This document outlines an introduction to climate course at Arba Minch University. The course covers the basic concepts and elements of weather and climate, including temperature, air motion, pressure and precipitation. It examines the causes of spatial and temporal patterns of these climate elements. The course objectives are to understand the impacts of climate at different scales, comprehend atmospheric composition and circulation, and classify different climate regions. Topics include solar radiation, temperature variation, atmospheric moisture and precipitation, and approaches to climate classification. The course will be delivered through lectures and classroom activities, and assessed through exams, assignments and field reports.

1. ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Course Outline
Course Title: Introduction to Climate
Course Code: GeES 2013
ECTS Credits: ECTS: 3/ 5
Instructor: Degu Z. MA. Email: Zewdu.belhu@gmail.com-degu.zewdu@amu.edu.et
Targeted Group: Geography and Environmental Studies Year II Semester I:
Course description
• This course mainly deals with the elements of climate weather that manifest the
atmospheric conditions namely temperature, air motion, pressure and precipitation.
• Moreover, it also addresses the underlying causes of the spatio-temporal pattern of these
elements and their categorization into climate regions.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Understand the elements of weather and climate and its impacts at different scales.
• Grasp the climatic aspects and its bearing on planet earth.
• Comprehend the origin, features, composition, and structure of atmosphere.
• Describe the reasons and ways of atmospheric circulation.
• Explain atmospheric pressure and its altitudinal, latitudinal and seasonal variations.
• Identify and discuss the major causes of air movement or laws of horizontal air
movement
• Identify and explain the movement of winds on a small scale
• Illustrate the major pressure belts and cells of the earth as well as the general global
pattern of prevailing winds, global distribution of evaporation and precipitation
• Discuss, the characteristics, origin and distribution of global air masses and fronts,
different types of cloud and rainfall types
• Classify different geographical areas with appropriate method of climate classification
Course contents
1. Basic Concepts in Weather and Climate
1.1. The Concepts Of Weather, Climate, Meteorology And Climatology
1.2. Elements and measurement of weather and climate
1.3. Controls of weather and climate
1.4. Weather and climate data
2. Basic Concepts of Atmosphere
2.1. Origin and Nature of the Atmosphere
2.2. Variation with Altitude, Latitude and Season
2.3. Composition and structure of the Atmosphere
2.4. Significance of the Atmosphere

2. 3. Solar Radiation and Temperature
3.1. The nature and characteristics of Solar Radiation
3.2. sources of earth’s energy and energy transfer processes
3.3. Reflection and scattering of solar radiation
3.4. Solar radiation/Isolation
3.4..1. The global and surface radiation budget
3.4..2. Variability and distribution of isolation
3.4..3. Measures of sunshine and radiation
3.5. Temperature
3.5..1. Spatial and Temporal Variation of Temperature
3.5..2. Factors for variation of temperature
3.5..3. Measures of temperature
3.5..4. Heating and cooling of Atmosphere, Land mass, and Water body
4. Atmospheric Circulations
4.1. The concept of air pressure
4.2. Air pressure
4.2..1. vertical and horizontal variation of air pressure
4.2..2. Global pressure belts
4.2..3. factors for variation of air pressure
4.2..4. Measures of air pressure
4.3. Wind
4.3..1. Causes of wind (air movement)/laws of horizontal movement
4.3..2. Forces affecting Winds
4.3..3. Planetary Winds
4.3..4. Local winds
4.3..5. Wind measurement
4.4. Climate and Weather Phenomena
4.4.1. Air Mass and fronts: Typology, origin, characteristics
4.4..2. Cyclones and Anti-cyclones
4.4..3. Hurricanes, Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
4.4..4. El Nino and La Nina
5. Atmospheric Humidity and Precipitation
5.1. Atmospheric Moisture
5.2. Evapo-transpiration
5.2..1. Factors that affect Evapo-transpiration rate
5.2..2. Measures of Evapo-transpiration
5.3. Atmospheric humidity
5.3..1. Types of Humidity - absolute, relative and specific
5.3..2. Factors of atmospheric humidity
5.3..3. Temporal and spatial variation of humidity
5.3..4. Atmospheric Equilibrium: Stability and instability
5.3..5. Measures of humidity
5.4. Cloud formation, type and characteristics
5.5. Condensation Process and forms
5.6. Precipitation and its types
5.6..1. Processes of precipitation formation
5.6..2. Forms of Precipitation
5.6..3. Precipitation types
5.6..4. Precipitation measurement
5.6..5. Global distribution of precipitation

3. 6. Climate Classification
6.1. Climatic classification: General Considerations
6.2. History and philosophical base of climate classification
6.3. Significance of climate classification
6.4. Approaches to Climatic Classification
6.4..1. Genetic classifications
6.4..2. Empirical classifications
6.4..2.1. Koppen climate classification
6.4..2.2. Thornthwaite classification
6.4..2.3. Oliver classification
6.5. An over view of World Climatic regions: Tropical, Temperate, cold, Deserts
Course Delivery
The course will be delivered through lectures, PowerPoint Slides, Classroom Exercise, group
discussions, Web-based movies, Assigned Readings, Homework Assignments &
presentations.
Assessment & Evaluation ▪ Mid-Term Exam 25% ▪ Individual/Group assignment 10% ▪
Field Report 15% ▪ Comprehensive Final Exam 50%
References
1. Barry R.G. and Chorley (1982). Atmosphere, Weather and Climate.
2. Barry, R. G., and Chorley, R. J., (2009): Atmosphere, Weather and Climate (9th
Edition), Routledge, New York.
3. Barry, R.G. and Chorley, R.J. (1998) Atmosphere, Weather and Climate (7th ed. )
Routledge, USA.
4. Bhutani, S., (2000): Our Atmosphere, Kalyani Publishers, Ludhina.
5. Christopherson, W.R (1997). Geosystems. An Introduction to Physical Geography (3rd
ed.). Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.
6. Critchfield, H. J., (1987): General Climatology, Prentice-Hall of India, New Delhi
7. Critchfield, H.G (1983). General Climatology
8. Critchfield, H.J. (1983) General Climatology (4thed) Prentice-Hall Inc. USA.
9. Daniel Gamachu (1977). Some Asp EtCTS of Climate and Water Budget in
Ethiopia.Addis Ababa University
10. Eagleman, J.R. (1985) Meteorology: the Atmosphere in Action
11. Gupta, L.S., (2000): JalvayuVigyan(Hindi),MadhyamKaryanvayNidishalya, Delhi
12. Henderson, S.A. and Robinson, P.J. (1986). Contemporary Climatology
13. Kemp, D.D. (1994). Global Environmental Issues. A Climatological Approach. Rout
ledge physical Environmental series, London.
14. Landsberg, H.E ed. ( 1972). World Survey of Climatology. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
15. Lemma Gonfa (1996). Climate Classification of Ethiopia. National Meteorological
Service Agency Research Series Report Series No. 3, Addis Ababa.
16. Richardson, S. (1986). The Basics of Climatology. Arnold, London
17. Thompson, R. D. and Perry, A. (1997) Applied Climatology: Principles and Practice.
Routledge, London.