This hybrid course (on-site/online) serves as an introduction to basic principles of the physics of atmospheres, with an emphasis on atmospheric flows. Topics include the general structure of the atmosphere, atmospheric dynamics, boundary layer meteorology, field and lab scale testing, and numerical modeling. This course is continuously updated following the research activities at the VKI.

The course will be delivered by a team of researchers from the VKI, including Senior Test Engineer Gertjan Glabeke, Research Engineer dr. Nicolas Coudou, Research Engineer dr. Simone Gremmo, and Assistant Professor dr. Wim Munters (who also serves as coordinator).

Learning outcomes of the course are for the students to understand:

• Energy balances in the atmosphere
• Driving forces and general circulation structure in atmospheric dynamics
• Concepts of atmospheric stability and its role in the atmospheric boundary layer
• Working principles of instruments used for atmospheric measurements, including their strengths, weaknesses, uncertainties and cost
• Scaling rules applied to model the atmospheric boundary layer experimentally in a wind tunnel
• Strategies for modeling atmospheric flows on a range of scales and fidelity
• How to set up and run a weather model