OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide the theoretical and practical bases for studying the physical aspects of the Earth's climate system, its dynamics and the factors that determine its variability.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide the theoretical and practical bases for studying the physical aspects of the Earth's climate system, its dynamics and the factors that determine its variability. The objective of this course is to provide the student with the necessary basic culture and operational tools to analyze the main meteorological parameters that influence the climate, delving into the phenomena linked to the atmosphere and the general circulation of the oceans and their main mechanisms of variability. To this end, lectures and practical exercises are planned to learn the main methods of analyzing meteorological and climate data.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

- know the structure of the atmosphere and its composition, the main meteorological phenomena that occur in it and the correlations with the surrounding environment,

- read meteorology from a more mathematical/modelling point of view,

- acquire the skills necessary to interpret the information obtainable from the internet and meteorological news,

- verify the environmental status from a meteorological point of view,

- collaborate with teachers in meteorological environmental characterization.

PREREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites

TEACHING METHODS

in-presence lessons.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Classification and composition of the atmosphere

Temperature-Humidity of the air (haze and fog)-Pressure

Atmospheric circulation: Coriolis force, Geostrophic wind and gradient wind, Atmospheric boundary layer, Ekman spiral, 1 and 3 cell circulation models

Earth-Sun energy balance, Greenhouse effect, Atmosphere-ocean energy balance

Atmospheric stability, Radiosoundings, Thermodynamic diagrams

Precipitation measurement and hydrology

Statistical data processing

Microphysics of clouds and precipitation (including hail)

Ground effects of precipitation

Earth climate, climate oscillations and teleconnections, Mid-latitude climate

Kyoto-Paris regulation - IPCC

Examples of local extreme events

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes and material provided by teachers during the course

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Please see EasyAcademy

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student must demonstrate the ability to connect topics not mnemonically but by reasoning.

The oral exam will mainly focus on the topics covered during the theoretical lessons, and will aim to evaluate both whether the student has reached an adequate level of knowledge and whether he has acquired the ability to connect all the theoretical information by applying it to real situations. Language skills and knowledge of correct scientific and technical terminology will also be assessed.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with a certification of physical or learning disability filed with the University can find information on support services at the web page https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/studenti-disturbi-specifici-apprendimento-dsa, provided by the "Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with Learning Disorders." They can also contact Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Distav contact for disabilities.