Atmospheric Science Minor (B.Sc.) (18 credits)
Offered by: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 18
Program Description
The B.Sc.; Minor in Atmospheric Science is intended to provide the basics of the atmospheric and oceanic properties and circulation, in connection with weather phenomena and the climate system.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Complementary Courses (18 credits)
9-15 selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATOC 214 | Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere. | 3 |
Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to key physical processes operating in the atmosphere, designed for students in science and engineering. Topics typically include: composition of the atmosphere; vertical structure; heat transfer; solar and terrestrial radiation and Earth's energy balance; seasonal and daily temperature changes; humidity and the formation of clouds and precipitation; stability of tropospheric air layers; applications of adiabatic charts. | ||
| ATOC 215 | Oceans, Weather and Climate. | 3 |
Oceans, Weather and Climate. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to key physical and dynamical processes in the oceans and atmosphere. Topics typically include air-sea-ice interactions, laws of motion, the geostrophic and thermal wind relations, general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, weather, radiative balance, climate sensitivity and variability, role of the atmosphere and oceans in climate. | ||
| ATOC 219 | Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. 1 | 3 |
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the basic topics in atmospheric chemistry. The fundamentals of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its chemical reactions. Selected topics such as smog chamber, acid rain, and ozone hole will be examined. | ||
| ATOC 309 | Weather Radars and Satellites. | 3 |
Weather Radars and Satellites. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic notions of radiative transfer and applications of satellite and radar data to mesoscale and synoptic-scale systems are discussed. Emphasis will be put on the contribution of remote sensing to atmospheric and oceanic sciences. | ||
| ATOC 312 | Rotating Fluid Dynamics. | 3 |
Rotating Fluid Dynamics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamentals of fluid motion on a rotating sphere: Rotating coordinate systems, the Lagrangian time derivative, and equations of motion. The geostrophic approximation and thermal wind balance; departures from geostrophy, such as frictional Ekman layers, inertial oscillations, and the gradient wind balance. The shallow water equations, including potential vorticity conservation, quasigeostrophy, and simple wave solutions. | ||
| ATOC 315 | Thermodynamics and Convection. | 3 |
Thermodynamics and Convection. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Buoyancy, stability, and vertical oscillations. Dry and moist adiabatic processes. Resulting dry and precipitating convective circulations from the small scale to the global scale. Mesoscale precipitation systems from the cell to convective complexes. Severe convection, downbursts, mesocyclones. | ||
| ATOC 357 | Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Laboratory. | 3 |
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will gain hands-on experience in several fundamental atmospheric and oceanic science topics through practical experimentation. A diverse set of experiments will be conducted, ranging from in situ observations in Montreal, to remote sensing of clouds and radiation, to laboratory chemistry and water-tank experiments. As a background for these experiments, students will receive training on sensor principles and measurement error analysis, as well as the fundamental physical processes of interest in each experiment. They will learn to operate, and physically interpret data from, various sensors for in situ and remote observation of meteorological variables. Their training will also extend to operational weather observations, analysis, and forecasting. | ||
| ATOC 404 | Climate Physics. 2 | 3 |
Climate Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursuing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets. | ||
| CHEM 219 | Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. 1 | 3 |
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the basic topics in atmospheric chemistry. The fundamentals of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its chemical reactions. Selected topics such as; a smog chamber, acid rain, and the ozone hole, will be examined. | ||
| PHYS 404 | Climate Physics. 2 | 3 |
Climate Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course covers the essentials of climate physics through the lens of one-dimensional, vertical atmospheric models. This includes shortwave and longwave radiative transfer, convection, phase changes, clouds, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric escape. This is an adequate level of detail for understanding Earth's climate, paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change, or pursing studies of Solar System planets and extrasolar planets. | ||
- 1
Note: Students may select ATOC 219 Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. or CHEM 219 Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. but not both.
- 2
Note: Students may select ATOC 404 Climate Physics. or PHYS 404 Climate Physics. but not both.
