Instructor Class Description

Time Schedule:

• Summer Quarter 2008
• Autumn Quarter 2008

Stephen G Warren
ESS 532
Seattle Campus

Formation of Snow and Ice Masses

Snow and ice climatology. Formation of the ice crystals in clouds. Snow metamorphism. Transfer of radiative, sensible, and latent heat at snow and ice surfaces. Remote sensing of snow and ice. Growth and melt of sea ice. Climatic records from ice. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Offered: jointly with ATM S 511.

Class description

Topic (number of lectures; total 20)

Geography of snow and ice (1) Structure and physical chemistry of ice and water (2) Nucleation of water droplets and ice crystals in clouds; growth of ice crystals; snowfall meteorology (2) Thermal properties of snow and ice; snow metamorphism (3) Radiation in Earth's atmosphere and surface (1) Interaction of solar and infrared radiation with snow (1) Remote sensing of snow in solar and infrared; colors of ice and snow (1) Sea ice albedo; microwave remote sensing of snow and sea ice; radio-echo sounding of glaciers (1) Effects of wind on snow (1-2) Transfer of sensible and latent heat between snow and air; surface energy budget of snow (1) Snow hydrology; glacier mass balance (1-2) Sea-ice formation and structure; growth and melt of sea ice; models of sea-ice mass and energy balance (2-3) Marine ice (1) Snowball Earth (1-2) Suncups on melting snow (1) Climatic records from isotopes and impurities in snow and ice (1-2) Climate of the Antarctic ice sheet (1)

Student learning goals

General method of instruction

75-minute lectures twice a week

Recommended preparation

classical physics

Class assignments and grading

homework weekly; final exam; term paper

Homework (50%) Report (critical review of a paper or series of papers) (20%) Final exam (30%)

Office of the Registrar
For problems and questions about this web page contact icd@u.washington.edu,
otherwise contact the instructor or department directly.
Modified:June 21, 2008