METEO 440W: Principles of Atmospheric Measurements
Spring 2014
Instructor:
Douglas K. Martins – Research Associate
423 Walker Building
814-863-5213
dkm18@psu.edu
Office Hours: Wednesday, 1:00-2:00 pm or by appointment* in Walker 423
Teaching Assistants:
Bianca Baier – 418 Walker Building – bcb5065@psu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment*
Philip Feiner – 418 Walker Building – paf5095@psu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment*
*The Instructor and TAs will make every effort to accommodate your questions in a
timely manner, however, do not expect for emails to be answered outside of normal
business hours (M-F 8-6).
Class Meeting Time and Location:
Lectures: Tuesday 1:00-2:15 PM, Walker 126
Lab Section 1: Tuesday 2:30-5:30 PM, Walker 126
Lab Section 2: Thursday 2:30-5:30 PM, Walker 126
Course Designation:
This course is required of all meteorology majors and all meteorology
minors.
Course Description:
The standard theories and practices used in measurement and analysis of atmospheric variables
are surveyed in the lecture portion of the course. The laboratory portion of the course provides
students hands-on experience with using standard and self-produced instruments to make reliable
measurements and with analyzing meteorological observations to determine their significance. In
the laboratory reports, students learn the fundamentals of appropriate scientific writing to
summarize the objectives of the lab exercise, to provide an analysis of the observations, and to
critique the results. The initial drafts of these reports are evaluated critically by the instructors and
teaching assistants and then are revised by the students based on these evaluations. Discussion of
scientific writing and of proper report protocols are presented in the course as well.
http://bulletins.psu.edu/undergrad/courses/M/METEO/440w/201011FA
Course Prerequisites:
METEO 300, METEO 431, STAT 301 or STAT 401 or EBF 472
METEO 440W: Principles of Atmospheric Measurements
Textbooks:
None required, no reserved material
Useful Texts
J. Wallace & P. V. Hobbs, Atmospheric Science, Introduction to
Meteorology
J. H. Seinfeld & S. N. Pandis, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From
Air Pollution to Climate Change, Wiley-Interscience, 1998.
P. V. Hobbs, Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry, Cambridge University
Press, 2000.
G. W. Petty, A First Course in Atmospheric Radiation, 1st or 2nd edition,
Sundog Press, 2004, 2006.
P. V. Hobbs, Basic Physical Chemistry for the Atmospheric Sciences,
Cambridge University Press, 1995; 2nd ed., 2000.
Schall, Joe, Style for Students, https://www.eeducation.psu.edu/assets/styleguides
Internet Materials:
ANGEL Homepage for course: https://cms.psu.edu/
Course Expectations:
(1) Learn principles and techniques for making common physical and chemical
measurements related to the atmosphere. Some of these will illustrate theory
and concepts taught in Meteo 431, 436 and 437.
(2) Learn about observations and data, including precision, accuracy and simple
statistical analysis.
(3) Learn to analyze sets of measurements to discover properties and behavior
of the atmosphere.
(4) Learn how to report and write up scientific results in standard form, with
Abstract, Introduction, Experimental/Method/Procedure, Results,
Discussion, Conclusion, referencing where appropriate.
Course Policies:
Puncuality and regular attendance is expected. A portion of the final grade will be
determined by class participation. Lab attendance is critical because you will be working
as partners. Warn your instructors (TA or lecturer) and your lab partners in advance if
you have a conflict that might reguire you to miss a class or lab. You will not be able to
turn in a lab for an unexcused absence. Assignments will be handed in on time with very
few exceptions (must get approval from instructor) and points will be deducted for late
assignments. Lab safety is the utmost priority. Safety instructions unique to each lab
will be given at the beginning of each lab and all instructions, professionalism and
common sense should be strictly followed. This course abides by the Penn State Class
Attendance policies given at http://senate.psu.edu/policies/42-00.html#42-27,
http://www.psu.edu/oue/aappm/E-11.html, http://www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/44-
METEO 440W: Principles of Atmospheric Measurements
00.html#44-35, http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/welcome/illnessVerification/, and
http://www.psu.edu/oue/aappm/R-4.html. Students who miss class for legitimate reasons
will be given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work, including exams and
quizzes. Students are not required to secure the signature of medical personnel in the
case of illness or injury and should use their best judgment on whether they are well
enough to attend class or not; the University Health Center will not provide medical
verification for minor illnesses or injuries. Other legitimate reasons for missing class
include religious observance, family emergencies, and regularly scheduled universityapproved curricular or extracurricular activities. Students who encounter serious family,
health, or personal situations that result in extended absences should contact the Office of
Student and Family Services for help: http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/familyservices/.
Whenever possible, students participating in University-approved activities should
submit to the instructor a Class Absence Form, available at
www.psu.edu/oue/aappm/classabs.pdf, at least one week prior to the activity.
Assessment Tools:
 2 Problem Sets
 4 Quizzes
 2 Writing Assignments
 1 Worksheet
 7 Lab Reports
 1 Experiment Report
 2 Project Presentations
 1 Final Report
(8%)
(8%)
(6%)
(2%)
(35%)
(10%)
(10%)
(21%)
Grades will be 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, <60 F. The
instructor reserves the right to apply a curve to make the grading scale easier
but it will never be more difficult.
