Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean I
Covers physical variables, thermodynamics, moist processes, and cloud physics for atmosphere and ocean.
Summary
Past student reviews · Angel Adames-Corraliza
The class was rated as moderately difficult, with students reporting a sharp decline in exam scores between the first and second midterms.
What you’ll be able to do
describe the vertical structure of the atmosphere and how atmospheric constituents are distributed from the surface to the ionosphere.
derive thermodynamic equations and apply them to study the thermal structure of basic atmospheric phenomena.
show how thermal energy and the first law of thermodynamics are applied to describe atmospheric thermal properties and structure.
describe how entropy and the second law of thermodynamics are applied to basic thermal problems.
describe the process of phase change in atmospheric phenomena.
analyze atmospheric soundings using a thermodynamic diagram.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course map(PHYSICS 202, 208, or248 or concurrent enrollment inPHYSICS 202, 208, or 248) and MATH 234 or concurrent enrollment inMATH 234
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
ANGEL ADAMES-CORRALIZA is recorded teaching in Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Angel Adames-Corraliza
Past students found the course unsuitable for undergraduates, citing a significant drop in performance after the first midterm.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=24 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.86 GPA, 94.4% A/AB (n=18 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.76 GPA, 91.3% A/AB (n=23 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Angel Adames-Corraliza
The class was rated as moderately difficult, with students reporting a sharp decline in exam scores between the first and second midterms.
Past student reviews · Angel Adames-Corraliza
Students felt frustrated when they were told they lacked critical thinking skills following their lower second midterm average.
Topics
- Thermodynamics and moist atmospheric processes
- Physics of clouds, precipitation, and chemical constituents
- Vertical structure of the atmosphere
Skills
- Derive thermodynamic equations and apply them to atmospheric phenomena
- Analyze atmospheric soundings using thermodynamic diagrams
- Apply the first law of thermodynamics to atmospheric thermal properties
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2025
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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