Geography 622.02: Microclimatological Field Methods and Data Analysis

5 credits, call number: 10619-0

 

When: M-W-F 0430P-0618P

Where: Derby Hall 0140

Instructor: Dr. Jason E. Box

Email: box.11@osu.edu

Telephone: 247-6877

Office: 1148 Derby Hall

Office hours: 3-4 PM, M & W or by appointment

 

Course Description and Goals: This course is designed to apply knowledge gained in 622.01 (Boundary Layer Meteorology), and experience the ‘real-world’ of instrumented field observations. Development of useful data products from the original data is an important goal. Small-scale (micro) meteorological instrumentation, experimental design, electronics, computer-aided data analysis, and logistics techniques are taught from a practical and introductory perspective.

 

Course Expectations: Exercise and improve attention to detail. Participate in course discussion and field logistics (25% of grade). Develop computer programming skills. Develop and maintain a highly detailed and well organized ‘field book’ (15% of grade). This course includes outdoor experiments to develop/exercise skills in field data acquisition. A final report evaluates results from a surface energy budget study. Course projects require writing IDL programs to plot and analyze data.

 

Books: No text book is required, however, Arya (2001)* from 622.01 and Oke (1987) are very useful.

* useful textbooks are listed at end of this document.

 

Field Experiments: Three field experiments are planned; 1) instrument calibration; 2) radiation balance, and 3) surface energy budget. Our field site is either the roof of Denny hall or the OSU airport.

 

Grading           10% 622.01 review

15% class participation

30% course projects

15% field book

20% final report

10% final presentation

 

Late assignments are accepted with a valid excuse.

 

Prerequisites: 622.01 or equivalent microclimatology course, thermodynamics.

 

Attendance is critical to your success in this course.

Class Participation is a significant fraction of your grade and involves:


Useful Text Books (key texts in italics)

Schedule: See: http://geog-www.sbs.ohio-state.edu/courses/G622.02/schedule.htm