiration on land and in the oceans, and how these processes have shaped earth’s evolution. The interrelationships of the biogeochemical cycles that couple photosynthesis and respiration will be introduced. Topics will cover scales from sub-cellular to global in scope. ATM 502 satisfies the Earth Systems distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program. Students enrolled in ATM 502 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolled in ATM 402.

ATM 403/503 BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 402/502 or permission of instructor. The earth system is tightly connected through biogeochemical interactions. This course will present a multidisciplinary array of intermediate and advanced topics in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric biogeochemistry. Instantaneous to decadal timescale interactions of carbon, water, and multiple nutrient cycles will be discussed, and a critical survey of the state-of-the-art field, modeling, and remote sensing methods for studying biogeochemical cycles will be presented. ATM 503 satisfies the Earth Systems distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program. Students enrolled in ATM 503 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolled in ATM 403.

ATM 410/410L/510/510L INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 123 and PHYS 113 or permission of instructor. An introduction to the theory and applications of remote sensing. Students will study the electromagnetic spectrum as it applies to remote sensing as well as the physical principles of imaging system technologies. Imaging and applications of visible, near-infrared, thermal infrared, and microwave band remote sensing are discussed. Environmental remote sensing applications to be covered include terrestrial and ocean ecology, resource exploration, land use and land cover change, natural hazards, and atmospheric constituents. Image processing techniques will be introduced. This course is the first remote sensing course in the Remote Sensing/GIS study sequence. Students enrolled in ATM 510 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolling in ATM 410. ATM 510/510L satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 450/450L SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY I
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 301. Analysis of surface synoptic weather, upper air, and vertical temperature-moisture soundings; the structure of extratropical storms, synoptic-scale processes responsible for development of precipitation and severe weather phenomena.

ATM 491 INDEPENDENT STUDY
1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Includes directed study, problems, readings, directed readings, special problems and special projects. Students complete individualized plans of study which include significant one-on-one student-teacher involvement. The faculty member and students negotiate the details of the study plans. Enrollments are usually 10 or fewer students. Meeting frequency depends upon the requirements of the topic. May be repeated to a total of three (3) credit hours.

ATM 492 TOPICS
1 to 3 credits. Includes current topics, advanced topics and special topics. A course devoted to a particular issue in a specified field. Course content is not wholly included in the regular curriculum. Guest experts may serve as instructors. Enrollments are usually 10 or fewer students with significant one-on-one student/teacher involvement. May be repeated to a total of five (5) credit hours.

ATM 405/505 AIR QUALITY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: Math 125 or equivalent and one semester of college chemistry. Up-to-date problems and trends in urban air quality, global effects of environmental pollution, effects of air pollutants on weather processes, the technology of pollutant production, and pollutant dispersal. A treatment of the chemistry and physics of reactions involving primary air pollutants is included. Satisfies the Earth Systems distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program. Students enrolled in ATM 505 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolled in ATM 405.

ATM 515/515L EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING
MODELING (2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisite: MATH 125 or equivalent. This course provides the background for earth systems and climate modeling, with student projects on 0-D, 1-D, and 2-D models. The course will cover: radiation balance, climate feedback mechanisms, greenhouse gases, biogeochemical coupling, land and ocean surface processes, ecosystems, ocean circulations, and sea ice. Course will include familiarization of systems modeling using the STELLA modeling package. Students will also collaborate to develop components of a larger modeling project. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 520/520L REMOTE SENSING FOR RESEARCH
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: Math 125 or equivalent, CSC 150 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. Radiative transfer with respect to satellite remote sensing. Basic IDL programming. Image processing. Image enhancement. Image classification and interpretation. Satellite operations. Overview of operational and research satellite platforms and select applications. The remote sensing of surface and atmospheric features. Labs and student projects. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 530 RADAR METEOROLOGY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 123 or equivalent. Fundamentals of radar, scattering of electromagnetic waves by water drops and other hydrometeors, radar equations and the quantitative study of precipitation echoes, hydrometeor size distributions, Doppler weather radars, and applications of radar in meteorology. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 540 ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: PHYS 213 or equivalent or permission of instructor. This course will cover topics in fair weather electricity including ions, conductivity, currents, and fields making up the global circuit. In addition, topics in thunderstorm electricity including charge separation theories and the microphysical and dynamic interactions responsible for charging, current balances, and the lightning discharge will be introduced. Satisfies the meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 550/550L SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY II
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ATM 450 and concurrent enrollment in corresponding laboratory module, or permission of instructor. Study and application of modern techniques for forecasting the development and movement of weather systems and for forecasting various weather phenomena. Includes discussion of numerical weather prediction and suite of forecasting models run daily by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction; use of current software packages such as McIDAS and GEMPAK for analyzing observed data and model output: interpreting weather phenomena in terms of dynamical theories; forecasting of convective weather phenomena; understanding the use of Model Output Statistics (MOS). Satisfies the meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 560 ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 321 and PHYS 211. Equations of motion, kinematics of fluid flow, continuity equation, vertical motion, theorems of circulation and vorticity, quasi-geostrophic systems, and wave motions in the atmosphere. Satisfies the Meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 592 ADVANCED TOPICS IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
1 to 3 credits. Lecture course or seminar on a topic or field of special interest, as determined by the instructor.

