Severe and Unusual Weather
METR 2603-900
Fall 2015
Instructor: Alexander Zwink
Office Hours: 5:30 – 6:30 T at SEC Atrium or by Appointment
E-mail: azwink@ou.edu
My job as your Instructor is to help you understand the material, but I can’t help if you don’t ask me
questions. If you have any questions regarding your understanding of the material, structure of the
course, or any issue that arises, please do not hesitate to come to office hours or send me an e-mail.
Course Description:
METR 2603 Severe and Unusual weather is a survey course of the physical processes that are
important in the formation of various severe and unusual weather phenomena such as thunderstorms,
tornadoes, and hurricanes, as well as other events such as droughts, heat waves, and floods.
Course Goals:
1) To gain a basic understanding of the atmosphere
2) To be able to understand and explain key physical processes behind severe weather
3) To understand the impacts and risks to society these weather events present
Course Materials:
Text: Severe and Hazardous Weather: An introduction to high impact meteorology (4th edition) by
Robert M. Rauber, John Walsh, and Donna Charlevoix
Grading
Exams
Homework and Assignments
Research Paper/Case Study
60% (4 exams, 15% each)
30%
10%
Desire2Learn Website:
I will be using Desire2Learn in this lab for posting grades, lab notes, and other important
information. You can find this at https://learn.ou.edu. Please check it regularly for announcements.
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students
with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested
to speak with the instructor as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be
registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166. You may contact
the office at 405-325-3852 (voice) or 405-325-4173 (TDD).
Academic Misconduct
Cheating will not be tolerated and will be reported. No exceptions, no excuses. Those found
cheating will be penalized under the OU Academic Misconduct Code, which can be found at
http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity. In short, if you cheat, expect to be removed from the course
and to receive an F for the course.
Tentative List of Topics
***This list is not finite and is subject to change***
Introduction to the Atmosphere/Meteorology
•
Composition/Structure of the Atmosphere
•
Seasons
•
Clouds and Atmospheric Moisture
•
Meteorological Measurements
•
Weather Maps
•
Forecasting
•
Atmospheric Stability
•
Atmospheric Forces
•
Airmasses and Fronts
•
Mid-Latitude Cyclones
Weather Phenomena
•
Winter Weather
•
Thunderstorms
•
Tornadoes
•
Lightning
•
Hailstorms
•
Downbursts
•
Hurricanes
•
Floods
•
Droughts
•
Heat Waves
•
El Niño and La Niña