本課程偏重敘述性的介紹熱帶大氣的基本特徵。教學重點包括各種尺度之現象的介紹，例如：熱帶對流、大尺度環流與間熱帶輻合區、全球季風系統、熱帶低頻振盪、熱帶波動理論等。課程將說明熱帶現象形成的可能機制，不同尺度的現象如何互相影響，並討論熱帶現象對區域氣候及臺灣的可能影響。
The course emphasizes describing the observed phenomena on various scales in the tropics. The contents include tropical convection, large-scale circulation and the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, global monsoon systems, low-frequency oscillations, and equatorial waves. We will explain possible mechanisms that induce these phenomena and their interactions. The impacts of tropical phenomena on regional climate and Taiwan.