Seminar course covering the meteorology program and discussing the different career options available including possible internship opportunities. Frequent weather discussions. S/U graded. Intended for meteorology majors.
Weather and climate analyzed in terms of their physical basis and historical, economic and human consequences. Emphasis on impacts of extreme weather: hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, winter storms and floods. (LAC, gtP)
(3 lecture, 2 laboratory) The basic course in meteorology. The atmosphere, its structure and composition. Radiation, temperature, pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, clouds, air masses and fronts. Measurements. Weather maps. (LAC, gtP)
(4 laboratory) Prerequisite: MET 205. Meteorological instruments and weather data; weather maps and upper air charts; plotting of charts and basic analysis techniques. An introduction to numerical weather prediction results is included.
Prerequisite: MET 205. The practice of weather forecasting is introduced through weather briefing and participation in a forecast contest. Numerical guidance and the roles of government and private sector forecasts are discussed.
Prerequisite: MET 215 (concurrent), MATH 132, PHYS 241. Physical processes in the atmosphere; atmospheric thermodynamics; radiation laws and balance; cloud microphysics; precipitation processes; atmospheric electricity.
Prerequisite: MET 205, MATH 131. Introduction to boundary layer, mass/energy processes and their interaction with biota and the lithosphere with field research, where students program, collect, and analyze micrometeorology data.
Prerequisites: MET 205. Credit given for participation in cooperative work/study program with National Weather Service, NOAA and/or other agencies. Summary paper required for work and/or research activities. Repeatable, maximum of 24 credits.
Prerequisites: MET 215, MET 320, MATH 233, PHYS 241. The physical laws governing planetary and synoptic-scale atmospheric motions are developed mathematically based on conversion of mass, momentum, and energy.
(3 lecture, 2 laboratory) Prerequisite: MET 401. Continued mathematical development of physical laws governing atmospheric motions, emphasizing vorticity, quasi-geostrophic prediction, and buoyancy waves. Theory is applied to weather charts during laboratory sessions and daily weather discussions.
Individualized investigation under the direct supervision of a faculty member. (Minimum of 37.5 clock hours required per credit hour.) Repeatable, maximum concurrent enrollment is two times.
Prerequisite: MET 402. Use of weather data, manual analyses, and meteorological software tools in weather forecasting and case studies. Practice includes review of theory, student weather briefing, daily forecast, and statistical forecast verification.
Prerequisite: MET 320. Factors affecting climate; analytical methods used to study climatology, general circulation of the atmosphere, oceans, and the global energy balance. Introduction to global climate models, projections of climate change.
Prerequisites: MET 205 or consent of instructor. Juniors or above. Survey of climate history and methods of interpreting geological, paleontological, and paleobotanical climate proxies. Introduction to modeling, utility of using models to reconstruct past climate, and current research in paleoclimate.
(3 lecture, 2 laboratory) Prerequisites: MET 320. Study of atmospheric phenomena on medium time and space scales. Topics include frontogenesis, mountain/valley winds, sea breeze circulations, gravity currents and waves, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and problems in mesoscale forecasting.
Prerequisites: MATH 132, MET 460, PHYS 241. Majors only. Principles of radar operation and radar remote sensing techniques. Types of radar and their applications in meteorology.
Prerequisites: MATH 132, PHYS 241. Use of atmospheric data and cloud imagery from satellites for understanding the atmosphere and forecasting the weather.
Explore topics in meteorology beyond regular departmental offerings. Specific topics determined by student interest and instructor. Repeatable, under different subtitles.