Semester 1, 2023 Toowoomba On-campus | |
Units : | 1 |
School or Department : | School of Agriculture and Environmental Science |
Grading basis : | Graded |
Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
The study of weather and climate is recognised as an important inclusion for any student intent on understanding impacts of climate change and climate variability. Weather and climate have large effects in many world regions and influence many societal activities. A better understanding of the global weather and climate systems and their impacts aids the sustainable development of our society and utilisation of natural resources. Knowledge of the concepts of weather and climate is fundamental to any broad appreciation of applied meteorology and climatology and their contribution to sustainable environmental management and resource utilisation.
This course is an introductory descriptive level course that introduces participants to the weather and climate systems of the world, outlining the global and regional processes down to the synoptic scale weather systems, and describes the structure of the global climate system. Weather and climate drive the composition of our natural environment and impact upon many aspects of human endeavour. After completing the course students will be able to demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for the complexity of the world's and Australia's climate and weather systems and will be able to use their knowledge in order to comprehend and debate future climate change and variability. Access to the internet is required.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- describe general atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems, regional and local climate mechanisms;
- apply simple concepts to the areas of the atmospheric structure, local ocean and atmosphere circulation systems, and the basic principles of atmosphere and ocean motion;
- describe the major non-seasonal climate mechanisms that lead to departures from anticipated weather and climate pattern;
- describe the practical benefits of weather and climate studies in areas as agricultural climatology and applications;
- demonstrate an understanding of weather and climate forecasting.
Topics
Description | Weighting(%) | |
---|---|---|
1. | The global setting | 10.00 |
2. | Structure of the atmosphere and ocean | 20.00 |
3. | Horizontal motion of the atmosphere and ocean | 15.00 |
4. | Synoptic circulations | 15.00 |
5. | Weather and climate of Australia | 10.00 |
6. | Seasonal and non-seasonal variations in climate | 20.00 |
7. | Introduction to applied climatology and meteorology | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Essay 1 | No | 30 | 1,2,3 |
Essay 2 | No | 30 | 4,5 |
Time limited online examinatn | No | 40 | 1,2,3,4,5 |