Courses
Courses primarily for undergraduates:
(2-0) Cr. 1. F.
Understanding of atmospheric processes that play a role in creating severe and hazardous weather. Focus on thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, ice storms, and temperature extremes. Impacts on lives and property.
(1-0) Cr. 1. Repeatable. F.
Prereq: Credit or enrollment in MATH 165
Current weather discussions and introduction to synoptic-scale interpretation of meteorology. Application and use of calculus in meteorology. Course restricted to majors. Others with permission of instructor.
(Cross-listed with GEOL). (1-0) Cr. 1. F.
Orientation course for students enrolled in the Earth, Wind and Fire Learning Community. Provides an introduction to Iowa State University and meteorology, geology, and Earth science programs for students enrolled in the department's learning community. Activities include academic and social activities, talks and presentations on academic success, resume writing, and study abroad, as well as research talks by faculty members.
(Cross-listed with GEOL). (1-0) Cr. 1. S.
Spring orientation course for students enrolled in the "Earth, Wind and Fire" Learning Community. Develop and apply quantitative, data-analysis, management, and communication skills on an authentic research project in a team to focus on professionalism and resilience. Introduction to interview strategies and the importance of creating a professional image on social media. Academic and social events, plus two field trips.
(Cross-listed with AGRON, ENV S, GEOL). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Study of the occurrence, history, development, and management of world water resources. Basic hydrologic principles including climate, surface water, groundwater, and water quality. Historical and current perspectives on water policy, use, and the role of water in society and the environment.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
Cr. R. F.
Prereq: Credit or enrollment in PHYS 221
An overview of the atmospheric sciences, the meteorology program at Iowa State, and the major research journals used in the discipline.
(Cross-listed with AGRON). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Basic concepts in weather and climate, including atmospheric measurements, radiation, stability, precipitation, winds, fronts, forecasting, and severe weather. Applied topics include global warming, ozone depletion, world climates and weather safety.
(3-1) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: Credit or concurrent enrollment in MTEOR 206, credit or concurrent enrollment in PHYS 221
An introduction to computer programming using FORTRAN with focus on meteorological applications. Emphasis on basics of good programming techniques and style through extensive practice in top-down design, writing, running, and debugging small programs. Topics include operations and functions, selective execution, repetitive execution, arrays, input/output, file processing, and subprograms. This course is designed for majors.
(Cross-listed with AER E). (0-2) Cr. 1. F.
Engineering aspects of scientific balloon flights. Integration of science mission objectives with engineering requirements. Operations team certification. FAA and FCC regulations, communications, and command systems. Flight path prediction and control.
Cr. 1-4. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Independent study for freshman and sophomore students.
Cr. R. Repeatable. F.S.SS.
Prereq: Permission of the department cooperative education coordinator; sophomore classification
Required of all cooperative education students. Students must register for this course prior to commencing the work period.
(1-2) Cr. 2. F.
Prereq: MTEOR 301
Concepts of weather map plotting and analysis. Introduction to forecasting and to the use of real-time UNIDATA computer products.
Cr. 1-2. Repeatable, maximum of 3 credits. F.S.SS.
Prereq: MTEOR 311; junior or senior standing; permission of co-op program coordinator; acceptance by sponsoring agency
Supervised practical experience in a professional meteorological agency. Experiences may include providing weather information for radio, TV, utilities, government agencies, construction, or agribusiness.
(Cross-listed with ENSCI, ENV S, GEOL). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: CHEM 163 or CHEM 177, MATH 140
Exploration of the origin of Earth’s energy resources and the environmental and climatic impacts of energy acquisition and consumption. Renewable and non-renewable energy resources within an Earth-system context. Various environmentally-relevant topics such as water quality and availability, habitat destruction, greenhouse-gas emissions, and health and safety hazards to wildlife and human communities.
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: MTEOR 341
Precipitation physics, radar, atmospheric radiation, atmospheric optics, atmospheric electricity.
Cr. R. Repeatable. F.S.SS.
Prereq: Permission of the department cooperative education coordinator; junior classification
Required of all cooperative education students. Students must register for this course prior to commencing the work period.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 502). (Cross-listed with ENSCI, GEOL, NREM). (2-3) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: Four courses in physical or biological sciences or engineering; junior standing
Examination of watersheds as systems, emphasizing the surface components of the hydrologic cycle. Combines qualitative understanding of hydrological processes and uncertainty with quantitative representation. Laboratory emphasizes field investigation and measurement of watershed processes.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 504). (Cross-listed with AGRON, ENSCI, ENV S). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: Four courses in physical or biological sciences or engineering; junior standing
Recent changes in global biogeochemical cycles and climate; models of future changes in the climate system; impacts of global change on agriculture, water resources and human health; ethical issues of global environmental change. Also offered online Alt. F, even-numbered years.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 505). (Cross-listed with AGRON, ENSCI). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: MATH 165 or MATH 182 or equivalent and some computer programming experience (any language)
Description of the physical microenvironment in which organisms live. Emphasis on the movement of energy (heat and radiation) and mass (water and carbon) among organisms, the soil, and atmosphere. Applications to humans, other animals, plants, and plant communities.
