Environmental Physics Course

Lesson 1 • Electromagnetic Spectrum and Environment

Surveys radiation types relevant to environmental physics. Connects spectral properties to energy transfer in the atmosphere and biosphere.

Lesson 2 • Physical Properties of the Environment

Introduces measurable physical quantities in air, water, and soil. Establishes the measurement vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Thermodynamic Laws Applied to Nature

Applies the first and second laws of thermodynamics to open environmental systems. Provides the basis for understanding energy budgets.

Lesson 4 • Energy Fundamentals in Natural Systems

Covers kinetic, potential, and thermal energy forms in environmental contexts. Links energy concepts to observable environmental phenomena.

Lesson 1 • Atmospheric Structure and Composition

Describes vertical layers, gas composition, and pressure profiles. Provides the structural context for all atmospheric energy processes.

Lesson 2 • Radiation Balance of the Atmosphere

Quantifies incoming solar and outgoing terrestrial radiation fluxes. Establishes the planetary energy budget concept.

Lesson 3 • Precipitation and Cloud Microphysics

Explains droplet nucleation, growth, and precipitation mechanisms. Links microphysical processes to observable weather patterns.

Lesson 4 • Atmospheric Fluid Dynamics

Introduces equations of motion for air masses and wind systems. Connects pressure gradients, Coriolis effects, and geostrophic balance.

Lesson 1 • Conductive Heat Transfer in Soils

Models heat diffusion through soil using Fourier's law. Explains soil temperature profiles and their ecological significance.

Lesson 2 • Blackbody Radiation and Emissivity

Applies Planck's law and Stefan-Boltzmann equation to natural surfaces. Establishes the theoretical basis for thermal remote sensing.

Lesson 3 • Convective Heat Exchange at Surfaces

Quantifies sensible and latent heat fluxes between surfaces and the atmosphere. Introduces aerodynamic resistance and bulk transfer coefficients.

Lesson 4 • Surface Energy Balance Modelling

Integrates radiation and turbulent fluxes into a complete surface energy budget. Applies the model to land cover types and climate zones.

Lesson 1 • Groundwater Flow Physics

Derives Darcy's law and applies it to saturated porous media. Connects hydraulic conductivity to aquifer behaviour.

Lesson 2 • Watershed Hydrology and Runoff

Models precipitation partitioning into infiltration, storage, and runoff. Applies physical principles to catchment-scale water budgets.

Lesson 3 • Evaporation and Transpiration Physics

Quantifies water vapour flux from surfaces using energy and aerodynamic methods. Links evapotranspiration to the surface energy balance.

Lesson 4 • Physical Properties of Water

Reviews water's unique thermal, optical, and mechanical properties. Explains how these properties drive hydrological and ecological processes.

Lesson 1 • Soil Gas Transport

Models diffusion of CO2, O2, and other gases through soil pores. Links gas transport to microbial activity and greenhouse gas emissions.

Lesson 2 • Land Surface Albedo and Roughness

Quantifies how surface cover controls radiation reflection and momentum transfer. Connects land use change to surface energy balance shifts.

Lesson 3 • Soil Structure and Texture

Describes particle size distribution, porosity, and bulk density. Establishes the physical framework for soil water and heat analysis.

Lesson 4 • Soil thermal properties

Quantifies thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and heat capacity of soils. Connects soil moisture content to thermal behaviour.

Lesson 1 • Stratification and mixing in water bodies

Explains density stratification, thermoclines, and mixing processes in lakes and oceans. Links stratification to oxygen and nutrient distribution.

Lesson 2 • Coastal and estuarine dynamics

Applies tidal forcing, salinity gradients, and wave action to coastal systems. Connects physical dynamics to sediment and pollutant transport.

Lesson 3 • Turbulence in environmental flows

Introduces turbulent kinetic energy, mixing length, and eddy diffusivity. Explains how turbulence drives scalar transport in the environment.

Lesson 4 • Air pollution dispersion modelling

Models emission, transport, and deposition of airborne pollutants. Applies Gaussian and Lagrangian frameworks to source-receptor problems.

Lesson 1 • Global energy balance and forcing

Calculates the planetary energy budget and defines radiative forcing. Establishes the quantitative link between forcing and temperature response.

Lesson 2 • Natural climate variability modes

Describes ENSO, NAO, and other oscillation modes using physical mechanisms. Distinguishes natural variability from anthropogenic forcing signals.

Lesson 3 • Ocean heat uptake and circulation

Explains thermohaline circulation and ocean heat storage. Connects ocean dynamics to transient climate response and sea level rise.

Lesson 4 • Climate feedbacks and sensitivity

Identifies and quantifies water vapour, ice-albedo, and cloud feedbacks. Derives equilibrium climate sensitivity from feedback parameters.

Lesson 1 • Eddy covariance and flux measurement

Explains the eddy covariance technique for measuring turbulent fluxes. Covers data processing, gap filling, and uncertainty quantification.

Lesson 2 • Remote sensing of environmental variables

Applies satellite and airborne sensors to map surface temperature, vegetation, and moisture. Links spectral indices to physical environmental quantities.

Lesson 3 • Meteorological measurement systems

Covers sensors for temperature, humidity, wind, and radiation. Explains calibration, siting, and maintenance of meteorological stations.

Lesson 4 • Hydrological and soil sensors

Introduces flow meters, soil moisture probes, and water quality sensors. Connects sensor output to physical variables in hydrological models.