Major Atmospheric Science (62 credits)

Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences     Degree: Bachelor of Science

Program Requirements

(60-63 credits)

The B.Sc.; Major in Atmospheric Science provides the fundamentals of atmospheric physics and dynamics along with applications to weather and climate problems. The program includes the choice of a wide selection of topics spanning from atmospheric chemistry, to weather forecasting and climate dynamics. The program may be completed in 60-63 credits.

Required Courses (24 credits)

  • ATOC 214 Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : An introduction to physical meteorology designed for students in the physical sciences. Topics include: composition of the atmosphere; heat transfer; the upper atmosphere; atmospheric optics; formation of clouds and precipitation; instability; adiabatic charts.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ioannidou, Evangelia (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP Physics, or the combination of PHYS 131 and PHYS 142, or permission of instructor.

  • ATOC 312 Rotating Fluid Dynamics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Lagrangian and Eulerian time derivatives. Vorticity, divergence and Helmholtz decomposition. Two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation for non-divergent flows. Rotating coordinate systems and the shallow water equations. Linear solutions, potential vorticity, and geostrophy in the shallow water context. Shallow-water quasi-geostrophic approximation, including Rossby waves and barotrophic (Rayleigh) instability.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ioannidou, Evangelia (Fall)

  • ATOC 315 Thermodynamics and Convection (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Buoyancy, stability, and vertical oscillations. Dry and moist adiabatic processes. Resulting dry and precipitating convective circulations from the small scale to the global scale. Mesoscale precipitation systems from the cell to convective complexes. Severe convection, downbursts, mesocyclones.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Tan, Ivy (Fall)

  • COMP 208 Computer Programming for Physical Sciences and Engineering (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Programming and problem solving in a high level computer language: variables, expressions, types, functions, conditionals, loops, objects and classes. Introduction to algorithms such as searching and sorting. Modular software design, libraries, file input and output, debugging. Emphasis on applications in Physical Sciences and Engineering, such as root finding, numerical integration, diffusion, Monte Carlo methods.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024

    Instructors: Langer, Michael; Campbell, Jonathan (Fall) Parekh, Deven (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Corequisite: MATH 133 and MATH 141, or equivalents.

    • Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 202, COMP 204, orGEOG 333; not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 206 or COMP 250.

    • COMP 202 is intended as a general introductory course, while COMP 208 is intended for students with sufficient math background and in (non-life) science or engineering fields.

  • MATH 222 Calculus 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Summer 2024

    Instructors: Sabok, Marcin; Allen, Patrick (Fall) Trudeau, Sidney (Winter)

  • MATH 223 Linear Algebra (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of matrix algebra, determinants and systems of linear equations. Vector spaces, linear operators and their matrix representations, orthogonality. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization of Hermitian matrices. Applications.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024

    Instructors: Kelome, Djivede; Pichot, Mikael (Fall) Pichot, Mikael (Winter)

    • Fall and Winter

    • Prerequisite: MATH 133 or equivalent

    • Restriction: Not open to students in Mathematics programs nor to students who have taken or are taking MATH 236, MATH 247 or MATH 251. It is open to students in Faculty Programs

  • MATH 314 Advanced Calculus (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Derivative as a matrix. Chain rule. Implicit functions. Constrained maxima and minima. Jacobians. Multiple integration. Line and surface integrals. Theorems of Green, Stokes and Gauss. Fourier series with applications.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024

    Instructors: Toth, John A (Fall) Allen, Patrick (Winter)

  • MATH 315 Ordinary Differential Equations (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : First order ordinary differential equations including elementary numerical methods. Linear differential equations. Laplace transforms. Series solutions.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Summer 2024

    Instructors: Hurtubise, Jacques Claude (Fall) Bélanger-Rioux, Rosalie (Winter)

    • Prerequisite: MATH 222.

    • Corequisite: MATH 133.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 325.

Complementary Courses (36-39 credits)

Note: Students are required to fulfill the core complementary requirements along with one of the four streams listed below. In cases of overlap, each course can only be used once toward the satisfaction of the core complementary courses or the chosen stream.

Core (21-22 credits)

3-6 credits selected from:

  • ATOC 215 Oceans, Weather and Climate (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Laws of motion, geostrophic wind, gradient wind. General circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, local circulation features. Air-sea interaction, including hurricanes and sea-ice formation, extra-tropical weather systems and fronts, role of the atmosphere and oceans in climate.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Dufour, Carolina (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisites: MATH 141; ATOC 214, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 219 Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : An introduction to the basic topics in atmospheric chemistry. The fundamentals of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its chemical reactions. Selected topics such as smog chamber, acid rain, and ozone hole will be examined.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Preston, Thomas (Winter)

  • CHEM 219 Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : An introduction to the basic topics in atmospheric chemistry. The fundamentals of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its chemical reactions. Selected topics such as; a smog chamber, acid rain, and the ozone hole, will be examined.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Preston, Thomas (Winter)

* If chosen, students may take ATOC 219 or CHEM 219.