Academic Integrity:
Students are expected to do their own problem sets, lab reports and to work
the quizzes on their own. Class members may work on the problem sets in
groups, but then each student must write up the answers separately. Do not
copy problem or exam answers from another person's paper and present
them as your own. Students who present other people's work as their own
will receive a 0 on the assignment and may well receive an F in the course.
For information about the Earth and Mineral Sciences Academic Integrity
Policy, which this course adopts, please see:
http://www.ems.psu.edu/current_undergrad_students/academics/integrity_po
licy.
METEO 440W: Principles of Atmospheric Measurements
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
The Office of Disability Services (http://equity.psu.edu/ods/) requests and maintains
disability-related documents; certifies eligibility for services; determines academic
adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services; and develops plans for the provision of
academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services as mandated under Title II of the
ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973. A list of these services is provided at http://equity.psu.edu/ods/studentinformation.
Campus Emergencies:
Campus emergencies, including weather delays, are announced on Penn State News
(http:/news.psu.edu/) and communicated to cellphones, email, the Penn State Facebook
page, and Twitter via PSUTXT (to sign up, please see http://psutxt.psu.edu). This class
will follow the guidelines set forth by the University.
Detailed Work Schedule:
Week
Date
Lecture Topic
Lab Topic
Assignment
Due Date
(all times at
midnight)
1
Tuesday,
1/14/14
Introduction,
Resources,
Errors
Significant
Figures/Error
Worksheet
Read
Schwartz, J.
Cell Science,
2008
Lab: 1/20/14
Assignment:
1/21/14
Thursday,
1/16/14
--------
Significant
Figures/Error
Worksheet
Tuesday,
1/21/14
Schwartz
Discussion,
Error
Propagation,
Instrument
Specifications
Thermocouple
Thursday,
1/23/14
--------
Thermocouple
Tuesday,
1/28/14
Discuss
Bloomer,
Writing
Elements,
Scientific Paper
Elements,
Latent Heat
Latent Heat
Thursday,
1/30/14
--------
Latent Heat
2
3
Lab: 1/22/14
Read
Bloomer,
Geophys.
Res. Lett.,
2009
Lab: 1/27/14
Lab: 1/29/14
Abstract
Writing
Exercise
Lab: 2/3/14
Assignment:
2/3/14
Lab: 2/5/14
METEO 440W: Principles of Atmospheric Measurements
Abstract
discussion,
Water Vapor,
Quiz #1
Water Vapor
Tuesday,
2/4/14
--------
Water Vapor
Lab: 2/12/14
5
Thursday,
2/6/14
Tuesday,
2/11/14
Thursday,
2/13/14
Acid Rain
Acid Rain
Lab: 2/17/14
--------
Acid Rain
Lab: 2/19/14
6
Tuesday,
2/18/14
Nucleation,
Quiz #2
Heterogeneous
Nucleation
Lab: 2/24/14
Assignment:
2/24/14
7
Thursday,
2/20/14
Tuesday*,
2/25/14
Thursday,
2/27/14
Blackbody
Radiation
8
Tuesday,
3/4/14
Beer’s Law
9
Thursday,
3/6/14
Tuesday,
3/11/14
Thursday,
3/13/14
Spring Break,
No Lecture
Tuesday,
3/18/14
Radiosonde
Launch
Radiosonde
Thursday,
3/20/14
--------
Radiosonde
Tuesday,
3/25/14
Introduction
Overview, Quiz
#3
Thursday,
3/27/14
--------
Tuesday,
4/1/14
NASA
DISCOVERAQ Overview
Thursday,
4/3/14
--------
Radiosonde
Report Write
Up
Radiosonde
Report Write
Up
Final Project –
Literature
Search
Final Project –
Literature
Search
10
11
12
--------
--------
--------
--------
Problem Set
#1
Lab: 2/10/14
Assignment:
2/17/14
4
Heterogeneous
Nucleation
Infrared
Thermometer
Infrared
Thermometer
Light
Extinction
Lab: 2/26/14
Lab: 3/3/14
Lab: 3/5/14
Problem Set
#2
Light
Extinction
Spring Break,
No Lab
Spring Break,
No Lab
Lab: 3/17/14
Assignment:
3/24/14
Lab: 3/19/14
Write
Radiosonde
Introduction
Write
Radiosonde
Introduction
Lab: 3/31/14
Assignment:
3/24/14
Lab: 4/2/14
Assignment:
3/26/14
Proposal
Presentation
Assignment:
4/7/14
Proposal
Presentation
Assignment:
4/9/14
METEO 440W: Principles of Atmospheric Measurements
13
14
15
16
17
Tuesday,
4/8/14
Instrumentation
Overview, Quiz
#4
Thursday,
4/10/14
--------
Tuesday,
4/15/14
Data analysis,
Statistics
Review
Thursday,
4/17/14
Tuesday,
4/22/14
Thursday,
4/24/14
Tuesday,
4/29/14
Thursday,
5/1/14
Tuesday,
5/6/14
Thursday,
5/8/14
-------Discuss Steiner,
Project Q & A
-------Review/SRTE –
Project Q & A
-------No Lecture,
Finals Week
Project
Proposal
Presentations
Project
Proposal
Presentations
Final Project
Analysis
Final Project
Analysis
Final Project
Presentations
Final Project
Presentations
Final Project
Presentations
Final Project
Presentations
No Lab, Finals
Week
No Lab, Finals
Week
Read Steiner
et al., PNAS,
2010
Assignment:
4/21/14
Final Report Due:
5/8/14