GEO4928 – Clouds and Chemistry
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Clouds, precipitation and chemistry of gases and aerosols are important elements of the climate system. This course gives an introduction to atmospheric chemistry and cloud physics and covers the following topics: oxidation of gases, aerosol formation, ozone chemistry, condensation, droplets, collision and coalescence, ice crystals, air mixing, and cloud convection. The course also covers precipitation, weather radar, thunderstorms and hail, and teaches you to use numerical cloud models to understand and explore relevant problems in meteorology.
Learning outcome
After taking this course, you will be able to
- understand the processes governing the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and how secondary aerosols are formed
- describe the key processes related to clouds and precipitation
- discuss the impact and relevance of changes to cloud formation and precipitation
- understand the role of chemistry and clouds in the climate system, including important feedbacks
- use numerical models to understand and explore central processes in atmospheric chemistry and cloud physics
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must?apply for courses?in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other master's degree programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may?apply to take this course as a single-course student.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
Recommended previous knowledge
Basic knowledge of atmospheric thermodynamics and cloud physics:
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with GEO9928 – Clouds and Chemistry.
- 7 credits overlap with GEO4922 – Cloud Physics (continued).
- 7 credits overlap with GEO9922 – Cloud Physics (continued).
- 7 credits overlap with GEF4310 – Cloud physics (continued).
- 7 credits overlap with GEF9310 – Cloud Physics (continued).
- 3 credits overlap with GEO4904 – Atmospheric Chemistry.
- 3 credits overlap with GEO9904 – Atmospheric Chemistry.
- 3 credits overlap with GEF2210 – Regional and global air pollution (discontinued).
Teaching
Approximately 2 hours of lectures and 2 hours of exercises/colloquia per week. The course has mandatory assignments, which must be approved before the final examination.
Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Student administration (studieinfo@geo.uio.no).
We reserve the right to change the teaching?form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.
Examination
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Mandatory assignments must be approved before you sit the final examination.
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An oral midterm examination counts 1/3 towards the final grade.
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A final written examination counts 2/3 towards the final grade.
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Both the midterm examination and the final written examination must be?passed separately?in order to pass the course.
Mandatory assignments are valid for 5 semesters starting from the semester they were approved the first time.
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:?
Examination support material
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are?offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.
Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.