3 credits selected from:

  • ATOC 357 Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Laboratory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Students will gain hands-on experience in several fundamental atmospheric and oceanic science topics through practical experimentation. A diverse set of experiments will be conducted, ranging from in situ observations in Montreal, to remote sensing of clouds and radiation, to laboratory chemistry and water-tank experiments. As a background for these experiments, students will receive training on sensor principles and measurement error analysis, as well as the fundamental physical processes of interest in each experiment. They will learn to operate, and physically interpret data from, various sensors for in situ and remote observation of meteorological variables. Their training will also extend to operational weather observations, analysis, and forecasting.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Pal, Devendra (Winter)

    • Prerequisite(s): ATOC 214 or permission of instructor.

  • PHYS 257 Experimental Methods 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Introductory laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Introduction to computers as they are employed for laboratory work, for data analysis and for numerical computation. Previous experience with computers is an asset, but is not required.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Vachon, Brigitte (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 6 hours of laboratory and classroom work

    • Corequisite: PHYS 230 or PHYS 251

3 credits selected from:

  • PHYS 230 Dynamics of Simple Systems (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Translational motion under Newton's laws; forces, momentum, work/energy theorem. Special relativity; Lorentz transforms, relativistic mechanics, mass/energy equivalence. Topics in rotational dynamics. Noninertial frames.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Guo, Hong (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP Physics or PHYS 131.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 251

  • PHYS 251 Honours Classical Mechanics 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Newton's laws, work energy, angular momentum. Harmonic oscillator, forced oscillations. Inertial forces, rotating frames. Central forces, centre of mass, planetary orbits, Kepler's laws.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Gale, Charles (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP physics or PHYS 131.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 230.

3 credits selected from:

  • PHYS 232 Heat and Waves (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The laws of thermodynamics and their consequences. Thermodynamics of P-V-T systems and simple heat engines. Free, driven, and damped harmonic oscillators. Coupled systems and normal modes. Fourier methods. Wave motion and dispersion. The wave equation.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Hilke, Michael (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: CEGEP Physics or PHYS 142, and CEGEP chemistry or CHEM 120, and PHYS 230.

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 253

  • PHYS 253 Thermal Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Energy, work, heat; first law. Temperature, entropy; second law. Absolute zero; third law. Equilibrium, equations of state, gases, liquids, solids, magnets; phase transitions.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Grutter, Peter H (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: CEGEP physics or PHYS 131, and CEGEP chemistry or CHEM 120.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 232.

6-10 credits selected from:

  • CHEM 213 Introductory Physical Chemistry 1: Thermodynamics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Thermodynamics. Topics include gas laws, kinetic theory of collisions, heat capacity, enthalpy, thermochemistry, bond energies, the entropy and free energy functions, absolute entropies, Maxwell relations and chemical and thermodynamic equilibrium states, phase rule and phase diagrams, ideal solutions, colligative properties, solubility, electrochemistry, Debye-Hückel Theory.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Blum, Amy (Fall)

  • CHEM 273 Introductory Physical Chemistry 2: Kinetics and Methods (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Kinetics: Transition State Theory, complex reactions, free-radical reactions, chain reactions, catalysis, reactions at surfaces, ionic effects of reactions in solution, photochemistry. Methods: physical chemistry laboratory, differential equations and linear algebra applied to physical chemistry, computation methods for data analysis and modeling

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: McCalla, Eric Russell; Gauthier, Jean-Marc (Winter)

  • CHEM 367 Instrumental Analysis 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : An introduction to modern instrumental analysis emphasizing chromatography, atomic spectroscopy and computational data analysis. Analytical methods to be examined in detail include gas-liquid and high performance liquid chromatography, LC mass spectrometry, and common methods of atomic determinations using flames/furnaces/plasma sources.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Sewall, Samuel Lewis; Gauthier, Jean-Marc; Andrews, Mark P; Wahba, Alexander (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisite(s): CHEM 267.

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

  • CHEM 575 Chemical Kinetics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Kinetic laws, measurement of reaction rates, transition state and collision theory, experimental techniques in reaction kinetics, reaction mechanisms, RRKM theory, Marcus theory of electron transfer, photochemistry and catalysis. Recent developments and their application to chemical and biological problems. Elementary reactions in gas, solution and solid phases and on surfaces.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • COMP 551 Applied Machine Learning (4 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Selected topics in machine learning and data mining, including clustering, neural networks, support vector machines, decision trees. Methods include feature selection and dimensionality reduction, error estimation and empirical validation, algorithm design and parallelization, and handling of large data sets. Emphasis on good methods and practices for deployment of real systems.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024

    Instructors: Prémont-Schwarz, Isabeau; Rabbany, Reihaneh (Fall) Li, Yue; Prémont-Schwarz, Isabeau (Winter)

  • MATH 203 Principles of Statistics 1 (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Examples of statistical data and the use of graphical means to summarize the data. Basic distributions arising in the natural and behavioural sciences. The logical meaning of a test of significance and a confidence interval. Tests of significance and confidence intervals in the one and two sample setting (means, variances and proportions).

