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Master of Science (M.Sc.); Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis) — Environment (45 credits)

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

Program Requirements

Thesis Courses (24 credits)

  • ATOC 691 Master's Thesis Literature Review (3 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Review of relevant literature in preparation for the M.Sc. research.

    Terms: Fall 2011, Winter 2012

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ATOC 692 Master's Thesis Research 1 (6 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Independent research under the supervision of the student's M.Sc. supervisor.

    Terms: Fall 2011, Winter 2012

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ATOC 694 Master's Thesis Progress Report and Seminar (3 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Written report on the M.Sc. research progress and oral presentation of the report in seminar form to staff and students.

    Terms: Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Summer 2012

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ATOC 699 Master's Thesis (12 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Independent research under the supervision of the student's M.Sc. supervisor leading to the M.Sc. thesis.

    Terms: Fall 2011, Winter 2012

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Students registered in M.Sc. programs are expected to regularly attend both the student seminar series (ATOC 751D1/D2 or ATOC 752D1/D2) and the Department seminar series during the entire period of their enrolment in the program.

Required Courses (6 credits)

  • ENVR 610 Foundations of Environmental Policy (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Analysis of current environmental policies to reveal implicit and explicit assumptions regarding scientific methods, hypothesis testing, subject/object, causality, certainty, deities, health, development, North-South concerns for resources, commons, national sovereignty, equity. Discussion of implications of such assumptions for building future environmental policies.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Brown, Peter Gilbert; Naylor, Robin Thomas; Goldberg, Mark (Fall)

    • Restriction: Enrolment in the Graduate Environment Option or enrolment in the Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor.

  • ENVR 650 Environmental Seminar 1 (1 credit)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Interdisciplinary environmental research seminars with the goals of appreciating both the breadth and interconnectedness of environmental research questions.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Scott, Marilyn (Fall)

    • Restriction: Open to students registered in Environment Option.

  • ENVR 651 Environmental Seminar 2 (1 credit)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Environmental seminars and workshops focused on critical thinking, critical review of articles, team work, effective public speaking, grantmanship.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Fabry, Frederic (Winter)

    • Restriction: Open to students registered in the Environment Option.

  • ENVR 652 Environmental Seminar 3 (1 credit)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Final research seminar.

    Terms: Fall 2011, Winter 2012

    Instructors: Scott, Marilyn (Fall) Badami, Madhav Govind (Winter)

    • Prerequisite: ENVR 650.

    • Restriction: Open to students registered in Environment Option.

Complementary Courses (15 credits)

12 credits of Departmental courses chosen from the following:

  • 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 2011

    Instructors: Bourqui, Michel (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 2012

    Instructors: Straub, David N (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

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

  • ATOC 515 Turbulence in Atmosphere and Oceans (3 credits)

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

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Application of statistical and semi-empirical methods to the study of geophysical turbulence. Reynolds' equations, dimensional analysis, and similarity. The surface and planetary boundary layers. Oceanic mixed layer. Theories of isotropic two- and three- dimensional turbulence: energy and enstrophy inertial ranges. Beta turbulence.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Bartello, Peter (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 314, MATH 315, a previous course in fluid dynamics (such as ATOC 512), or permission of instructor

  • 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: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Yau, Man K (Fall)

    • 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: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Huang, Yi (Winter)

  • ATOC 530 Paleoclimate Dynamics (3 credits)

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

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Introduction to the components of the climate system. Review of paleoclimates. Physical processes and models of climate and climate change.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Winter
    • 3 hours lecture
    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): MATH 315, or permission of instructor
  • 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 2011

    Instructors: Son, Seok-Woo (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture

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

    • Corequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 412 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 2011

    Instructors: Atallah, Eyad Hashem (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 2012

    Instructors: Atallah, Eyad Hashem (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lecture; 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): ATOC 412 and ATOC 540 or permission of instructor.

  • 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 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 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.
  • ATOC 619 Advanced Atmospheric Chemistry (3 credits) *

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : The recent cutting-edge areas of planetary atmospheric chemistry from field and laboratory to theoretical modelling are examined. Photochemistry, kinetics (gas and surface) of organic and inorganic pollutants in atmosphere and atmospheric surfaces (clouds and aerosols). Satellite remote sensing of atmospheric chemical species, and issues related to chemical global change.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ATOC 626 Atmospheric/Oceanic Remote Sensing (3 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Principles of radiative transfer applied to observing the atmosphere and oceans by satellite, radar, and other methods of remote sensing. Applications to cloud physics and climate research.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • 3 hours
  • ATOC 646 Mesoscale Meteorology (3 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Examination of the theory of important mesoscale phenomena, including fronts, cumulus convection and its organization, and tropical and extratropical cyclones. Application of the theory with detailed case studies of these phenomena. Mesoscale processes in numerical simulations.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Yau, Man K (Winter)

