Atmospheric Sciences 502
Introduction to Synoptic Meteorology
Fall 2010

Syllabus

Introduction
  • Mean Structure of the Atmosphere
  • Mean upper and lower circulation and temperatures
  • Observations, rawinsondes

  • Lab: Current Weather
Balanced Flow
  • Geostrophic and Gradient winds
  • Thickness, thermal wind

  • Lab: 500mb analysis
Cyclone Structure  
  • Upper level patterns
  • Surface patterns
  • Frontal Analysis

  • Lab: 850mb analysis
    Lab: surface analysis
Cloud and Precipitation structure in cyclones
  • Cloud distributions in cyclones
  • Satellite applications to cyclones

  • Lab: Satellite imagery interpretation
Quasi-Geostrophic Dynamics
  • Height Tendency, and application to weather maps
  • Diagnosis of Omega

  • Lab: Cyclone Structure
Cyclogenesis
  • Norwegian Cyclone Model
  • QG approach to cyclogenesis
  • Potential Vorticity Approach to Cyclogenesis

  • Lab: Potential Vorticity Cyclogenesis
Frontogenesis
  • Kinematic frontogenesis
  • 2-D frontogenesis
  • Upper Level Fronts

  • Lab: Upper level fronts
3-D structure
  • Streamlines
  • Trajectories, airstreams

  • Lab: Trajectories
Pacific Northwest Weather
  • Effects of terrain
  • Puget Sound Convergence Zone
  • Marine Push
  • Snowstorms and/or windstorms