Atmospheric science - 2017

Atmospheric science explores the structure and evolution of the atmosphere, and includes addressing how we forecast our weather as well as how we understand the climate. Weather and climate are both critical to understanding the natural environment and how it is changing under anthropogenic influences. Atmospheric science is an interdisciplinary science that draws on the strengths of environmental science, applied mathematics and physical geography and applications of concepts in physics and chemistry.

The major offers a balance of field work, data analysis, theoretical research and advanced modelling that is taught by experts in the field and which is supported by state of the art facilities. People who study atmospheric science can expect to work in closely-aligned sectors such as the Bureau of Meteorology or consultancies that deal with weather and climate, or in disparate industries such as risk management for banks and insurance companies.

Availability

Atmospheric science is listed in S2000 Bachelor of Science, S3001 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Global Challenges (Honours) and S3002 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Research (Honours) at Clayton as a major or minor.

Outcomes

In addition to achieving the broad outcomes of their course, students successfully completing this major will be able to:

• understand the physical theory of the Earth's atmosphere, its relation with climate and weather forecasting, and how it can be constructed from basic principles using mathematical analysis and numerical modelling
• demonstrate high-level knowledge and skills of the important techniques, terminology and processes of at least one area of atmospheric science such as clouds, weather forecasting, large-scale weather, climate variability, Australian atmospheric environment and the earth boundary layer
• understand the importance of atmospheric sciences to a range of environmental issues, including climate change.