3-9 credits selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATOC 512 | Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics. | 3 |
Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Equations of motion used to study waves, turbulence, and the general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans. Standard approximations to these equations, including the Boussinesq, primitive, quasigeostrohic, and rotating shallow water equations. Emphasis is on effects for which rotation and/or buoyancy play essential roles. Simple classes of flow, e.g., geostrophic, thermal wind, Ekman, and inertial oscillations. | ||
| ATOC 513 | Waves and Stability. | 3 |
Waves and Stability. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Description of the principal wave types and instability mechanisms of geophysical fluid dynamics. Geostrophic adjustment, wave dispersion, the WKBJ approximation. Wave types considered include (internal) inertia-gravity waves, planetary Rossby waves, and the equatorial and coastal wave guides. Instabilities considered include inertial, symmetric, barotropic, baroclinic, and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. | ||
| ATOC 515 | Turbulence in Atmosphere and Oceans. | 3 |
Turbulence in Atmosphere and Oceans. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. 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. | ||
| ATOC 517 | Boundary Layer Meteorology . | 3 |
Boundary Layer Meteorology . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Turbulence and turbulent fluxes, atmospheric stability, Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, surface roughness and surface fluxes, power law and logarithmic wind profiles including their application in wind energy and engineering sectors, convective and stably stratified boundary layers, internal boundary layer development, large-eddy simulations, fundamentals of boundary-layer parameterization in numerical models, and introduction to urban boundary layers. | ||
| ATOC 519 | Advances in Chemistry of Atmosphere. | 3 |
Advances in Chemistry of Atmosphere. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of the field of atmospheric chemistry that is identified as the significant driver of climate change and the cause of millions of premature death every year. Discussion of cutting-edge novel technologies for observing and quantifying pollutants (from ground to satellite) using artificial intelligence, the fate of emerging contaminants (e.g., nano/microplastics, trace metals, persistent organic), and modelling of atmospheric and interfacial processes. Examination of topics like atmospheric gaseous and multiphase components like bioaerosols. Study of photochemical, photophysical, and aerosol nucleation processes that affect air quality, climate change, and ecosystem health. | ||
| ATOC 521 | Cloud Physics. | 3 |
Cloud Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A detailed overview of the environmental factors and microphysical processes involved in the formation of clouds and precipitation. Topics typically include: cloud observations, atmospheric thermodynamics, environmental stability regimes, convection, the microphysics of the formation of cloud droplets and ice crystals, initiation of precipitation, aerosol–cloud interactions. | ||
| ATOC 525 | Atmospheric Radiation. | 3 |
Atmospheric Radiation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. 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. | ||
| ATOC 531 | Dynamics of Current Climates. | 3 |
Dynamics of Current Climates. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A detailed overview of the climate and the global energy balance. Topics typically include: energy balance at top of the atmosphere and at the surface, poleward energy flux, the role of clouds, climate and atmospheric/oceanic general circulations, natural variability of the climate system, evolution of climate and climate change. | ||
| ATOC 540 | Synoptic Meteorology 1. | 3 |
Synoptic Meteorology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. 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. | ||
| ATOC 548 | Mesoscale Meteorology. | 3 |
Mesoscale Meteorology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theory of meteorologically important mesoscale phenomena including mesoscale instabilities, cumulus convection and its organization (including thunderstorms, squall lines, and other forms of severe weather), internal gravity waves, and topographically forced flows. Application of theory to the physical interpretation of observations and numerical simulations. | ||
| ATOC 557 | Research Methods: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science. | 3 |
Research Methods: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The analysis of observational and modeling data, and the advantages and limitations of different data. Different analysis methods including regression, linear stochastic processes autocovariance and spectral analysis, principle component analysis, inverse problems and data assimilation, commonly used in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. | ||
| ATOC 558 | Numerical Methods and Laboratory. | 3 |
Numerical Methods and Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Numerical simulation of atmospheric and oceanic processes. Finite difference, finite element, and spectral modelling techniques. Term project including computer modelling of convection or large-scale flows in the atmosphere or ocean. | ||
| ATOC 568 | Ocean Physics. | 3 |
Ocean Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major topics in physics and dynamics of the ocean including seawater properties, density and equation of state, sea ice, air-sea-ice exchanges, mixing and stability in the ocean, wind-driven and thermohaline circulations. Observational techniques and numerical models of the ocean, which include some data analysis and literature review. | ||