Major Atmospheric Science

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

Program Requirements

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 2022

  Instructors: Zuend, Andreas (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 2022

  Instructors: Ioannidou, Evangelia (Fall)

  • Fall

  • Prerequisites: MATH 314

  • Not open to students who have taken ATOC 412.

• 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 2022

  Instructors: Kirshbaum, Daniel (Fall)

  • Fall

  • 3 hours lecture

  • Prerequisites: ATOC 214 and MATH 222

• 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 2022, Winter 2023

  Instructors: M'hiri, Faten (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 2022, Winter 2023, Summer 2023

  Instructors: Paquette, Elliot; Wrobel, Konrad (Fall) Trudeau, Sidney (Winter)

  • Prerequisite: MATH 141. Familiarity with vector geometry or Corequisite: MATH 133

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 150, MATH 151 or MATH 262.

• 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 2022, Winter 2023

  Instructors: Macdonald, Jeremy; Pichot, Michael (Fall) Macdonald, Jeremy (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 2022, Winter 2023

  Instructors: Roth, Charles (Fall) Fortier, Jérôme (Winter)

  • Prerequisites: MATH 133, MATH 222

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 248 or MATH 358.

• 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 2022, Winter 2023, Summer 2023

  Instructors: Berk, Aaron (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 (36-38 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 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 2023

  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 2023

  Instructors: Preston, Thomas (Winter)

  • Winter

  • 3 hours lecture

  • Prerequisites: CHEM 110 and CHEM 120, and one of MATH 139 or MATH 140 or MATH 150, or a CEGEP DEC in Science, or permission of instructor.

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CHEM 219, CHEM 419 or ATOC 419

  • Offered in odd years. Students should register in CHEM 219 in even years

• 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 2023

  Instructors: Preston, Thomas (Winter)

  • Winter

  • Prerequisites: CHEM 110 and CHEM 120, and one of MATH 139 or MATH 140 or MATH 150, or a CEGEP DEC in Science, or permission of instructor.

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ATOC 219, CHEM 419, or ATOC 419

  • Offered in even years. Students should register in ATOC 219 in odd years

* 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 2023

  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 2022

  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 2022

  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 2022

  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 2023

  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 2022

  Instructors: Ryan, Dominic (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.

6-9 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, colli