PHYS 721 - Atmospheric Radiative Transfer

[3]

This course introduces the student to formal radiative transfer theory, which is simplified quickly for application to Earth’s atmosphere. The physical processes, which contribute to absorption and scattering in the Earth’s atmosphere, are examined. Topics include molecular absorption via vibration-rotation transitions and spectral line formation in homogeneous atmospheres. Raleigh and Mie scattering theory are covered, as well as their application to radiative transfer in clouds and aerosol-laden atmospheres. The importance of radiative transfer to the heat balance of the Earth and implications for weather and climate will be examined. If time permits, various parameterizations and approximation schemes for atmospheric radiative transfer will be developed.
Prerequisite: Pre-requisites:
PHYS 621 and PHYS 622