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Summer 2024

    Instructors: Kreitewolf, Jens; Russell, Oliver (Fall) Sajjad, Alia (Winter)

    • No calculus prerequisites

    • Restriction: This course is intended for students in all disciplines. For extensive course restrictions covering statistics courses see Section 3.6.1 of the Arts and of the Science sections of the calendar regarding course overlaps.

    • You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar. Students should consult http://www.mcgill.ca/students/transfercredit for information regarding transfer credits for this course.

  • MATH 317 Numerical Analysis (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Error analysis. Numerical solutions of equations by iteration. Interpolation. Numerical differentiation and integration. Introduction to numerical solutions of differential equations.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Gantumur, Tsog (Fall)

  • MATH 319 Partial Differential Equations (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : First order equations, geometric theory; second order equations, classification; Laplace, wave and heat equations, Sturm-Liouville theory, Fourier series, boundary and initial value problems.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Guan, Pengfei (Winter)

  • MATH 323 Probability (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sample space, events, conditional probability, independence of events, Bayes' Theorem. Basic combinatorial probability, random variables, discrete and continuous univariate and multivariate distributions. Independence of random variables. Inequalities, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Summer 2024

    Instructors: Sajjad, Alia; Nadarajah, Tharshanna (Fall) Sajjad, Alia; Nadarajah, Tharshanna (Winter)

    • Prerequisites: MATH 141 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Intended for students in Science, Engineering and related disciplines, who have had differential and integral calculus

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 356

  • MATH 324 Statistics (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sampling distributions, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, contingency tables, nonparametric inference, regression, Bayesian inference.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024

    Instructors: Nadarajah, Tharshanna (Fall) Russell, Oliver (Winter)

    • Fall and Winter

    • Prerequisite: MATH 323 or equivalent

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 357

    • You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.

  • PHYS 333 Thermal and Statistical Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Introductory equilibrium statistical mechanics. Quantum states, probabilities, ensemble averages. Entropy, temperature, Boltzmann factor, chemical potential. Photons and phonons. Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions; applications.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Rutledge, Robert (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 232

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 362

  • PHYS 340 Majors Electricity and Magnetism (3 credits) **

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The electrostatic field and scalar potential. Dielectric properties of matter. Energy in the electrostatic field. Methods for solving problems in electrostatics. The magnetic field. Induction and inductance. Energy in the magnetic field. Magnetic properties of matter. Maxwell's equations. The dipole approximation.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Lovejoy, Shaun MacDonald (Fall)

  • PHYS 342 Majors Electromagnetic Waves (3 credits) ***

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Maxwell's equations. The wave equation. The electromagnetic wave, reflection, refraction, polarization. Guided waves. Transmission lines and wave guides. Vector potential. Radiation. The elemental dipole; the half-wave dipole; vertical dipole; folded dipoles; Yagi antennas. Accelerating charged particles.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Gervais, Guillaume (Winter)

  • PHYS 350 Honours Electricity and Magnetism (3 credits) **

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Fundamental laws of electric and magnetic fields in both integral and differential form.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Lee, Eve J (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: MATH 248, MATH 325.

    • Restriction: Honours students or permission of the instructor

    • Restriction: Not open to students having taken PHYS 340

  • PHYS 352 Honours Electromagnetic Waves (3 credits) ***

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Vector and scalar potentials; plane waves in homogeneous media; refraction and reflection; guided waves; radiation from simple systems; dipole and quadrupole radiation; introduction to fields of moving charges; synchrotron radiation; Bremsstrahlung.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Siwick, Bradley (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 350.

    • Restriction: Honours students, or permission of the instructor

* If chosen, students may take either MATH 203 or MATH 324.
** If chosen, students may take either PHYS 340 or PHYS 350.
*** If chosen, students may take either PHYS 342 and PHYS 352.

15-17 credits from one of the following streams:

Weather Analysis and Forecasting Stream (16-17 credits)

13 credits from:

  • ATOC 309 Weather Radars and Satellites (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Basic notions of radiative transfer and applications of satellite and radar data to mesoscale and synoptic-scale systems are discussed. Emphasis will be put on the contribution of remote sensing to atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Tan, Ivy (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: ATOC 215

  • ATOC 521 Cloud Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Review of dry and moist atmospheric thermodynamics concepts. Atmospheric aerosols, nucleation of water and ice. Formation and growth of cloud droplets and ice crystals. Initiation of precipitation. Severe storms and hail. Weather modification. Numerical cloud models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Zuend, Andreas (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisites (Undergraduates): ATOC 315, MATH 314, and MATH 315, or permission of instructor.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ATOC 621.

