Ateneo - UPO

Climate change and its consequences. How climate is studied. How weather forecasts are made and who makes them. Mitigation of climate change, examples. Adaptation and resilience, examples. Air pollution, measurements and models

Notes provided by the lecturer.

Suggested textbooks:

Arya, S. (1988). Introduction to Micrometeorology. Academic Press.

Holton, J. (1992). An introduction to Dynamic Meteorology. Academic Press.

Kundu, P. (1990). Fluid Mechanics. Academic Press.

Pasquill, F. (1974). Atmospheric diffusion. 2nd ed. Ellis Horwood.

Sorbjan, Z. (1989). Structure of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer. Prentice Hall.

Stull, R. (1988). An introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Zannetti, P. (2005). AIR QUALITY MODELING,Theories, Methodologies, Computational Techniques, and Available Databases and Software. Vol. I and II. P. Zannetti Editor, The EnviroComp Institute and the Air and Waste Management.

To provide the basics of methods for studying climate and climate change from a physical point of view. To provide knowledge about air pollution and methodologies to study it.

Basic concepts of mathematics and physics

Lectures, practical exercises, group work and interdisciplinary activity

This course is part of the integrated course on climate change with ECONOMIC POLICIES AND STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY and CLIMATE AND HEALTH.
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request
specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse
e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-
students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination
modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The written exam consists of two open-ended questions on topics covered during the lectures. Examples can be found on DIR.

Answers to the questions should be comprehensive but no longer than one page. In addition to content, the ability to summarise and grasp key points will be assessed.

The use of mathematical formulas and relationships such as equations and parameterisations from the handouts will be evaluated positively.

For those who attend classes regularly, the assessment will be based on participation and contribution to classroom/team work activities and the presentation of project reports, normally two. This assessment accounts for 50% of the final mark for these two modules. For these students, the written exam will consist of the first question only.

The final mark will be the arithmetic mean of the mark obtained in the written exam and the mark for the assessment of group work.

If this mean exceeds or is equal to 31, honours will be awarded.

Climate change, The anthropogenic effect, Climate action, The planetary boundary layer (PBL), Characteristics of the PBL, The wind in the PBL, The logarithmic profile of the mean wind, Statistical treatment of turbulence, The Turbulence Scales, Atmospheric stability, Definition of atmospheric stability, Other parameters for stability categories, Structure and day-night evolution of the PBL, The Convective Boundary Layer (CBL) Definition and characteristics, The Residual Layer (RL), The Stable Boundary Layer (SBL) Definition and characteristics, The formation of the SBL, The thermal inversion, The height of the SBL, The turbulence in the SBL, The behaviour of pollutants in the SBL, The Urban Boundary Layer (UBL), The Ekman layer, The dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere, Air quality models.

The expected learning outcomes concern competences on environment and climate with a focus on the effects of climate change on the environment and its causes.