Prof. Graeme L. Stephens, Spring 2008

Class projects are designed to accompany and enhance understand of the material presented in class.

• Introduction
  • Problems in radiation transfer
  • Radiation-Atmosphere feedbacks
  • Class notes: Introduction
  • Lecture 0 (pdf) | ppt
  
  
• Section 1: Electromagnetic Radiation
  • The nature of EM radiation
  • Nomenclature for describing EM waves
  • Energy carried by an EM wave
  • Notes
  • Lecture 1
  
  
• Section 2: Elementary Concepts of Radiometry
  • Basic radiometric concepts
  • Radiances and fluxes
  • Notes
  • Lecture 2

  References: Pyrgeometer measurements from aircraft by B. Albrecht, M. Poellot, and S. Cox; Radiance by F. Nicodemus
  

• Section 3: Basic Laws
  • Equilibrium radiation and Kirchoff's Law
  • Blackbody radiation/Planck's Laws
  • Total black body emissive power
  • Notes
  • Lecture 3
  • Supplemental material - An Historical Perspective
  
  
• Section 4: Elementary Radiative Transfer
  • Radiative balance problems
  • Extinction/Beer's Law
  • A radiative transfer equation with absorption/emission
  • Notes
  • Lecture 4
  • Supplementary Lecture material 4A
  • Supplementary Lecture material 4B
  • Supplementary Lecture material 4C
  
  
• Section 5: The Sun
  • The solar constant
  • Insolation
  • Orbital influences on insolation
  • Notes
  • Lecture 5-1
  • Lecture 5-2
  • Supplemental Reference: Wild, et al. 2005
  • SORCE

  References: Long-Period Global Variations of Incoming Solar Radiation by A. Vernekar; Variations in the Sun's Radiative Output by J. Lean; The Variable Sun by P. Foukal
  

• Section 6: The Earth
  • The Earth's radiation budget
  • The "gray" approximation
  • The greenhouse effect and water vapor feedback
  • The meridional transport of heat by the planet
  • Lecture - ppt
  • Notes
  • Lecture 6-1
  • Lecture 6-2 - ppt
  • Supplemental Reference: Wielicki, et al., 1996
  • Supplemental Reference: Water Vapour and Its Role in the Earth's Greenhouse, Stephens and Tjemkes
  • Reference Paper: The Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget Project, Harries, et al.
  
  
• Section 7: Earth's Radiation Budget
  • Space based observations of the ERB
  • Cloud effects on the ERB
  • Energy budgets
  • Notes
  • Lecture 7
  • Mid Course Review

  References: The Earth's Radiation Budget and Its Relation to Atmospheric Hydrology, 1: Observations of the clear Sky Greenhouse Effect by G. Stephens and T. Greenwald; History of Satellite Missions and Measurements of the Earth Radiation Budget (1957-1984) by F. House, A. Gruber,G. Hunt, and A. Mecherikunnel; The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) by B. Barkstrom; Cloud-Radiative Forcing and Climate: Results from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment by V. Ramanathan et al.
  
  

• Section 8: Elementary Molecular Spectroscopy
  • Atomic absorption
  • Molecular absorption
  • The absorption coefficient
  • Notes
  • Lecture 8
  
  
• Section 9: Models of Transmission
  • Basic definitions
  • Absorption of a single line
  • Band Models
  • K-distribution
  • Notes
  • Lecture 9_10(for Section 9 and 10)
  • k-distribution Lecture
  
  
• Section 10: The Atmospheric Absorption Spectrum
  • UV/VIS absorption
  • IR absorption
  • Greenhouse gases
  • The water vapor continuum
  • Notes
  • Lecture (joint with 9)
  
  
• Section 11: Broadband Infrared Fluxes
  • Flux equations and the infrared emissivity
  • Flux profiles
  • TOA and surface fluxes
  • Notes
  • Lecture 11_12(for section 11 and 12)
  
  
• Section 12: Atmospheric Radiative Heating
  • The radiative heating rate
  • Satellite derived heating rates
  • Notes
  • Lecture (joint with 11)
  
  
• Section 13: Elementary Dielectrics: Interaction with Condensed Matter
  • The scattering problem
  • Polarization of matter
  • The index of refraction
  • Notes
  • Lecture 13_14 (for section 13 and 14)
  
  
• Section 14: Particle Scattering
  • Rayleigh scattering
  • The single scattering albedo
  • Large particle scattering
  • Extinction and optical depth
  • Notes
  • Lecture (joint with 13)
  
  
• Section 15: Radiative Transfer Revisited: Two-stream Models
  • Scattering as a source of radiation
  • Multiple scattering
  • The two-stream approximation
  • Notes
  • Lecture 15
  • King and Harsh, 1985
  
  
  

  ---

  Software Packages:
  
  
  • planck.f90
  • planck_spectral.f90
  • en_function.f90
  • sun3.f90
  
  

  ---

  Course References:
  
  
  • Stephens, G. L., 1994: Remote Sensing of the Lower Atmosphere: An Introduction. Oxford Univ. Press, March 1994.
  • Liou, 1980: Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation
  • Liou, 1992: Radiation and Climate Processes in the Atmosphere
  • Goody and Yung, 1989: Atmospheric Radiation
  • Paltridge and Platt, 1976: Radiation Processes in Meteorology and Climatology
  • Assorted references cited in notes
  
  

  ---

  Contacts:
  
  
  • Instructor
    • Graeme Stephens
    • stephens@atmos.colostate.edu
  • TA
    TBA
    
    

    ---

    Course Philosophy:
    
    

    I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

    - Confucius