  • ATOC 540 Synoptic Meteorology 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Analysis of current meteorological data. Description of a geostrophic, hydrostatic atmosphere. Ageostrophic circulations and hydrostatic instabilities. Kinematic and thermodynamic methods of computing vertical motions. Tropical and extratropical condensation rates. Barotropic and equivalent barotropic atmospheres.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Gyakum, John Richard (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 2 hours lecture; 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 541 Synoptic Meteorology 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Analysis of current meteorological data. Quasi-geostrophic theory, including the omega equation, as it relates to extratropical cyclone and anticyclone development. Frontogenesis and frontal circulations in the lower and upper troposphere. Cumulus convection and its relationship to tropical and extratropical circulations. Diagnostic case study work.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Gyakum, John Richard (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lecture; 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 and ATOC 540 or permission of instructor.

  • ATOC 546 Current Weather Discussion (1 credit)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Half-hour briefing on atmospheric general circulation and current weather around the world using satellite data, radar observations, conventional weather maps, and analyses and forecasts produced by computer techniques.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 2 hours

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 540 or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

3-4 credits selected from:

  • ATOC 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursuing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 512 Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Introduction to the fluid dynamics of large-scale flows of the atmosphere and oceans. Stratification of atmosphere and oceans. Equations of state, thermodynamics and momentum. Kinematics, circulation, and vorticity. Hydrostatic and quasi-geostrophic flows. Brief introduction to wave motions, flow over topography, Ekman boundary layers, turbulence.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 513 Waves and Stability (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Linear theory of waves in rotating and stratified media. Geostrophic adjustment and model initialization. Wave propagation in slowly varying media. Mountain waves; waves in shear flows. Barotropic, baroclinic, symmetric, and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Wave-mean flow interaction. Equatorially trapped waves.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 517 Boundary Layer Meteorology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Turbulence and turbulent fluxes, atmospheric stability, Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, surface roughness and surface fluxes, power law and logarithmic wind profiles including their application in wind energy and engineering sectors, convective and stably stratified boundary layers, internal boundary layer development, large-eddy simulations, fundamentals of boundary-layer parameterization in numerical models, and introduction to urban boundary layers.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Romanic, Djordje (Winter)

  • ATOC 525 Atmospheric Radiation (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Solar and terrestrial radiation. Interactions of molecules, aerosols, clouds, and precipitation with radiation of various wavelengths. Radiative transfer through the clear and cloudy atmosphere. Radiation budgets. Satellite and ground-based measurements. Climate implications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 531 Dynamics of Current Climates (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : The general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans. Atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models. Observations and models of the El Niño and Southern Oscillation phenomena.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ioannidou, Evangelia (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 315 or permission of instructor

    • Corequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 or ATOC 512 or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 548 Mesoscale Meteorology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Theory of meteorologically important mesoscale phenomena including mesoscale instabilities, cumulus convection and its organization (including thunderstorms, squall lines, and other forms of severe weather), internal gravity waves, and topographically forced flows. Application of theory to the physical interpretation of observations and numerical simulations.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • ATOC 558 Numerical Methods and Laboratory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Numerical simulation of atmospheric and oceanic processes. Finite difference, finite element, and spectral modelling techniques. Term project including computer modelling of convection or large-scale flows in the atmosphere or ocean.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 1 hour lecture; 4 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 or ATOC 512, or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • ATOC 568 Ocean Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Research methods in physical oceanography including data analysis and literature review. Course will be divided into five separate modules focusing on temperature-salinity patterns, ocean circulation, boundary layers, wave phenomena and tides.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 512 or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • ESYS 300 Investigating the Earth System (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth System Science : An understanding of the biological, chemical and physical fundamentals of the Earth system and how the different components interact. The mechanisms controlling interactions between reservoirs are quantitatively investigated. Special emphasis on the development and response of the Earth system to perturbations.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Tremblay, Bruno; Kalacska, Margaret (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: ESYS 200 or equivalent.

