The Great Courses - Meteorology: An Introduction to the Wonders of the Weather - Set 1 (2010)

Why is it often cooler by the ocean? What conditions cause a rainforest? What makes the sky blue? Explore the Mystery and Intrigue behind the Weather. Weather affects your life every day. From the transformation of water vapor into clouds to the swirling winds of a tornado, meteorological events are the result of intricate interactions between powerful forces around you. To grasp the mystery of these phenomena is to understand a remarkably complex system that continues to captivate scientists.
Meteorology: An Introduction to the Wonders of the Weather is a fascinating foray into an enthralling field of study. In 24 engaging lectures, you'll explore the often surprising, always intriguing workings of the weather, guided by expert atmospheric scientist and professor Robert G. Fovell. Combining geography, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines, he offers insights into lightning, cyclones, thunderstorms, and other wondrous aspects of one of nature's most compelling mysteries.

Part 1: Nature Abhors Extremes
From thunderstorms to typhoons to driving winds, the world's weather is often tumultuous, destructive, and surprising. And yet, all these phenomena represent Nature's attempt to mitigate extreme conditions. In this introduction, begin to explore some of these extremes as you examine the great complexity of the world weather system.

Part 2: Temperature, Pressure, and Density
Why do cold and warm fronts exist? Can you dig a well so deep you cannot pump water from it? Find the answer to these and other questions as you explore three key concepts of weather—temperature, pressure, and density—and the equation that sums up their relationship: the ideal gas law.

Part 3: Atmosphere - Composition and Origin
What is air made of? Is it always true that hot air rises and cold air sinks? Learn more about the air that surrounds us and cushions us from the outer reaches of space, and examine the various layers that make up the earth's atmosphere.

Part 4: Radiation and the Greenhouse Effect
Energy radiates all around us, streaming in from sunbeams and emanating from every object on Earth. Investigate the various kinds of radiation represented on the electromagnetic spectrum, and see how these forms of energy—assisted by the greenhouse effect—make life possible on our planet.

Part 5: Sphericity, Conduction, and Convection
If all the Earth receives energy from the sun, why are there such wide temperature differences across the planet? Why do we have seasons? Answer these questions while learning about how heat moves through the atmosphere via two basic processes: conduction and convection.

Part 6: Sea Breezes and Santa Anas
Gain an understanding of how wind works as you explore the way temperature and pressure drive sea breezes during the day and land breezes at night. Then apply these findings to a dramatic wind condition, the famous Santa Ana winds of California.

Part 7: An Introduction to Atmospheric Moisture
Add a new element to your understanding of the atmosphere—water—and learn some basic facts about air's capacity to hold water vapor, including the impact of temperature on atmospheric moisture and the implications for weather.

Part 8: Bringing Air to Saturation
Why does dew form on some mornings? Why does it take longer to cook food at higher elevations? Discover the answer to these questions as you learn about saturation: the point where air holds the highest amount of water vapor that it can contain.

Part 9: Clouds, Stability, and Buoyancy, Part 1
One of the most familiar and beautiful features of weather is the cloud. In this episode, examine different kinds of clouds, learn how clouds are born, why and how they take their distinctive shapes, and what kinds of conditions are likely to produce clouds.

Part 10: Clouds, Stability, and Buoyancy, Part 2
Continue your discussion of clouds as you take a closer look at the climates and precipitation relating to this weather phenomenon. Discover why some clouds produce rain while others do not and see why deserts are often found on the lee side of mountains.

Part 11: Whence and Whither the Wind, Part 1
Move from clouds to wind as you begin to explore how and why air is transported around the globe. Examine how conditions, including differences in air pressure and temperature as well as the rotation of the Earth, determine where winds arise and the direction in which they blow.

Part 12: Whence and Whither the Wind, Part 2
In addition to pressure differences and the Earth's rotational movement, two other forces help to determine the winds' strength and direction: friction and centripetal force. Learn about these two forces and examine how they shape the winds the world over.