    • 3 hours

  • ATOC 666 Topics In Ocean Circulation (3 credits)

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

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences : Recent observations of mesoscale and large-scale ocean circulation. Inverse methods and their application to tracer distributions and deep ocean circulation. Review of modern theoretical developments such as geostrophic turbulence, homogenization of potential vorticity, ventilated thermoclines, wind and buoyancy driven ocean circulation models, and coupled ice-ocean circulation models.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • 3 hours
  • CHEM 619 Advanced Atmospheric Chemistry (3 credits) *

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Chemistry : The recent cutting-edge areas of planetary atmospheric chemistry from field and laboratory to theoretical modelling are examined. Photochemistry, kinetics (gas and surface) of organic and inorganic pollutants in atmosphere and atmospheric surfaces (clouds and aerosols). Satellite remote sensing of atmospheric chemical species, and issues related to chemical global change.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Ariya, Parisa A (Winter)

or another course at the 500 level or higher recommended by the Department's Graduate Program Director.

* Students may select either ATOC 619 or CHEM 619.

3 credits of MSE courses chosen from the following:

  • ENVR 519 Global Environmental Politics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Faculty of Science

    Overview

    Environment : How the problem of environmental degradation is dealt with at the international level. The scope and nature of global environmental protection issues that cross boundaries, both physical and conceptual. Actors, structures and processes of international society. Consideration of global commons and transnational resources and of environmental externalities.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Ellis, Jaye Dana (Fall)

    • Prerequisite: ENVR 201 or ENVR 203 or permission of instructor

    • Restrictions: Open to students in the Environment Graduate Option (available to other students with permission of instructor). (Not open to students who have taken ENVR 580 -- section 001 -- in Winter 2002, Fall 2003, or Fall 2004

    • Note: This course has been offered three times as a Topics in Environment Course

  • ENVR 544 Environmental Measurement and Modelling (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Faculty of Science

    Overview

    Environment : Utility of geographic information systems, remote sensing and spatially-explicit modelling for environmental planning in conjunction with analytical frameworks used in the decision-making process (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, life-cycle analysis and multi-criteria decision making).

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisites: NRSC 430 or GEOG201 or URBP 505 or permission of instructor
    • Restriction: Students registered in Environment Graduate Option (or permission of instructor)
  • ENVR 580 Topics in Environment 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Faculty of Science

    Overview

    Environment : Advanced-level seminars and discussion of interdisciplinary aspects of current problems in environment led by staff and/or special guests. This course is offered on an irregular basis.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
  • ENVR 611 The Economy of Nature (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : The course focuses on the interface between the ecosystem, biodiversity and economic systems through discussion of (1) conceptual, methodological and theoretical foundations of ecological economics, (2) management incorporating changing conditions, conflicting interests and values, trade-offs and uncertainty, (3) policy applications at national and international levels and (4) case studies.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisites: For MSE graduates, ECON 230 or equivalent. For non-MSE graduates, ECON 230 or equivalent or BIOL 208 or equivalent.
    • Restriction: Enrolment in the Graduate Environment Option or enrolment in the Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor.
  • ENVR 620 Environment and Health of Species (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : How major environmental problems affect the health of human and non-human species, and how environment and health interact at different spatial and temporal scales and with different components of the ecosystem. Immediate, chronic and evolutionary consequences on health. Uncertainty and causation.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Restriction: Open to students in the Environment Option (available to other students with permission of instructor).
  • ENVR 622 Sustainable Landscapes (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Tools and knowledge needed to evaluate landscapes for sustainable management. Processes that shape landscapes, consequences of alternate landscape patterns on ecological flows, implications of management choices on biodiversity and sustainability, and need for social innovations.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Restriction: Students registered in Environment Option, or permission of instructor.
    • Note: An understanding of ecological principles is required to take this course. Comparative case studies will be used.
  • ENVR 630 Civilization and Environment (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Considers ways to reduce the human impact on Earth's life support systems through variables such as population size, wealth, technology, and conduct. Critically describes ethical frameworks for judging personal and policy choices, including post-collapse scenarios.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Brown, Peter Gilbert; Goldberg, Mark; Kosoy, Nicolas (Winter)

    • Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

  • ENVR 680 Topics in Environment 4 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Seminars and discussion of advanced, interdisciplinary aspects of current problems in environment led by staff and/or special guests.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Restriction: students taking the Neotropical Environment Option.
    • Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor

or another course at the 500 level or higher recommended by the advisory committee and approved by the Environment Option Committee.

Faculty of Science—2011-2012 (last updated Jan. 26, 2012) (disclaimer)
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