Instructors: Dave Carroll; Steve Keighton & John Wright (NWS) Guest Instructors & Forum Resources.
Office Hours: M-F 12:30 - 1:30; most evenings you can reach me online between 7:00 & 9:00 pm. I do check my e-mail every day, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Course Web Site: http://www.icsrc.org/TILT/Weatherline/met1index.htm
Textbook: The Atmosphere (7th Ed.), by Lutgens and Tarbuck.
Course Description:
Applied Meteorology is an Internet course specifically designed to offer students the background information necessary to understand the basic processes in the atmosphere, and develop a knowledge base that will enable students to monitor and evaluate developing weather events. The primary focus for the course will center around utilizing web-based resources in understanding and forecasting weather.
Special Note: This is a web-based course which requires a considerable amount of study-related discipline on the part of the student. Assignments and tests will be due at certain points throughout the course, and no late work is accepted without a written excuse from your advisor. Reliable Internet access is a prerequisite for this class. If you lack self-directed motivation in studying, or reliable Internet access during daytime and evening hours, do not register for this course!
Unit 1: Atmospheric Basics: ( ) Unit 1 Quiz
We will look at the chemical make-up of the atmosphere, its origins, solar inputs and circulation.
Unit 2: Adiabatic Processes: ( ) Unit 2 Quiz
Temperature variations due to the compression and expansion of air, and how this influences our weather.
Unit 3: Air Pressure and Winds: ( ) Unit 3 Quiz
The weight of our atmosphere, how it varies with altitude, high and low pressure centers, and how pressure gradients produce and direct wind.
Unit 4: Air Masses and Fronts: ( ) Unit 4 Quiz
The major air masses that affect our weather, their characteristics, and the boundary lines that form between them.
Unit 5: Jetstreams: () Unit 5 Quiz
A close look into these high altitude winds, how they form, and what influence they have on our weather.
Unit 6: Atmospheric Moisture: ( ) Unit 6 Quiz
The basics aspects of atmospheric moisture, including humidity and dewpoint, condensation and evaporation, cloud formation and classification, precipitation and satellite imagery. Sources of lift (frontal, orographic, outflow boundaries, divergence aloft, isentropic lift) involved in cloud formation will be covered as well.
Unit 7: Doppler Radar & Satellite Products: ( ) Unit 7 Quiz
A basic overview of NEXRAD capabilities and imagery, including reflectivity and velocity images, precipitation estimates, vertical and horizontal scans, and evaluating severe weather potential.
Unit 8: Forecast Models: ( ) Unit 8 Quiz
An introduction to numerical models, and how to interpret them as an aid in forecasting both winter precipitation and convective storms. Applications will include forecasting temperatures, precipitation types, the development of lows, vertical velocities and precipitation strength, steering levels, and jetstream analysis.
Grading:
Weather Analysis 20 pts. Unit Quizzes (20 pts. each) 160 pts. Timed Lab Exercises (15 pts.
each) 120 pts. Mid-Term Exam (100 pts.) 100 pts. Final Exam (100 pts.) 100 pts. Total 500 pts.
Weather Analysis: You are the forecaster: given a set of conditions, you must develop a forecast, and explain the steps in how you arrived at your conclusions.
Timed Lab Exercises: 120 pts. (Based on laboratory exercises and question sets. These will reinforce material for midterm and final exams).
Unit Quizzes: 20 pts. each (You may open the quizzes anytime, print them out, write the questions down while referring to notes, etc. However, you may only submit the quiz once. Your first submission will be recorded for credit! Also note that the order of the questions may change each time you open the quiz, but the same 20 questions will appear each time!).
Mid-Term Exam: 100 pts. (Again, your first submission is recorded for credit...take your time!).
Final Exam: 100 pts. (Comprehensive: a summary of material from midterm will be provided. Your first submission is recorded for credit).