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Faculty of Mathematics and Natural SciencesInstitute of Geophysics and Meteorology

MN-GM-METRAD

Compulsory for main focus meteorology: Atmospheric Radiation
Identification

MN-GM-
METRAD		Workload

180 h		Credit points

6 		Academic
semester
1. -3. Semester		Frequency

Winter term
Duration

1 semester
1 Teaching
a) Lecture
b) Exercises 		Contact time
45 h
30 h		Self-study
45 h
60 h		Expected
students
15
2

Module objective and acquirable skills

  • Understanding the relevance of atmospheric radiation for weather and climate
  • Understanding the interaction of atmospheric radiation with atmospheric gases, aerosols, clouds and precipitation
  • Basic knowledge of modern remote sensing methods
  • Solving problems in atmospheric radiation and cloud physics
  • Computational techniques to address radiative transfer
  • Programming experience and presentation skills
  • Evaluation and interpretation of radiation sensor measurements
  • Critical assessment and discussion of scientific work, presentation techniques, faculity of abstraction, conceptional, analytic and logical way of thinking
3 Module content
  • Basic concepts and definitions, EM waves, electromagnetic spectrum
  • Reflection and refraction
  • Thermal emission, Planck's function, radiation laws, brightness temperature
  • Absorption and scattering by atmospheric gases and particles
  • Radiative transfer in different spectral regions,
  • Broadband fluxes and heating rates, atmospheric radiation budget
  • Measurements of atmospheric radiation, ground-based & satellite
  • Remote sensing of atmospheric water vapor, clouds and precipitation.
4 Types of teaching

Lecture, exercises (compulsory attendance)

Exercises: Task sheets for strengthening the understanding of atmospheric radiation concepts, PC-exercises on radiative transfer & heating rates determined with the COSMO model, Evaluation, interpretation and presentation of broadband short- and long-wave measurements of atmospheric radiation (surface and satellite-based), Remote sensing applications
5 Requirememts of successful participation

None.
6 Final exam, type

Written Examination (graded)
7 Requisites for the allocation of credits

Successful participation in the exercises (50 % of the possible points have to be obtained) and passing of the examination.

At the end of the semester or the beginning of the following semester a possibility to repeat the examination is offered. A failed examination may be repeated twice. Additional possibilities to repeat an examination exist according to the examination regulations (§ 20 section 1).

Assessments which have been passed are not allowed to be taken again, with one exception: If at the end of a module which consists of a lecture and tutorial classes, the student takes the assessment at the first available date after having received admission to the module exam, he/she is then allowed to take the examination again at the next available date for the purpose of improving the grade, even if he/she passed the assessment the first time – in this case, the better of the two grades will count towards the final degree grade (§ 20 section 9).

The module mark is the grade obtained in the assessment. In the case of two passed assessments the module mark is the better grade
8 Compatibility with other Curricula
  • Other modules of equal value can be admitted and announced by the examination board after agreement.
  • Suitable as an elective course for mathematics, physics and geoscience students
9 Significance of the module mark for the overall grade

6/120
10 Module coordinator

U. Löhnert
11 Additional information