Qualification objectives: The students are familiar with the structure of planetary atmospheres. They have basic knowledge for working out and interpreting radiation and energy balances. They are familiar with the basics of thermodynamics and hydrodynamics of planetary atmospheres and have the methodological skills for their application. They can apply their knowledge of atmospheric processes to different planetary climate states and argue their findings in the group.

Contents: The students deal with the structure and properties of planetary atmospheres using examples inside and outside the solar system. They learn methods for calculating the radiation and energy balance as well as the basics of radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres, and they deal with the fundamentals of atmospheric thermodynamics and hydrodynamics. They learn to explain and discuss the dependence of planetary climate states on planetary configuration and atmospheric properties.