ATM 601 ADVANCED PHYSICAL METEOROLOGY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Thermodynamics and kinetics of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation processes primarily involving the various water phases. Physics and chemistry of atmospheric reactions involving natural and artificial aerosols. Satisfies the meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 603 BIOSPHERE-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 503 or permission of instructor. The biosphere and the atmosphere are intimately connected. In this course, the biogeochemical sources and sinks of a wide range of gases affecting atmospheric chemistry, climate, and ecosystem health are examined in detail. Microbial, plant, and animal processes relating to nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon trace gas production and consumption will be covered in detail. Relevant biophysical phenomena occurring in vegetation canopies, soils, wetlands, and oceans will be discussed. The role of humans in altering these natural processes will be revisited throughout the course, and overviews of trace gas measurement techniques will be presented. Satisfies the Earth Systems distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 608/608L AIR QUALITY MODELING
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 125 or equivalent. A treatment of diffusion and dispersion modeling for point and area emissions. Gaussian diffusion, climatological screening techniques, dispersion in complex terrain, and physical basis of dispersion model will be treated. Current EPA regulatory models will be emphasized. Some knowledge of computer programming is desirable. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 612 ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: One year of college chemistry. Radiative, chemical, and biological processes associated with formation of stratospheric ozone, tropospheric ozone, biogenic emissions and human-caused emissions, “greenhouse” effects, and aqueous-phase equilibria in clouds. The approach will include aspects of classical chemistry, nucleation, instrumentation, and modeling of effects of chemical pollutants on cloud microphysics. Interactions of biological and human-caused emission of trace gases with radiation and oxidant balance of the earth’s atmosphere. Topics to be addressed include; stratospheric ozone formation and the “ozone hole,” Tropospheric ozone formation, field techniques to measure chemical fluxes, and photochemistry of the remote troposphere. Satisfies the Earth Systems distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 620/620L REMOTE SENSING FOR RESEARCH II
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. A research based course with a semester-long research project, student seminars on remote sensing, roundtable discussions and a detailed paper. Lecture topics include scale issues in remote sensing, Fourier and fractal analysis, passive and active microwave remote sensing, remote sensing-GIS integration, and remote sensing-model integration. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 640 ADVANCED ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ATM 540, ATM 642. This course is a continuation of ATM 540 and will include a more in-depth look at the processes involved in thunderstorm electrification. Various charge separation mechanisms will be examined through a review of the literature. The modeling of storm electrification and lightning will also be presented.