  • ESYS 301 Earth System Modelling (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth System Science : Principal concepts of systems modelling related to earth system science and environmental science. Students explore the ideas of state, stability, equilibria, feedbacks, and complexity using simple models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Tremblay, Bruno (Winter)

  • GEOG 322 Environmental Hydrology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Geography (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Geography : Quantitative, experimental study of the principles governing the movement of water at or near the Earth's surface and how the research relates to the chemistry and biology of ecosystems.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Lehner, Bernhard; Ali, Genevieve (Fall)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or equivalent

  • GEOG 372 Running Water Environments (3 credits)

    Offered by: Geography (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Geography : The course focuses on the physical habitat conditions found in streams, rivers, estuaries and deltas. Based on the laws governing flow of water and sediment transport, it emphasizes differences among these environments, in terms of channel form, flow patterns, substrate composition and mode of evolution. Flooding, damming, channelisation, forestry impacts.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • MATH 555 Fluid Dynamics (4 credits) ++

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Kinematics. Dynamics of general fluids. Inviscid fluids, Navier-Stokes equations. Exact solutions of Navier-Stokes equations. Low and high Reynolds number flow.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • PHYS 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • PHYS 432 Physics of Fluids (3 credits) ++

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The physical properties of fluids. The kinematics and dynamics of flow. The effects of viscosity and turbulence. Applications of fluid mechanics in biophysics, geophysics and engineering.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Lee, Eve J (Winter)

  • PHYS 512 Computational Physics with Applications (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Computational methods in Physics illustrated with realworld applications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Cumming, Andrew (Fall)

    • U3 or graduate students in Physics, Chemistry, or Engineering, or permission of the instructor. Basic familiarity with computer programming highly recommended.

+ If chosen, students may take either ATOC 404 or PHYS 404.
++ If chosen, students may take either PHYS 432 or MATH 555.

Climate Science Stream (15 credits)

6 credits from:

  • ATOC 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursuing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 531 Dynamics of Current Climates (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : The general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans. Atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models. Observations and models of the El Niño and Southern Oscillation phenomena.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ioannidou, Evangelia (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 315 or permission of instructor

    • Corequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 or ATOC 512 or permission of instructor

  • PHYS 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

+ If chosen, students may take either ATOC 404 or PHYS 404.

9 credits (at least 6 credits must be ATOC courses) selected from:

  • ATOC 512 Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Introduction to the fluid dynamics of large-scale flows of the atmosphere and oceans. Stratification of atmosphere and oceans. Equations of state, thermodynamics and momentum. Kinematics, circulation, and vorticity. Hydrostatic and quasi-geostrophic flows. Brief introduction to wave motions, flow over topography, Ekman boundary layers, turbulence.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 513 Waves and Stability (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Linear theory of waves in rotating and stratified media. Geostrophic adjustment and model initialization. Wave propagation in slowly varying media. Mountain waves; waves in shear flows. Barotropic, baroclinic, symmetric, and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Wave-mean flow interaction. Equatorially trapped waves.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 519 Advances in Chemistry of Atmosphere (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Exploration of the field of atmospheric chemistry that is identified as the significant driver of climate change and the cause of millions of premature death every year. Discussion of cutting-edge novel technologies for observing and quantifying pollutants (from ground to satellite) using artificial intelligence, the fate of emerging contaminants (e.g., nano/microplastics, trace metals, persistent organic), and modelling of atmospheric and interfacial processes. Examination of topics like atmospheric gaseous and multiphase components like bioaerosols. Study of photochemical, photophysical, and aerosol nucleation processes that affect air quality, climate change, and ecosystem health.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ariya, Parisa A (Fall)

  • ATOC 521 Cloud Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Review of dry and moist atmospheric thermodynamics concepts. Atmospheric aerosols, nucleation of water and ice. Formation and growth of cloud droplets and ice crystals. Initiation of precipitation. Severe storms and hail. Weather modification. Numerical cloud models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Zuend, Andreas (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisites (Undergraduates): ATOC 315, MATH 314, and MATH 315, or permission of instructor.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ATOC 621.

  • ATOC 525 Atmospheric Radiation (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Solar and terrestrial radiation. Interactions of molecules, aerosols, clouds, and precipitation with radiation of various wavelengths. Radiative transfer through the clear and cloudy atmosphere. Radiation budgets. Satellite and ground-based measurements. Climate implications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 540 Synoptic Meteorology 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Analysis of current meteorological data. Description of a geostrophic, hydrostatic atmosphere. Ageostrophic circulations and hydrostatic instabilities. Kinematic and thermodynamic methods of computing vertical motions. Tropical and extratropical condensation rates. Barotropic and equivalent barotropic atmospheres.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Gyakum, John Richard (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 2 hours lecture; 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 558 Numerical Methods and Laboratory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Numerical simulation of atmospheric and oceanic processes. Finite difference, finite element, and spectral modelling techniques. Term project including computer modelling of convection or large-scale flows in the atmosphere or ocean.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 1 hour lecture; 4 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 or ATOC 512, or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • ATOC 568 Ocean Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Research methods in physical oceanography including data analysis and literature review. Course will be divided into five separate modules focusing on temperature-salinity patterns, ocean circulation, boundary layers, wave phenomena and tides.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 512 or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • EPSC 513 Climate and the Carbon Cycle (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth & Planetary Sciences : What does the rapid increase in CO2, currently driven by human activities, mean for future climate? Where will the carbon released by humans go, and how long will it take? An overview of the mechanisms governing global climate, the carbon cycle, and geological evidence for past changes in climate and the carbon cycle. Through assignments, students build their own simple Earth System models in order to explore basic principles of the coupling between climate and the carbon cycle. Output from General Circulation Models is analysed and recent peer-reviewed scientific literature is discussed.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • ESYS 300 Investigating the Earth System (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth System Science : An understanding of the biological, chemical and physical fundamentals of the Earth system and how the different components interact. The mechanisms controlling interactions between reservoirs are quantitatively investigated. Special emphasis on the development and response of the Earth system to perturbations.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Tremblay, Bruno; Kalacska, Margaret (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: ESYS 200 or equivalent.

