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Meteorology Syllabus Course number 36123 Instructor: Prof. Thomas M. Stadelmann Office: S
-109 Tel. ext. 1925 E-mail Address: tstadelmann@massasoit.mass.edu Office hours: Posted on office door. Text: The
Atmosphere, by Lutgens and Tarbuck,
published by Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Lab manual: Your Instructor will provide
you with lab exercises each week. Course
Description: This course is designed to
provide students with an understanding of the dynamic processes at play
within the Earth’s fluid atmosphere and an appreciation of the role of these
processes in producing weather. Topics covered on the course include: the
origin and evolution of the Earth’s atmosphere, the structure and
characteristics of the atmosphere, the Earth/Sun relationships and their
influence on the seasons, solar and terrestrial radiation, the hydrologic
cycle, the gas laws, global circulation, weather systems and fronts, storms
and analysis of weather maps. Weekly laboratory exercises have been designed
to complement the topics covered in lecture. Grading: Students’ grades for this
course will be determined at the end of the semester based on the results of
quizzes taken during the term, a final exam, and an evaluation of each
student’s daily class and laboratory work completed during the semester.
Quizzes will be given weekly during the semester and their average at the end
of the semester will constitute 50% of the grade for the course The final exam counts 30% and the
student’s labs and daily work counts 20%. The daily work and labs of students
will be evaluated on the basis of accuracy, completeness, neatness and
timeliness in completing the assignments.
Note: there are no make-ups for any tests that you miss during
the term. Your score on the final exam will replace that of any test you have
missed. The final exam is cumulative. A letter grade will be
given to each student at the end of the semester based on their numerical
average as follows:
Attendance: Attendance at lectures and
laboratory exercises is essential if students are to be successful in this
course. The college policy is to allow students a number of cuts from class,
without suffering an academic penalty,
which is equal to the number of credits for that course. This works
out to be equal to the equivalent of one week of class. If your absences from
class (for whatever reason) exceed this number, which in this case is 4, you
are in serious danger of not being able to successfully complete the course. Absence from class does not
absolve one from responsibility for the material covered in class or assignments given while they were absent. Teaching
Procedures: Classes are conducted in an
informal lecture/discussion format in which students are expected to actively
participate. The instructor will ask for questions and answers during the
discussions and students should be prepared to participate. Frequent use of audio/visual
materials is made to help enhance student understanding of the scientific
concepts covered in class. In addition, there is a weekly laboratory
exercise. Using Your Text Effectively:
Learning meteorology, like
acquiring any knew knowledge or skill, requires work. In my on-going,
personal process of continuing education, I’ve found the following steps to
be very effective in the educational process. Most importantly, be realistic, while some concepts can be
understood easily and almost immediately, understanding other concepts may
come more slowly and require a great deal more effort on your part. All of us
will have this experience so be patient with yourself. The important thing is
to set aside time each day for study and/or review in all your
subjects. In reading any assignment,
begin by reading the introductory paragraph and by looking at the pictures in
order to get a general sense of the subject matter. Turn the pages of the
chapter and familiarize yourself with what the objects you will be reading
about look like. Pictures can be worth a thousand words. Next, turn to the
summary at the end of the chapter. Finally, start again and read the assigned
material. Depending on the length of the assignment, you may not be able to
complete this task in one sitting. If not, read the assignment by section so
that you don’t end in the middle of a topic. This way, when you are
refreshed, you can come back to the assignment at a logical beginning point.
As you read, make notes of things you don’t understand. You should ask your
instructor for help in understanding these questions. I would urge you not to
rely on highlighting as you read. It will be much more effective for you to
get into the habit of writing down short notes and constructing a simple outline
of what you have read. Look carefully at the
pictures and diagrams. If the caption of a figure poses a question, try to
answer it. Make your own diagrams, without referring to the one in the text,
to be sure you understand what they represent. As you encounter words or
terms in the text that you aren’t familiar with, look them up in the index or
glossary at the back of the book. It is a waste of your time to be reading a
description of an object or concept without having an understanding of the terms
used in describing it. You should seek help from your professor and/or
assistants in the academic resource center whenever that assistance is
needed. Don’t be shy about asking questions. This is how we get to an
understanding of new ideas. Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities
who believe that they may need accommodations in the classroom are encouraged
to contact the Learning Disability Coordinator, Nancy Sullivan at extension
1082, or Disability Councilor, Stan Oliver at extension 1464, as soon as
possible, in order to ensure that such accomodations are implemented in a
timely fashion.