ATM 642 PHYSICS AND DYNAMICS OF CLOUDS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 501. Thermodynamics and dynamics of clouds and convective storms. Buoyancy, effects of ice formation, shear-buoyancy relations and convective storm structure. Storm dynamics and microphysical processes. Numerical cloud models. Structure and dynamics of severe storms, stratiform, and mesoscale cloud systems. Satisfies the Meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 643 PRECIPITATION PHYSICS AND CLOUD MODIFICATION
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 501 or equivalent. Aerosols, condensational drop growth, growth of ice particles by deposition of vapor, accretion, and cloud modification techniques. Emphasis on problem solving with aid of computers. Satisfies the Meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 644 NUMERICAL DYNAMICS AND PREDICTION
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 560. Basic governing equations; wave motions; baroclinic instability; numerical methods; numerical prediction models; boundary layer; moisture and radiation parameterization, and data assimilation. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 651/651L MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. An overview of the principles of measurement will be covered, in combination with detailed investigations into instruments designed to measure some of the following phenomena: radiation, temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, photosynthesis, surface reflectance, and concentrations and fluxes of trace gases. Multiple scale measurement techniques will be addressed. Students will learn to collect, log, and download field data using both manual and automatic methods. An integral part of the course will be a field-based measurement project. The topics covered in this course will vary depending on the research interests of students enrolled and the contributing professors. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 660 ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS II
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 560. Derivation, solution, and physical interpretation of the fundamental hydrothermodynamic equations as applied to atmospheric waves, mesoscale motions, atmospheric energetics, general circulation, tropical and stratospheric flows. Introduction to numerical prediction. Satisfies the Meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 662 GENERAL (GLOBAL) CIRCULATION
(3-0) 3 credits. A study of the general circulation of the atmosphere including quasi-geostropic equations; planetary waves; geostropic adjustment; barotropic, baroclinic instability; frontogenesis; and tropical cyclones.

ATM 670 BOUNDARY LAYER PROCESSES
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ATM 501, ATM 560, or permission of instructor. Atmospheric structure and processes near the ground. Turbulence and the closure problem, buoyancy and stress-driven mixed layers, mixed layer growth, heat, moisture, and momentum transfer, surface balance of radiation, heat and moisture, parameterization, and modeling of the boundary layer. Satisfies the Meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 673 MESOMETEOROLOGY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ATM 560 or permission of instructor. Observations and analysis of basic meteorological fields on the mesoscale. Dynamics, phenomenology, and forecasting of mesoscale weather phenomena: Internally generated circulations, mesoscale convective systems, externally forced circulations. Mesoscale modeling and nowcasting. Satisfies the Meteorology distribution requirement for the ATM MS program.

ATM 690 SEMINAR
(1-0) 1 credit. Not to exceed one credit toward fulfillment of M.S. degree requirements. Enrollment required of all graduate students in residence each spring semester.

ATM 691 INDEPENDENT STUDY
1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Directed independent study of a topic or field of special interest. This may involve readings, research, laboratory or field work, and preparation of papers, as agreed to in advance, by student and instructor.

ATM 798 MASTER'S THESIS
Credit to be arranged. Not to exceed four credits per semester and not to exceed six credits towards fulfillment of M.S. degree requirements. Open only to students pursuing the M.S. thesis option. Supervised original or expository research culminating in an acceptable thesis. Oral defense of thesis and research findings are required. Graduate research assistants and students receiving faculty supervision of their research are required to enroll in this course each semester.

ATM ATM 505 AIR QUALITY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: Math 125 or equivalent and one semester of college chemistry. Up-to-date problems and trends in urban air quality, global effects of environmental pollution, effects of air pollutants on weather processes, the technology of pollutant production, and pollutant dispersal. A treatment of the chemistry and physics of reactions involving primary air pollutants is included. Satisfies the Earth Systems distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program. Students enrolled in ATM 505 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolled in ATM 405.

ATM 625/625L SCALING IN GEOSCIENCES
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 125, CSC 150, or equivalent; MATH 441/442 or equivalent. Issues regarding the scaling of geophysical processes across various problem domains in the geosciences will be presented and explored through lectures, labs, and course projects. Topics include Fourier Analysis, Taylor/Moment Expansion, Fractals, Power Laws, and Upscaling/Downscaling Techniques. Applications include Climate, Turbulence, Weather and Climate Prediction, Remote Sensing and GIS, Ecosystem Studies, Geology, and Hydrology. Satisfies the Techniques distribution requirement for the ATM M.S. program.

ATM 570 WILDFIRE METEOROLOGY
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ATM 301 or equivalent. In this course students will learn about basic physical processes related to fire behavior and fire weather. Topics include combustion and heat, forest fuels, fire danger, fire behavior and spread, fire spread models, smoke management, prescribed fire, and case studies of significant large wildfires in recent history. Some outdoor field instruction is included.

ATM 406 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: CHEM 112 or equivalent, PHYS 111 or PHYS 113, BIOL 311, or permission of instructor. Major global environmental changes will be addressed using an interdisciplinary approach. Topics will include basic processes and principles of ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, major climate controls, atmospheric chemistry and feedbacks between climate and various earth system processes. This course is cross-listed with BIOL 403.

Contact: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu/sdsmt/directory/courses/atm