ATMS 745: Atmospheric Turbulence (Spring 2015 - 3 credits)
Instructor:
Class Meetings:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:
Web Content:
Dr. Heather Holmes
TuTh, 1:00-2:15pm, LP 300
hholmes@unr.edu
Leifson Physics RM 205 (775-784-6712)
Mo 3-4pm, Tu & Th 2:30-3:30pm, and at other times by appointment
UNR Web Campus (https://wcl.unr.edu/), login with UNR netID
Required Textbook
An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology by Roland B. Stull, ISBN 978-94-009-3027-8.
Supplementary Texts (all are available from UNR libraries)
• Introduction to Micrometeorology by S.P. Arya, Second Edition, Academic Press, 2001.
• The Atmospheric Boundary Layer by J.R. Garratt, Cambridge University Press, 1992.
• Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flows by J.C. Kaimal and J.J. Finnigan, Oxford University Press, 1994.
• Boundary Layer Climates by T.R. Oke, Second Edition, Methuen, 1987.
• Handbook of Micrometeorology (Eds.) X. Lee, W. Massman and B. Law, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2005.
• Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics by J. H. Seinfeld and S. N. Pandis, Wiley, 2006.
• A First Course in Turbulence by H. Tennekes and J. L. Lumley, MIT Press, 1972.
• Fluid Mechanics by P. K. Kundu and I. M. Cohen, Fourth Edition, Academic Press, 2008.
Course Description
This course is intended to provide students with a general background in atmospheric turbulence focusing on
micrometeorological processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), also known as the planetary boundary
layer (PBL). The ABL is the lower layer of the atmosphere that is directly influenced by contact with the surface
of the earth (surface up to ~1-3km) and is the part of the atmosphere that humans reside in. The small-scale
motions that occur in the ABL are responsible for the dispersion and deposition of pollutants, surface-atmosphere
exchange, surface fluxes, and wind shear on buildings. In this course, the behavior of turbulent flow,
descriptions, and statistical approaches will be discussed. This will include a description of turbulence and the
mathematical and statistical tools used to describe turbulence with an emphasis on atmospheric turbulence. An
introduction of modeling approaches for atmospheric turbulence and pollutant transport phenomena will also be
discussed.
Prerequisite: ATMS 411/611 Atmospheric Physics or equivalent
Corequisite: ATMS 417/617 Airflow, Weather Dynamics, and Forecasting
Computer Skills: It is expected that at all students will have basic computing skills, which will be necessary for
some homework assignments and the final project. Knowledge of a programming language or scientific
computing software (e.g., Fortran, Python, MATLAB, IDL, R, etc.) will be required to complete the final project.
Student Learning Outcomes
• Understand the theory of turbulence and the additional complexities of turbulence in the atmosphere
• Derive the governing equations for mass, momentum, and energy transport
• Learn statistical methods used to describe and characterize atmospheric turbulence
• Awareness of modeling limitations for atmospheric turbulence - including surface fluxes and pollutant transport
• Enhance computational skills for time series analysis, solving mathematical equations, and statistical methods
• Use atmospheric measurement data to calculate surface fluxes, turbulence statistics, and additional variables
• Gain an understanding of turbulence in the atmosphere and apply the understanding to future research problems
Course Grade
The total course grade is from homework assignments, two exams (midterm and final), and a final project.
H. Holmes, ATMS 745, Spring 2015 Syllabus
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Homework will be assigned periodically throughout the semester and is intended to make the student think in
more detail about the concepts discussed in class and to apply these concepts. A final project will be assigned
early in the semester and will be due by the 10pm on the day of the final exam (May 12th), assignments
related to the project will also be given throughout the semester.
Grading Breakdown: Homework (20%), Final Project (30%), Midterm Exam (25%), Final Exam (25%)
Final Exam Meeting Time: Tuesday May 12th, 5:00pm – 7:00pm.
Final letter grades are assigned as follows:
A = 93% or higher; A- = 90-92.9%; B+ = 87-89.9 %; B = 83-86.9 %; B- = 80-82.9 %; C+ = 77-79.9 %;
C = 73-76.9 %; C- = 70-72.9 %; D+ = 67-69.9 %; D = 63-66.9 %; D- = 60-62.9 %; F = < 60 %.
Additional Information
Classroom Behavior: All students are expected to behave in a professional and respectful manner. This includes
(but is not limited to) being respectful of your peers during classroom discussions, being a team player on group
projects, showing up on time to class, no cell phones in class, no listening to music, and no typing on laptops
during lecture. Any behavior that disrupts the class is not allowed.
Late Assignment Policy: Homework will be collected in class on the due date. Late homework will generally not
be accepted. Students are expected to budget their time accordingly to ensure that homework assignments and the
final project are submitted on time. If a student anticipates a problem with the schedule a special arrangement
with the instructor needs to be made prior to the due date.
Missed Exam Policy: It is your responsibility to be on time for tests, and to contact your instructors well before
the test if you absolutely cannot attend. In most cases, it is possible to take a test before its scheduled date, but it is
not possible to make it up afterwards. Students who arrive after the first person has completed the test will
automatically receive a zero on that exam or quiz. Make-up examinations will be given only with a medical
doctor’s note requesting permission in the case of illness, or a death certificate in the case of a family member
death.
Disability Services: Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested
to contact the instructor as well as the Disability Resource Center in Thompson Student Services 107 as soon as
possible to allow for appropriate arrangements.
Academic Success Services: Your student fees cover use of • Math Center (784-443 or www.unr.edu/mathcenter/)
• Tutoring Center (784-6801 or www.unr.edu/tutoring/)
• University Writing Center (784-6030 or www.unr.edu/writing_center)
These centers support your classroom learning; it is your responsibility to take advantage of their services.
Seeking help outside of class helps you develop as a responsible and successful student.
Recording: Surreptitious or covert videotaping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by
law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written
permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been
given permission to record class lectures and discussions. In those cases, students should understand that their
comments during class might be recorded.
Academic Honesty: All coursework must meet the UNR Standards for Academic Policy
(http://www.unr.edu/student-conduct/policies/university-policies-and-guidelines/academic-standards/policy).
Working in groups on the homework assignments is encouraged but each student must turn in their own work.
Any homework that is directly copied form another student or copied from a solutions manual will not be given
any credit.
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Tentative Course Schedule: ATMS 745 Spring 2015
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Introduction(
Introduction,(Surface(Energy(Balances(
Surface(Energy(Balances(
Mathematical(and(Conceptual(Tools(
Mathematical(and(Conceptual(Tools(
Governing(Equations(
Governing(Equations(
Governing(Equations(
Turbulent(Fluxes(
Turbulent(Fluxes(
Turbulence(Kinetic(Energy(
Turbulence(Kinetic(Energy(
Stability(
Measurement(Techniques(
Measurement(Techniques(
Midterm(Exam(
Spring(Break(
Time(Series(Analysis(
Time(Series(Analysis(
Time(Series(Analysis(
Turbulence(Closure(Techniques(
Turbulence(Closure(Techniques(
Turbulence(Closure(Techniques(
Mixing(Length(Model(
PBL(parameterizations(
PBL(parameterizations(
Dispersion(Modeling(
Deposition(Modeling(
Deposition(Modeling(
Numerical(Modeling(Overview(
Final(Exam((5,7pm)(
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