GEOF322 will provide general understanding of small scale processes relevant for the atmospheric boundary layer with focus on the local scale and the related basic modern meteorological instrumentation and measurement methods. Students will be trained via practical exercises in all skills required for carrying out experiments and field work, including sensor calibration. The course consists of lectures on selected topics and a series of different practical tasks. In the theory part the effects of surface characteristics and vegetation on the energy and momentum transfer into the boundary layer are discussed. Particular focus will be on the characteristics of ground heat flux and evaporation processes. Various methods for the determination of the fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum are introduced and will be later applied by the students on a data set gained from a field campaign as part of the course.

In the practical tasks the students will learn about quality control and calibration of different meteorological instruments, and the practical issues related to the planning, preparation and realization of a field experiment. They will also participate in a field campaign, measuring different meteorological parameters in the boundary layer. During that part of the course, the students are responsible for documenting the activities, analyzing the results and writing a final report.

After finishing the course, the student should be able to:

- perform and evaluate instrument calibration in the laboratory or in the field by intercomparison campaigns

- define, plan and carry out experiments and field work in meteorology

- appropriately document the activities in a field campaign and to analyze and report the results

- describe and discuss the relevant processes affecting the surface energy balance

- explain and discuss the importance of surface properties and vegetation for the surface energy balance and the corresponding exchange processes into the atmospheric boundary layer

- describe and apply different methods for the calculation of boundary layer fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum

- perform a small experiment on air-surface exchange and determine and interpret the corresponding measurements in terms of quantifying the fluxes of sensible and latent heat and momentum

Approved exercises and report.

(Valid for four semesters: The semester mandatory activities have been approved and the three following semesters.)