(Cross-listed with AGRON, ENSCI). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: AGRON 206/MTEOR 206
Distribution and causes of different climates around the world. Effects of climate and climate variations on human activities including society, economy and agriculture. Current issues such as climate change and international efforts to assess and mitigate the consequences of a changing climate. Semester project and in-class presentation required.
Meets International Perspectives Requirement.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 507). (Cross-listed with AGRON). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.
Prereq: MATH 166 and MTEOR 443
Physical nature and practical consequences of mesoscale atmospheric phenomena. Mesoscale convective systems, fronts, terrain-forced circulations. Observation, analysis, and prediction of mesoscale atmospheric structure.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 516). (Cross-listed with ENSCI, GEOL). (2-3) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: Four courses in Earth science, meteorology, or engineering; junior standing
Study of the basic principles of hydrologic modeling, including rainfall-runoff analysis, lumped and distributed modeling, conceptual and physical models, parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis, input and validation data, uncertainty analysis, and the use of models in surface water hydrology. A range of common models are applied to study hydrologic topics such as flood forecasting and land use change impacts. Previous experience with Matlab or other programming language is needed.
(1-5) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: Credit or enrollment in MTEOR 411
Real-time computer analysis of current weather, with emphasis on small-scale features. Studies of severe weather, lake-effect snow, CSI, cold-air damming.
(2-2) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: Credit or enrollment in MATH 266, PHYS 222
Principles of meteorological sensing and data analysis. Thermometry, barometry, hygrometry, anemometry, precipitation measurements, radiometry, radar, remote sensing, visibility, and cloud height. Calibration and measurement uncertainties. Digital signal processing. Field trip to the National Weather Service. Labs emphasize dataloggers and modern weather stations.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: Credit or enrollment in MTEOR 341
Fundamentals of radar meteorology with emphasis on applications. Topics presented include theory of radar, engineering principles, Doppler radar, polarimetric radar, and applications to remote sensing of clouds and precipitation.
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: MTEOR 341
Conservation laws, governing equations, circulation and vorticity. Development of quasi-geostrophic theory.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 552). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 301
Developing and working with climate models based on fundamental physical principles that govern the climate systems of the Earth and other planets. Emphasis on coupled, nonlinear-system interactions of physical processes such as circulation dynamics, radiative transfer, and cloud/precipitation physics, starting with fairly simple 0- and 1-dimensional analytical and numerical models based on energy, mass, and momentum conservation. Observational study of seasonally evolving weather patterns that form climates around the world.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: MTEOR 443
Planetary boundary layer, linear perturbation theory, atmospheric wave motions, baroclinic and convective instability, mesoscale circulations.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 571). (1-0) Cr. 1. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 341, MTEOR 342, MTEOR 411, MTEOR 443, MTEOR 452
Development of meteorological theories and numerical weather prediction, discoveries of important meteorological phenomena, and impact of weather and climate on important historical events.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 589). (Cross-listed with E E, GEOL, NREM). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: Four courses in physical or biological sciences or engineering
Electromagnetic-radiation principles, active and passive sensors, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, imaging radar, SAR, thermal imaging, lidar. Examples of applications. Also offered online S.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 589L). (Cross-listed with E E, GEOL, NREM). (0-3) Cr. 1. F.
Prereq: Completion or concurrent enrollment in MTEOR/GEOL/NREM/EE 489/589
Processing and analysis of satellite sensor data (optical and radar). Provides practical applications in an environmental context.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in meteorology, permission of instructor
No more than 9 credits in Mteor 490 may be counted toward graduation.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in meteorology, permission of instructor
No more than 9 credits in Mteor 490 may be counted toward graduation.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in meteorology, permission of instructor
No more than 9 credits in Mteor 490 may be counted toward graduation.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in meteorology, permission of instructor
No more than 9 credits in Mteor 490 may be counted toward graduation.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in meteorology, permission of instructor
No more than 9 credits in Mteor 490 may be counted toward graduation.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable, maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 6 credits in meteorology, permission of instructor
No more than 9 credits in Mteor 490 may be counted toward graduation.
Cr. R. F.S.SS.
Prereq: Permission of the department cooperative education coordinator; senior classification
Required of all cooperative education students. Students must register for this course prior to commencing each work period.
(2-0) Cr. 2. F.
Required of all senior meteorology majors. Research projects in collaboration with faculty. Written and oral presentations of results at the end of the semester.
Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduates:
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 402). (Cross-listed with ENSCI, GEOL, NREM). (2-3) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: Four courses in physical or biological sciences or engineering; junior standing
Examination of watersheds as systems, emphasizing the surface components of the hydrologic cycle. Combines qualitative understanding of hydrological processes and uncertainty with quantitative representation. Laboratory emphasizes field investigation and measurement of watershed processes.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 404). (Cross-listed with AGRON, ENSCI). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: Four courses in physical or biological sciences or engineering; junior standing
Recent changes in global biogeochemical cycles and climate; models of future changes in the climate system; impacts of global change on agriculture, water resources and human health; ethical issues of global environmental change. Also offered online Alt. F, even-numbered years.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 405). (Cross-listed with AGRON, ENSCI). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: MATH 165 or MATH 182 or equivalent and some computer programming experience (any language)
Description of the physical microenvironment in which organisms live. Emphasis on the movement of energy (heat and radiation) and mass (water and carbon) among organisms, the soil, and atmosphere. Applications to humans, other animals, plants, and plant communities.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 407). (Cross-listed with AGRON). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.
Prereq: MATH 166 and MTEOR 443
Gallus. The physical nature and practical consequences of mesoscale atmospheric phenomena. Mesoscale convective systems, fronts, terrain-forced circulations. Observation, analysis, and prediction of mesoscale atmospheric structure. Semester project and in-class presentation required.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 416). (Cross-listed with ENSCI, GEOL). (2-3) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: Four courses in Earth science, meteorology, or engineering; junior standing
Study of the basic principles of hydrologic modeling, including rainfall-runoff analysis, lumped and distributed modeling, conceptual and physical models, parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis, input and validation data, uncertainty analysis, and the use of models in surface water hydrology. A range of common models are applied to study hydrologic topics such as flood forecasting and land use change impacts. Previous experience with Matlab or other programming language is needed.
(Cross-listed with AGRON, E E). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.
Prereq: MATH 265 or equivalent
Microwave remote sensing of Earth's surface and atmosphere using satellite-based or ground-based instruments. Specific examples include remote sensing of atmospheric temperature and water vapor, precipitation, ocean salinity, and soil moisture.
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered even-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 455
The first half of a two semester sequence. Governing equations, scale analysis, simple types of wave motion in the atmosphere, instability theory.
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 543
Continuation of 543. General circulation and dynamics of zonally symmetric circulations, atmospheric energetics, nonlinear dynamics of planetary waves.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 452). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 301
Developing and working with climate models based on fundamental physical principles that govern the climate systems of the Earth and other planets. Emphasis on coupled, nonlinear-system interactions of physical processes such as circulation dynamics, radiative transfer, and cloud/precipitation physics, starting with fairly simple 0- and 1-dimensional analytical and numerical models based on energy, mass, and momentum conservation. Observational study of seasonally evolving weather patterns that form climates around the world.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 471). (1-0) Cr. 1. Alt. S., offered even-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 341, MTEOR 342, MTEOR 411, MTEOR 443, MTEOR 452
Development of meteorological theories and numerical weather prediction, discoveries of important meteorological phenomena, and impact of weather and climate on important historical events.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 489). (Cross-listed with E E, GEOL, NREM). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: Four courses in physical or biological sciences or engineering
Electromagnetic-radiation principles, active and passive sensors, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, imaging radar, SAR, thermal imaging, lidar. Examples of applications. Also offered online S.
(Dual-listed with MTEOR 489L). (Cross-listed with E E, GEOL, NREM). (0-3) Cr. 1. F.
Prereq: Completion or concurrent enrollment in MTEOR/GEOL/NREM/EE 489/589
Processing and analysis of satellite sensor data (optical and radar). Provides practical applications in an environmental context.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Topics of current interest.
(Cross-listed with GEOL). Cr. 1. Repeatable. F.S.
Prereq: Senior or graduate classification
Weekly seminar on topics of current research interest. All students seeking a graduate degree in geology must enroll during each semester of residence. Students pursuing a non-thesis option for the M.S. in Earth Science must enroll for one semester.
Offered on a satisfactory-fail basis only.
(Cross-listed with GEOL). (1-0) Cr. 1. Repeatable. F.S.
Prereq: Senior or graduate classification
Weekly seminar on topics of current research interest. All students seeking a graduate degree in geology must enroll during each semester of residence. Students pursuing a non-thesis option for the M.S. in Earth Science must enroll for one semester.
Offered on a satisfactory-fail basis only.
(Cross-listed with GEOL). Cr. R. Repeatable. F.S.
Prereq: Senior or graduate classification
Attendance only. Weekly seminar on topics of current research interest. All students seeking a graduate degree in geology must enroll during each semester of residence. Students pursuing a non-thesis option for the M.S. in Earth Science must enroll for one semester.
Offered on a satisfactory-fail basis only.
Courses for graduate students:
(Cross-listed with AGRON). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered odd-numbered years.
Prereq: MTEOR 443 or equivalent-level course in engineering fluids
Atmospheric boundary-layer structure and dynamics. Diurnal and seasonal variations, turbulent fluxes and turbulence kinetic energy. Measurements and empirical relations for wind and temperature near the ground. Numerical simulation and applications to wind energy.
Cr. arr. Repeatable.