EPS 181, Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics, Fall 2025
This syllabus is under development and is actively evolving. Check here for a more final version closer to the start of the fall semester.
Overview
This course examines the processes that determine the structure and circulation of the Earth's atmosphere and ocean, and how they control regional and global climate. The approach is deductive rather than descriptive: to determine the properties and behavior of the atmosphere and ocean based on the laws of physics and fluid dynamics. Topics will include interaction between radiation and atmospheric composition; the role of water in the energy and radiation balance; governing equations for atmospheric and oceanic motion, mass conservation, and thermodynamic energy balance; geostrophic flow, quasigeostrophic motion, baroclinic instability, and dynamics of extratropical cyclones and wind-driven ocean gyres.
- Time
- Class: M W, 2-3:30 Pacific
- Section: F, 2-3:30 Pacific
- Location
- 325 McCone
- Required text
- Essentials of Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics, by Geoffrey Vallis
- Access online from ON campus
- Access online from OFF campus
- Buy a hard copy from Amazon
- Prerequisites
- Mathematics 53, 54; Physics 7A, 7B, 7C
- Grading
- Homework 20% (due weekly in bCourses)
- Midterm I 20% (325 McCone, Wednesday October 8, 2-3:30 Pacific)
- Midterm II 20% (325 McCone, Wednesday November 5, 2-3:30 Pacific)
- Final 40% (325 McCone, Thursday December 18, 3-6 Pacific)
- Letter grades are 90-100% for an A, 80-90% for a B, 70-80% for a C, etc., with each decile split into equal thirds to determine + and -.
- Homework
- Assigned weekly right after class on Wednesdays
- Due twice: first pass Wed at 2pm (+1 week), second pass Wed at 2pm (+2 weeks)
- Late homework is not accepted
- To avoid zeros, aim to submit every assignment well before its deadline
- Exams
- Exams are in-person and closed-book
- Taking of regularly scheduled exams is mandatory
- Only exception is documented medical incapacitation
- Do not enroll if unable to attend the exams
- Copyright
- All course materials are copyrighted
- This includes lectures, slides, videos, homework, and exams
- Course materials are for your own use; they may not be distributed
- Distribution or posting of course material is a violation of law and University policy
- To avoid sanctions, do not put course material on websites or cloud services
- Honor code
- "As a member of the UCB community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others."
- The honor code is taken seriously in EPS 7
- Academic misconduct or a violation of course policy will result in sanctions
- Professor
- David Romps (romps@berkeley.edu)
-
- Professor office hours
- Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 Pacific, 377 McCone
- GSI
- Sam Alcott (salcott@berkeley.edu)
- GSI office hours
- TBD
Syllabus
- 08/27
- Fluid Fundamentals (chapter 1)
- 09/03
- Fluid Fundamentals
- 09/08
- Fluid Fundamentals
- 09/10
- Fluid Fundamentals
- 09/15
- Equations for a Rotating Planet (sections 2.1-2.5.3)
- 09/17
- Equations for a Rotating Planet
- 09/22
- Dynamics on a Rotating Planet (chapter 3)
- 09/24
- Dynamics on a Rotating Planet
- 09/29
- Shallow Water Equations (sections 4.1-4.4)
- 10/01
- Shallow Water Equations
- 10/06
- Shallow Water Equations
- 10/13
- Shallow Water Equations
- 10/15
- Rossby Waves (sections 6.1-6.3)
- 10/20
- Rossby Waves
- 10/22
- Instability (sections 8.1-8.4.1)
- 10/27
- Instability
- 10/29
- The Hadley Cell and the Tropics (chapter 11)
- 11/03
- The Hadley Cell and the Tropics
- 11/10
- The Hadley Cell and the Tropics
- 11/12
- Midlatitudes and the Stratosphere (sections 12.1-12.2)
- 11/17
- Radiative Transfer and Vertical Structure (section 13.3)
- 11/19
- Wind-Driven Gyres (section 14.1-14.3.2)
- 11/24
- Wind-Driven Gyres
- 12/01
- The Thermocline and Overturning Circulation (sections 15.1-15.4)
- 12/03
- The Thermocline and Overturning Circulation