Colin price's research lab
Courses
Teaching is about educating the next generation of scientists.
Over the years Prof. Price has tried to excite the next generation of graduates by passing down his knowledge gained over the years. Below are the courses presently taught.
Introduction to
Atmospheric Sciences
This course is an introductory course in Atmosphere Sciences, given to first year undergraduate students in the Department of Geophysics. The course covers the composition and structure of the atmosphere, thermodynamics and atmospheric stability, radiation and energy balance, aerosols and clouds, winds and circulation patterns in the atmosphere, and storms of different scales and sizes. Since 2020 the course is entirely online course.
Atmospheric Physics
This undergraduate course follows on from the Introduction to Atmospheric Science course. In this course we focus on three primary topics of Atmospheric Physics, areas also of importance to various research topics in the department. We start with cloud physics, and cloud and precipitation formation. Then we move to atmospheric electricity including cloud electrification, lightning, and the global atmospheric circuit. Finally, we cover radiative transfer in the last part of the course, discussing scattering, optics and the radiative transfer equation.
Natural Hazards
This course is a third year BSc course in Geophysics dealing with the growing problem of natural hazards. The courses covers a broad range of natural hazards occurring is space, in the atmosphere and on Earth. Space hazards focus primarily on space weather phenomenon related to solar storms, and the impacts on satellites and other sensitive technologies. The atmospheric hazards cover meteorological and climate hazards, including storms, floods, tropical storms, drought, wildfires and heat waves. The Earth hazards include earthquakes, slope instabilities, tsunamis and volcanoes.
El Nino
This seminar is given to graduate students in the Geophysics Department. Half of this course are lectures given by the lecturer, discussing the El Nino phenomenon, which factors influence the ENSO cycle? How does ENSO influence the weather and climate around the globe? El Nino models used for prediction. What's predicted for the coming year? The last part of the semester is made up of student presentations on topics they have researched during the semester, related to the topics of the course.
Biomass Burning
This seminar is given to graduate students. We discuss the global phenomenon of biomass burning. Both natural and anthropogenic fires are studied. How do aerosols and gaseous emissions from fires impact the atmosphere and the Earth's climate? How may future climate change influence the frequency of wildfires? What is deforestation, and is it changing the climate of tropical regions?
Atmospheric Electricity
This seminar is given to graduate students. We discuss a wide range of topics in the field of Atmospheric Electricity. These range from the fair-weather global electric circuit (AC and DC fields). Aerosols and conductivity of the atmosphere. Global thunderstorm activity and the relation with climate and tropospheric chemistry. Thunderstom electrification and cloud microphysics. Sprites, elves. Electromagnetic methods of observing lightning. Currents and fields in the ionosphere and magnetosphere.
Climate Change
This course is offered in the Tel Aviv University international program. The courses is part of the MA degree in Environmental Studies, given by the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences. This course covers basic topics related to global warming. The course starts with the Earth's orbit, Milankovitch cycles and the theories of ice ages (paleoclimate). Then we discuss Earth's temperature and the Earth's energy balance. Solar and terrestrial radiation, atmospheric composition, and the vertical structure of the atmosphere. We discuss water, clouds, rain, and cloud feedbacks. Aerosols and volcanoes and the general circulation of the atmosphere. Ocean and El Nino are studied, as well as the cryosphere, biosphere and local anthropogenic effects on the climate. We end with a discussion of the possible solutions for preventing global warming.
Global Warming and Natural Hazards
This course is offered in the Tel Aviv University international program. The course is part of the MPH degree in Public Health, in the Program of Emergency and Disaster Management. The course deals with the science of global warming, and how future changes in the Earth's climate may impact natural hazards such as droughts, heat waves, floods, severe weather, tropical storms and wildfires. The implications for these changes will be discussed in the context of Public Health and Disaster Management.