GEOG310-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025

Weather Systems

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

This course examines the processes responsible for day to day weather variations, and the operational techniques used in their analysis and forecasting. This includes both research and operational approaches to the study of synoptic scale weather systems and their impact. The processes studied include those that have an influence on the generation and decay of weather systems, but also those that affect the weather experienced in a local area, such as Canterbury. The emphasis is on factors important in short term weather changes, including stability/instability and atmospheric motion. These factors are studied in relation to air mass changes, as well as the effects of topography. Links between the general and synoptic scale atmospheric circulation are also studied, along with the effects of longer term change, such as the ENSO cycles.

This course examines the processes responsible for day-to-day weather variations, and the operational techniques used in their analysis and forecasting. This includes both research and operational approaches to the study of synoptic and mesoscale scale weather systems. The processes studied include those that have an influence on the generation and decay of weather systems, but also those that affect the weather experienced in mountainous, urban, and coastal atmospheric boundary layers. Links between the general and synoptic scale atmospheric circulation are also studied, along with the effects of longer-term climate oscillations.

Learning Outcomes

  • To understand the physical processes governing New Zealand’s weather development and changes.
  • To develop practical understanding of day-to-day weather changes
  • To be able to interrogate and handle numerical weather data
  • To get hands-on experience with manipulating and developing Python notebooks
  • To build and develop practical weather data analytical algorithms that are needed for competitive employability in the research and commercial domains
  • To communicate and collaborate effectively across environmental disciplines
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

GEOG211 and 15 points from Schedule S to the BSc

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 12:00 - 13:00 A7
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 16:00 - 17:00 A7
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Computer Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 11:00 - 13:00 Ernest Rutherford 211A GIS Comp Lab (22/7-19/8, 9/9-14/10)
Ernest Rutherford 211 GIS Comp Lab (22/7-19/8, 9/9-14/10)
21 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Marwan Katurji

Textbooks / Resources

Stull, R., 2017: "Practical Meteorology: An Algebra-based Survey of Atmospheric Science" -version 1.02b.  Univ. of British Columbia.  940 pages.  isbn 978-0-88865-283-6 .

Barry, R., Chorley, R. 2010: “Atmosphere, weather, and climate”. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group– 9th ed. (access here)

Sturman, A., Tapper, N. (2006): “The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand”. Oxford University Press, 2nd ed.

Ahrens, C. D. (2013): “Meteorology today: an introduction to weather, climate and the environment”.

Notes

Prerequisites:
GEOG211 and 15 points from Schedule S to the BSc

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $998.00

International fee $5,188.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All GEOG310 Occurrences

  • GEOG310-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025