  • ESYS 301 Earth System Modelling (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth System Science : Principal concepts of systems modelling related to earth system science and environmental science. Students explore the ideas of state, stability, equilibria, feedbacks, and complexity using simple models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Tremblay, Bruno (Winter)

  • GEOG 322 Environmental Hydrology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Geography (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Geography : Quantitative, experimental study of the principles governing the movement of water at or near the Earth's surface and how the research relates to the chemistry and biology of ecosystems.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Lehner, Bernhard; Ali, Genevieve (Fall)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or equivalent

  • GEOG 372 Running Water Environments (3 credits)

    Offered by: Geography (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Geography : The course focuses on the physical habitat conditions found in streams, rivers, estuaries and deltas. Based on the laws governing flow of water and sediment transport, it emphasizes differences among these environments, in terms of channel form, flow patterns, substrate composition and mode of evolution. Flooding, damming, channelisation, forestry impacts.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • MATH 323 Probability (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sample space, events, conditional probability, independence of events, Bayes' Theorem. Basic combinatorial probability, random variables, discrete and continuous univariate and multivariate distributions. Independence of random variables. Inequalities, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem.

    Terms: Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Summer 2024

    Instructors: Sajjad, Alia; Nadarajah, Tharshanna (Fall) Sajjad, Alia; Nadarajah, Tharshanna (Winter)

    • Prerequisites: MATH 141 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Intended for students in Science, Engineering and related disciplines, who have had differential and integral calculus

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 356

  • PHYS 512 Computational Physics with Applications (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Computational methods in Physics illustrated with realworld applications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Cumming, Andrew (Fall)

    • U3 or graduate students in Physics, Chemistry, or Engineering, or permission of the instructor. Basic familiarity with computer programming highly recommended.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Stream (15 credits)

  • ATOC 309 Weather Radars and Satellites (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Basic notions of radiative transfer and applications of satellite and radar data to mesoscale and synoptic-scale systems are discussed. Emphasis will be put on the contribution of remote sensing to atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Tan, Ivy (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: ATOC 215

  • ATOC 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursuing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 517 Boundary Layer Meteorology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Turbulence and turbulent fluxes, atmospheric stability, Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, surface roughness and surface fluxes, power law and logarithmic wind profiles including their application in wind energy and engineering sectors, convective and stably stratified boundary layers, internal boundary layer development, large-eddy simulations, fundamentals of boundary-layer parameterization in numerical models, and introduction to urban boundary layers.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Romanic, Djordje (Winter)

  • ATOC 519 Advances in Chemistry of Atmosphere (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Exploration of the field of atmospheric chemistry that is identified as the significant driver of climate change and the cause of millions of premature death every year. Discussion of cutting-edge novel technologies for observing and quantifying pollutants (from ground to satellite) using artificial intelligence, the fate of emerging contaminants (e.g., nano/microplastics, trace metals, persistent organic), and modelling of atmospheric and interfacial processes. Examination of topics like atmospheric gaseous and multiphase components like bioaerosols. Study of photochemical, photophysical, and aerosol nucleation processes that affect air quality, climate change, and ecosystem health.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ariya, Parisa A (Fall)

  • ATOC 521 Cloud Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Review of dry and moist atmospheric thermodynamics concepts. Atmospheric aerosols, nucleation of water and ice. Formation and growth of cloud droplets and ice crystals. Initiation of precipitation. Severe storms and hail. Weather modification. Numerical cloud models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Zuend, Andreas (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisites (Undergraduates): ATOC 315, MATH 314, and MATH 315, or permission of instructor.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ATOC 621.

  • CHEM 213 Introductory Physical Chemistry 1: Thermodynamics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Thermodynamics. Topics include gas laws, kinetic theory of collisions, heat capacity, enthalpy, thermochemistry, bond energies, the entropy and free energy functions, absolute entropies, Maxwell relations and chemical and thermodynamic equilibrium states, phase rule and phase diagrams, ideal solutions, colligative properties, solubility, electrochemistry, Debye-Hückel Theory.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Blum, Amy (Fall)

  • CHEM 273 Introductory Physical Chemistry 2: Kinetics and Methods (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Kinetics: Transition State Theory, complex reactions, free-radical reactions, chain reactions, catalysis, reactions at surfaces, ionic effects of reactions in solution, photochemistry. Methods: physical chemistry laboratory, differential equations and linear algebra applied to physical chemistry, computation methods for data analysis and modeling

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: McCalla, Eric Russell; Gauthier, Jean-Marc (Winter)

  • PHYS 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • PHYS 512 Computational Physics with Applications (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Computational methods in Physics illustrated with realworld applications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Cumming, Andrew (Fall)

    • U3 or graduate students in Physics, Chemistry, or Engineering, or permission of the instructor. Basic familiarity with computer programming highly recommended.

