Objectives of Programme's Learning Outcomes

• Master expertise.
• Have acquired knowledge and a thorough understanding of specialist areas of physics in connection with mathematics and/or advanced laboratory practices required for these sectors.
• Provide clear and accurate information.
• Share their knowledge and findings clearly and back them up rationally to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Grow personally and professionally.
• Have developed the skills that will enable them to continue to acquire knowledge independently.
• Have a creative and rigorous scientific approach
• Apply their knowledge, understanding and ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments and in multidisciplinary contexts related to physical sciences.

Learning Outcomes of UE

At the end of this course, students will be able to establish and apply the fundamental equations of dynamic and thermodynamic to the physics of the atmosphere, in order to understand the different aspects of the main meteorological phenomena. They will also have discovered the field of operational weather forecasting, both from the point of view of the tools used and the applied methodology.


 

UE Content: description and pedagogical relevance

*Introduction: Vertical structure of the atmosphere and specific scales of weather phenomena;

*Atmospheric thermodynamic:
-thermodynamic of dry, wet and saturated air - representation of thermodynamic processes in the atmosphere (emagram 761) - condensation & precipitations processes - air mass indicators - atmospheric stability/instability;
+ link with/illustration by weather phenomena (clouds development and types, fog, precipitations types, convection and thunderstorms, Foehn phenomenon, and so on);

*Atmospheric dynamic:
-equation of motion (general form and expression in the meteorological reference system), hydrostatic balance, Laplace equation, pressure coordinate system - geostrophic/ageostrophic wind, gradient wind, impact of friction, thermal wind;
+ link with/illustration by weather phenomena (wind, wind deviations, sea breeze, jet-stream, and so on);
-equation of continuity;
-vorticity and equation of vorticity evolution (+ quasi-geostrophic approximation);
-vertical motions: omega equation + interpretation;
+ link with/illustration by weather phenomena (tornado, "thermal" and "dynamic" low/high pressure systems, cyclogenesis, frontogenesis & front types, ridges and throughs, and so on);

* Operational meteorology (visit of the Royal Meteorological Institute):
-observation tools (variables measurement and analysis, satellite pictures, RADAR, and so on) ;
-forecast methodology (at very short, short and medium range): extrapolation at very short term - numerical weather forecast models (deterministic and probabilistic forecast) - communication of weather forecast & warnings.
 

Prior Experience

-Basic notion of mechanic (equation of motion) in non inertial reference systems;
-Basic notion of ideal gas thermodynamic