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What will I study?
Overview
Learn about atmospheric and oceanic theory, climate and weather modelling and prediction, the science of climate change, and the roles of wind and ocean current systems.
Your major structure
You’ll complete this major as part of a Bachelor of Science degree.
In your first and second years you will complete subjects that are prerequisites for your major, including mathematics and climate science subjects.
In your third year, you will complete 50 points (four subjects) of deep and specialised study in climate and weather science.
Throughout your degree you will also take science elective subjects and breadth (non-science) subjects, in addition to your major subjects and prerequisites.
Sample course plan
View some sample course plans to help you select subjects that will meet the requirements for this major.
If you did not achieve a study score of at least 29 in VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4, you may need to enrol in MAST10005 Calculus 1 in your first semester. If you achieved a study score of at least 36 in VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4 or equivalent, you can enrol in MAST10021 Calculus 2: Advanced and MAST10022 Linear Algebra: Advanced instead of MAST10006 Calculus 2 and MAST10007 Linear Algebra.
Year 1
100 pts
- Semester 1 50 pts
- Semester 2 50 pts
Year 2
100 pts
- Semester 1 50 pts
- Semester 2 50 pts
Year 3
100 pts
- Semester 1 50 pts
- Semester 2 50 pts
If you did not achieve a study score of at least 29 in VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4, you may need to enrol in MAST10005 Calculus 1 in your first semester. If you achieved a study score of at least 36 in VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4 or equivalent, you can enrol in MAST10021 Calculus 2: Advanced and MAST10022 Linear Algebra: Advanced instead of MAST10006 Calculus 2 and MAST10007 Linear Algebra.
Year 1
100 pts
- Semester 2 50 pts
- Semester 1 50 pts
Year 2
100 pts
- Semester 2 50 pts
- Semester 1 50 pts
Year 3
100 pts
- Semester 2 50 pts
- Semester 1 50 pts
science elective
12.5 pts
science elective
12.5 pts
science elective
12.5 pts
breadth/science elective
12.5 pts
Explore this major
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this major.
- 12.5 pts
This subject addresses the fundamental processes that govern atmospheric and oceanic motion, and how these processes interact to control the weather and climate of the Earth. Topics include the fluid dynamics of the atmosphere and ocean, the scaling of the equations of motion, the shallow-water system, vorticity and divergence, buoyancy driven flows, and numerical modelling of atmospheric and oceanic flows. On completion of this subject, students should have an appreciation of the fundamental processes that govern atmospheric and oceanic motion and interactions on a range of time and spatial scales. A qualitative as well as quantitative understanding of the atmosphere is to be gained, with the substantial mathematical analyses covered during the subject. Students will also receive experience in constructing simplified models of the atmosphere and ocean.
- 12.5 pts
The main area of study in this subject is the broad examination of what maintains present climate and the manner in which the relevant processes may change into the future.
The topics to be covered in the subject include the global distributions of mean climatological parameters in present climate and their interconnections. Mechanisms of atmospheric instability, including baroclinicity. Maintenance of the global energy and angular momentum budgets and the roles of eddies. Radiative influences on global climate, especially variations in solar activity, carbon dioxide and methane. Atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane budgets and the Greenhouse Effect. Modelling of climate change and the use of emission scenarios. Interpretation and statistical analysis of future-climate scenarios and the use of ensemble simulations.
- 12.5 pts
This subject gives an overview of the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere on a wide range of time and space scales. Topics include the planetary boundary layers in the ocean and the atmosphere, momentum and heat exchanges, fundamental causes of ocean circulation, ocean wave theory including wind-waves, Kelvin and Rossby waves, ENSO theory, tidal theory, and the effects of air-sea interaction on the dynamics of tropical cyclones.
- 12.5 pts
This subject presents a comprehensive view of the processes that are responsible for the structure, composition and properties of the atmosphere. It will focus on local and regional scales, covering aerosol and cloud processes such as formation, precipitation and lightning. It will address how these atmospheric processes interact with the climate system - discussing major weather systems, land use, air quality and greenhouse gas fluxes. This subject will involve a field trip to the Creswick campus to observe the atmospheric boundary layer state and chemical composition using state of the art monitoring equipment.
This subject will involve a field trip (or virtual field trip) to the Creswick campus.