+ If chosen, students may take either ATOC 404 or PHYS 404.

General Stream (15-17 credits)

15-17 credits (at least 12 credits must be ATOC courses) selected from:

  • ATOC 309 Weather Radars and Satellites (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Basic notions of radiative transfer and applications of satellite and radar data to mesoscale and synoptic-scale systems are discussed. Emphasis will be put on the contribution of remote sensing to atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Tan, Ivy (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: ATOC 215

  • ATOC 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursuing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 512 Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Introduction to the fluid dynamics of large-scale flows of the atmosphere and oceans. Stratification of atmosphere and oceans. Equations of state, thermodynamics and momentum. Kinematics, circulation, and vorticity. Hydrostatic and quasi-geostrophic flows. Brief introduction to wave motions, flow over topography, Ekman boundary layers, turbulence.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 513 Waves and Stability (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Linear theory of waves in rotating and stratified media. Geostrophic adjustment and model initialization. Wave propagation in slowly varying media. Mountain waves; waves in shear flows. Barotropic, baroclinic, symmetric, and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Wave-mean flow interaction. Equatorially trapped waves.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 517 Boundary Layer Meteorology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Turbulence and turbulent fluxes, atmospheric stability, Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, surface roughness and surface fluxes, power law and logarithmic wind profiles including their application in wind energy and engineering sectors, convective and stably stratified boundary layers, internal boundary layer development, large-eddy simulations, fundamentals of boundary-layer parameterization in numerical models, and introduction to urban boundary layers.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Romanic, Djordje (Winter)

  • ATOC 519 Advances in Chemistry of Atmosphere (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Exploration of the field of atmospheric chemistry that is identified as the significant driver of climate change and the cause of millions of premature death every year. Discussion of cutting-edge novel technologies for observing and quantifying pollutants (from ground to satellite) using artificial intelligence, the fate of emerging contaminants (e.g., nano/microplastics, trace metals, persistent organic), and modelling of atmospheric and interfacial processes. Examination of topics like atmospheric gaseous and multiphase components like bioaerosols. Study of photochemical, photophysical, and aerosol nucleation processes that affect air quality, climate change, and ecosystem health.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ariya, Parisa A (Fall)

  • ATOC 521 Cloud Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Review of dry and moist atmospheric thermodynamics concepts. Atmospheric aerosols, nucleation of water and ice. Formation and growth of cloud droplets and ice crystals. Initiation of precipitation. Severe storms and hail. Weather modification. Numerical cloud models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Zuend, Andreas (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisites (Undergraduates): ATOC 315, MATH 314, and MATH 315, or permission of instructor.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ATOC 621.

  • ATOC 525 Atmospheric Radiation (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Solar and terrestrial radiation. Interactions of molecules, aerosols, clouds, and precipitation with radiation of various wavelengths. Radiative transfer through the clear and cloudy atmosphere. Radiation budgets. Satellite and ground-based measurements. Climate implications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • ATOC 531 Dynamics of Current Climates (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : The general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans. Atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models. Observations and models of the El Niño and Southern Oscillation phenomena.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Ioannidou, Evangelia (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 315 or permission of instructor

    • Corequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 or ATOC 512 or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 540 Synoptic Meteorology 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Analysis of current meteorological data. Description of a geostrophic, hydrostatic atmosphere. Ageostrophic circulations and hydrostatic instabilities. Kinematic and thermodynamic methods of computing vertical motions. Tropical and extratropical condensation rates. Barotropic and equivalent barotropic atmospheres.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Gyakum, John Richard (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 2 hours lecture; 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, or permission of instructor

  • ATOC 541 Synoptic Meteorology 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Analysis of current meteorological data. Quasi-geostrophic theory, including the omega equation, as it relates to extratropical cyclone and anticyclone development. Frontogenesis and frontal circulations in the lower and upper troposphere. Cumulus convection and its relationship to tropical and extratropical circulations. Diagnostic case study work.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Gyakum, John Richard (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lecture; 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 and ATOC 540 or permission of instructor.