Learning Objectives
Chapter 1 ·
Distinguish between
weather and climate. ·
List the basic
elements of weather and climate. ·
Discuss the importance
of the following atmospheric components: carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, and dust. ·
Summarize the cause
and possible effects of stratospheric ozone depletion. ·
Briefly outline the
stages in the origin and evolution of the atmosphere. ·
Diagram and describe
the vertical structure of the Earth’s atmosphere. ·
Describe the changes
in temperature, pressure and composition that occur in the atmosphere
from the
Earth’s surface up to a height of 120 km. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
2 ·
Describe the basic
motions of the Earth. ·
Discuss the causes of
the seasons. ·
List the
characteristics and times of occurrence of the equinoxes and solstices. ·
State in your own
words the basic laws governing radiation. ·
Distinguish between
the three mechanisms of heat transfer and give an example of each. ·
Distinguish among
scattering, reflection and absorption of radiation. ·
List the factors
responsible for variations in albedo. ·
Explain why the
atmosphere is heated chiefly by terrestrial radiation. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
3 ·
Contrast the concepts
of heat and temperature. ·
Discuss the factors
that are necessary in order to obtain an accurate air temperature reading. ·
Explain how a liquid
in glass thermometer works. ·
Contrast Fahrenheit,
Celsius and Kelvin temperature scales and be able to convert from one scale to another. ·
Given the appropriate
temperature data, be able to compute the daily mean, daily range, monthly and annual means and the annual range for
a given area. ·
List and explain the
factors that contribute to the differential heating of land and water. ·
List and discuss the
major controls of world temperature and its distribution. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
4 ·
Describe the movement
of water through the hydrologic cycle. ·
Summarize the
processes by which water changes from one state to another. ·
State the relationship
that exists between air temperature and the amount of water vapor required to saturate a volume of air. ·
Distinguish between
mixing ratio, absolute humidity, and relative humidity. ·
Describe the use of a
sling psychrometer in determining the relative humidity of the air. ·
Given the appropriate
tables, determine the relative humidity and dew point of the air knowing the wet and dry bulb temperatures. ·
Differentiate between
adiabatic cooling and lapse rate. ·
Be able to determine
the extent of atmospheric stability that exists given the proper data. ·
Describe the weather
conditions associated with both stable and unstable atmospheric conditions. ·
Discuss how the
stability of the atmosphere is modified. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
5 ·
Discuss the basis for
the classification of clouds. ·
Identify the basic
cloud types on the basis of their form and height. ·
Discuss the role that
condensation nuclei play in the formation of clouds. ·
Outline the steps
involved in the formation of precipitation according to the Bergeron process. ·
Describe the formation
of precipitation according to the collision-coalescence process. ·
List the five types of
fog mentioned in your text and discuss the details of their formation. ·
Distinguish between
sleet, glaze, hail and freezing rain and describe how each forms. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
6 ·
Explain how air
pressure is influenced by the temperature and density of air. ·
Explain how the
aneroid barometer and mercury barometer work. ·
Write a generalization
relating how the spacing between isobars is related to wind speed. ·
Describe the
conditions under which a sea breeze forms and discuss the principle it
illustrates. ·
Indicate the origin of
the Coriolis effect and describe its influence on a freely moving body ·
Discuss the factors
that influence the magnitude of the Coriolis effect. ·
Contrast geostrophic
winds with surface winds. ·
Make a sketch ,using
isobars and wind arrows, which illustrates the relationship between the winds
and centers of high and low pressure in both the northern and southern
hemispheres. ·
Describe the weather
associated with areas of high and low pressure. ·
Discuss the
relationship that exists between pressure tendency and forthcoming weather. ·
Define the terms in
the vocabulary review. Chapter
7 ·
Describe the idealized
pattern of global circulation as proposed by George Hadley. ·
Sketch and label a
diagram showing the idealized three-cell model of global circulation. ·
Discuss the influence
that the continents and oceans have on the global air pressure and wind. ·
Explain why air flow
aloft is predominantly westerly. ·
Explain what an El
Nino is and its relationship to the Southern Oscillation. ·
Explain how an El Nino
might effect the weather along the west coast of the United States. ·
Explain the factors
that influence the formation of the zone of subtropical high pressure. ·
Discuss the conditions
associated with the ITCZ and describe how it forms. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
8 ·
List two criteria that
air mass source regions must meet. ·
Discuss the basis of
air mass classification. ·
Describe the ways that
air masses may be modified over time. ·
Explain what happens
to the stability of air masses designated either “k” or “w” over time and how
does this influence their weather. ·
Discuss the conditions
associated with the following air masses: cP, mP, mT, and cT. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
9 ·
Compare and contrast
warm and cold fronts in terms of their structure and associated weather. ·
Distinguish between
cold-type and warm-type occluded fronts. ·
Outline the stages in
the life cycle of a wave cyclone. ·
Describe the changes
in wind direction, pressure tendency, cloud type and coverage, precipitation,
and temperature that occur as the center of a
wave cyclone passes to the north of an observer. ·
Do the same for a
cyclone that passes to the south. ·
Relate the development
and movement of cyclones to upper-level flow. ·
Discuss how a cyclone
might form along the polar front over the United States. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter
10 ·
Discuss the various
kinds of atmospheric disturbances referred to as cyclones. ·
Compare
middle-latitude cyclones, tornadoes, and hurricanes in terms of size and
expected wind velocities. ·
Outline and describe
the stages in the development of thunderstorms. ·
Discuss what a squall
line is and how one develops. ·
Summarize the events
that are thought to lead to the development of lightning and thunder. ·
Explain how and when
tornadoes are most likely to occur. ·
Discuss the formation
of hurricanes. ·
Distinguish between
tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. Chapter 11 ·
Describe a hurricane in terms of size
(diameter) and wind speed. ·
Contrast the eye and
eye wall. ·
Discuss why hurricanes
form when and where they do. ·
Distinguish among
tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane. ·
Explain why hurricane
intensity rapidly diminishes when it moves onto land. ·
List three tools used
to observe and study hurricanes. ·
Distinguish between
hurricane watch and hurricane warning. ·
Define the terms
listed in the vocabulary review. |
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