SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
FALL 2013
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH & CLIMATE SCIENCES
Meteorology 500/800
Weather Analysis and Forecasting II
Instructor:
Units:
Time/Day:
Room:
Prerequisites:
John Monteverdi
3 Units: 2 Units Lecture; 1 Unit Lab
MW 8:10-10:30
TH604
Metr 430; Metr 420 with Corequisite Metr 520*
*The prerequisite and corequisite for this course will be waived because of the unusual
scheduling of Metr 500/800 this cycle. However, students MUST be enrolled in Metr
420 also.
Purpose of the Course
The meteorology curriculum at SFSU has been completely revised on the basis of
guidelines suggested by the American Meteorological Society (AMS). The AMS is in
the process of setting up a "minimum suggested curriculum" for undergraduate degrees in
atmospheric science. In addition, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the NWS list the courses required for entry level
meteorologists in government service. These requirements are familiar to students at
SFSU since the instructors here have been advising all regarding these the last several
years.
In the area of Synoptic Meteorology, 9 units are required. All of you have taken the 4
unit majors core course Metr 430. You have also taken Metr 301 and at least one unit of
698,. All of these courses were set up to help students meet AMS and NWS
requirements. Although Metr 500 is an elective (under our major), it is another course
which will meet the NWS requirements for these 9 units. This course is also
fundamental if the student expects to understand topics in the area of numerical weather
prediction and analysis and prediction of severe storms.
It is extremely important that the students graduating in the meteorology program at
SFSU be well-versed in QG-theory. Thus, we will be finishing off the material
commenced in Metr 430 (and, to a certain extent, Metr 420), by including a treatment of
the Trenberth approximation and Q-vectors.
The conceptual connection between the terms in the three QG-equations (SutcliffePetterssen Development, height tendency and omega) and divergence in the upper
troposphere will be connected to concepts discussed in Metr 430, chiefly Dine’s
Compensation (Mass compensation) and the pressure tendency equations.
It is also very important for students to understand WHY horizontal divergence is
associated with the sinusoidal patterns found in the jet stream. Thus, we will “retreat” to
classical papers written by Bjerknes, Bergeron and Holmboe and see how their lucid
treatment still communicates powerful information to this day. We will also expand out
our understanding of the vertical motion fields associated with non-quasgeostrophic
systems, such as jet streaks and fronts.
This course will also delve into the area of mesoscale meteorology having to do with
severe weather. It turns out that there is a synergy between the synoptic scale atmosphere
and the smaller scales that encourages severe thunderstorms to occur.
The course also will contain a bit of an expansion of the satellite analysis techniques
students learned in Metr 415/715, and will be given an introduction to some mesoscale
meteorology including severe weather meteorology.
Graduate Credit Requirements
Embedded in this treatment will be a continuation of map and satellite analyses, weather
briefings, and presentation techniques. Students taking this course for graduate credit
will be required to present a synoptic-case study as a Powerpoint and web exposition, as
discussed in class.
Learning Objectives For Metr 500
(1) Students will have an understanding of mid-latitude, synoptic-scale weather systems
from both a theoretical and practical perspective;
(2) In support of (1), students will have a preliminary understanding on quasi-geostrophic
theory and will be able to apply that to an understanding of the
development and evolution of middle latitude synopic-scale weather systems;
(3) Students will develop an understanding of the steps that go into a forecast, including
assimilation of observations, numerical weather prediction, and statistical guidance;
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(4) Students will develop a preliminary knowledge of the analysis and prediction of
severe storms.
(5) Students will beclome proficient in forecasting by practice, in particular, by the
production of weather briefings and forecasts.
Grading Plan
Weekly Homeworks
Laboratory Exercises
(5)
Forecasts, Pop Quizzes, Etc,
Midterms (2X100)
Briefings
Presentations
Final
50 points
150 points
100 points
200 points
150 points
150 points ( HTML/PowerPoint)
200 points
1000 POINTS
Text Books
Required:
Bluestein, H, 1992 or later: Synoptic and Dynamic Meteorology, Vol. 1 and 2.
Djuric, Dusan, 1994: Weather Analysis. Prentice-Hall. 304 pp. ISBN 0-13-501149-3
Recommended Textbooks: 4 copies
Chaston,,Peter R., 1997: Weather Maps: How to Read and Interpret all the Basic Weather
Charts. Second Edition. Chaston Scientific, Inc.Kearney, MO. ISBN 0-9645172-4-8, 214
pp.
Stull, Roland, 2000: Meteorology for Scientists and Engineers, Second Edition, BrooksCole, ISBN-10: 0534372147, 528 pp.
Vasquez, Tim, 2002: Weather Forecasting Handbook. Weather Graphics Technologies. 198
pp. ISBN: 0-9706840-2-9
Vasquez, Tim, 2003: Weather Map Handbook. Weather Graphics Technologies. 167 pp.
ISBN: 0-9706840-4-5.
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Tentative Course Schedule—Subject to Revision
Weeks
1
2
3
Topic(s)
Review and QG equations
QG-Omega and Height-Tendency Eqs.
QG-Omega and Height-Tendency Eqs.
Divergence/Upper Waves
4
Divergence/Upper Waves Synoptic Extratropical Systems:
Formation and Behavior
5
Synoptic Extratropical Systems: Formation and Behavior
6
Synoptic Extratropical Systems: Formation and Behavior
Exam 1 October 2 (Open Books, Open Notes)
7
Fronts and Jet Streams
8
Fronts and Jet Streams
9
Deformation Zones
10
Deformation Zones
11
Frontal Analysis
12
Subsynoptic Analysis
13 , 14, and 15 Severe Weather and Exam 2 November 20
(Open Books, Open Notes)
Tuesday December 17 Final Examination (Open Books, Open Notes)
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