  • ATOC 546 Current Weather Discussion (1 credit)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Half-hour briefing on atmospheric general circulation and current weather around the world using satellite data, radar observations, conventional weather maps, and analyses and forecasts produced by computer techniques.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 2 hours

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 540 or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • ATOC 548 Mesoscale Meteorology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Theory of meteorologically important mesoscale phenomena including mesoscale instabilities, cumulus convection and its organization (including thunderstorms, squall lines, and other forms of severe weather), internal gravity waves, and topographically forced flows. Application of theory to the physical interpretation of observations and numerical simulations.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • ATOC 558 Numerical Methods and Laboratory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Numerical simulation of atmospheric and oceanic processes. Finite difference, finite element, and spectral modelling techniques. Term project including computer modelling of convection or large-scale flows in the atmosphere or ocean.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 1 hour lecture; 4 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 312 or ATOC 512, or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • ATOC 568 Ocean Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Research methods in physical oceanography including data analysis and literature review. Course will be divided into five separate modules focusing on temperature-salinity patterns, ocean circulation, boundary layers, wave phenomena and tides.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 512 or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Graduate students and final-year Honours Atmospheric Science students. Others by special permission.

  • CHEM 367 Instrumental Analysis 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : An introduction to modern instrumental analysis emphasizing chromatography, atomic spectroscopy and computational data analysis. Analytical methods to be examined in detail include gas-liquid and high performance liquid chromatography, LC mass spectrometry, and common methods of atomic determinations using flames/furnaces/plasma sources.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Sewall, Samuel Lewis; Gauthier, Jean-Marc; Andrews, Mark P; Wahba, Alexander (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisite(s): CHEM 267.

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

  • CHEM 575 Chemical Kinetics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Kinetic laws, measurement of reaction rates, transition state and collision theory, experimental techniques in reaction kinetics, reaction mechanisms, RRKM theory, Marcus theory of electron transfer, photochemistry and catalysis. Recent developments and their application to chemical and biological problems. Elementary reactions in gas, solution and solid phases and on surfaces.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • EPSC 513 Climate and the Carbon Cycle (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth & Planetary Sciences : What does the rapid increase in CO2, currently driven by human activities, mean for future climate? Where will the carbon released by humans go, and how long will it take? An overview of the mechanisms governing global climate, the carbon cycle, and geological evidence for past changes in climate and the carbon cycle. Through assignments, students build their own simple Earth System models in order to explore basic principles of the coupling between climate and the carbon cycle. Output from General Circulation Models is analysed and recent peer-reviewed scientific literature is discussed.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • ESYS 300 Investigating the Earth System (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth System Science : An understanding of the biological, chemical and physical fundamentals of the Earth system and how the different components interact. The mechanisms controlling interactions between reservoirs are quantitatively investigated. Special emphasis on the development and response of the Earth system to perturbations.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Tremblay, Bruno; Kalacska, Margaret (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite: ESYS 200 or equivalent.

  • ESYS 301 Earth System Modelling (3 credits)

    Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Earth System Science : Principal concepts of systems modelling related to earth system science and environmental science. Students explore the ideas of state, stability, equilibria, feedbacks, and complexity using simple models.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Tremblay, Bruno (Winter)

  • GEOG 322 Environmental Hydrology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Geography (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Geography : Quantitative, experimental study of the principles governing the movement of water at or near the Earth's surface and how the research relates to the chemistry and biology of ecosystems.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Lehner, Bernhard; Ali, Genevieve (Fall)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or equivalent

  • GEOG 372 Running Water Environments (3 credits)

    Offered by: Geography (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Geography : The course focuses on the physical habitat conditions found in streams, rivers, estuaries and deltas. Based on the laws governing flow of water and sediment transport, it emphasizes differences among these environments, in terms of channel form, flow patterns, substrate composition and mode of evolution. Flooding, damming, channelisation, forestry impacts.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • MATH 555 Fluid Dynamics (4 credits) ++

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Kinematics. Dynamics of general fluids. Inviscid fluids, Navier-Stokes equations. Exact solutions of Navier-Stokes equations. Low and high Reynolds number flow.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • PHYS 404 Climate Physics (3 credits) +

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Fall)

  • PHYS 432 Physics of Fluids (3 credits) ++

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The physical properties of fluids. The kinematics and dynamics of flow. The effects of viscosity and turbulence. Applications of fluid mechanics in biophysics, geophysics and engineering.

    Terms: Winter 2024

    Instructors: Lee, Eve J (Winter)

  • PHYS 512 Computational Physics with Applications (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Computational methods in Physics illustrated with realworld applications.

    Terms: Fall 2023

    Instructors: Cumming, Andrew (Fall)

    • U3 or graduate students in Physics, Chemistry, or Engineering, or permission of the instructor. Basic familiarity with computer programming highly recommended.

+ If chosen, students may take either ATOC 404 or PHYS 404.
++ If chosen, students may take either PHYS 432 or MATH 555.

Faculty of Science—2023-2024 (last updated Sep. 12, 2023) (disclaimer)
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