Meteo 003
Fall 2016
Section 1: MWF 1010-1110
MF (lecture) and W (lab or exams) in room 112 Walker

Fred Gadomski
863-4229
606A Walker Bldg

Check ANGEL frequently for any syllabus updates

Academic Integrity Required! This course follows E&MS Policy: http://www.ems.psu.edu/current_undergraduate_students/academics/integrity_policy

Students with Disabilities: The Office for Disability Services (ODS) Web site provides contact information for every Penn State campus: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/dcl. For further information, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site: http://equity.psu.edu/ods. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter.

Office Hours: by appointment, 606A Walker

Introductory Meteorology: A survey course about the atmosphere and the weather that it produces, with an emphasis on making you a savvy consumer of weather information.

Text: A World of Weather, 5th Ed, by Grenci and Nese, 2010, Kendall/Hunt

• Class Date / Topic(s) / Relevant Reading
  
  
• 22 Aug Introduction, units, scales and mapping Chapter 1
• 24 Aug Radiation basics, solar & terrestrial radiation (no lab week 1) Chapter 2
• 26 Aug Satellites & radar Chapter 5
• 29 Aug Temperature and temperature differences
• 31 Aug Lab 1: Bring chapters 1, 2, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 02 Sep Temperature, air masses, a first look at fronts Chapter 3
• 05 Sep *** No Class – Labor Day *** Chapter 3
• 07 Sep Lab 2: Bring chapters 2, 3, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 09 Sep Water in the atmosphere, introduction to humidity Chapter 4
• 12 Sep Humidity in more detail, precipitation formation Chapter 4
• 14 Sep Lab 3: Bring chapters 3, 4, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 16 Sep Air Pressure Chapter 6
• 19 Sep Wind Basics: Pressure gradient force, Coriolis effect, friction,mid-latitude jet stream Chapter 7
• 21 Sep Lab 4: Bring chapters 4, 5, 6, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 23 Sep Atmospheric stability Chapter 8
• 26 Sep Catch up and review Review
• 28 Sep ** Exam I **
• 30 Sep Clouds and cloud types Chapter 8
• 03 Oct Air pollution basics Chapter 8
• 05 Oct Lab 5: Bring chapters 6, 7, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 07 Oct Thunderstorms, flooding and hail Chapter 9
• 10 Oct The general circulation- polar, tropics and subtropics (I) Chapter 10
• 12 Oct Lab 6: Bring chapters 8, 9, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 14 Oct The general circulation- tropics and subtropics(II) Chapter 10
• 17 Oct Hurricanes (I) Chapter 11
• 19 Oct Lab 7: Bring chapters 9, 10, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 21 Oct Hurricanes (II) Chapter 11
• 24 Oct Catch up and review Review
• 26 Oct ** Exam II **
• 28 Oct Cyclogenesis, Anticyclogenesis (how high pressure and low pressure area develop) Chapter 12
• 31 Oct The Norwegian cyclone model Chapter 13
• 02 Nov Lab 8: Bring chapters 11, 12, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 04 Nov Supercell and other severe thunderstorms Chapter 14
• 07 Nov Tornadoes Chapter 15
• 09 Nov Lab 9: Bring chapters 13, 14, 15, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 11 Nov Winter precipitation types Chapter 16
• 14 Nov Lake effect snow, wind chill Chapter 16
• 16 Nov Lab 10: Bring chapters 15, 16, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 18 Nov Catch up, travel weather
• 21, 23, 25 Nov ** NO CLASS – HAPPY THANKSGIVING! **
• 28 Nov Climate Change (I) Chapter 18
• 30 Nov Lab 11: Bring chapters 16, 18, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 02 Dec Climate Change (II), land use Chapter 18 43 05 Dec Climate Change (III), global warming and cooling Chapter 18
• 07 Dec Lab 12: Bring chapter 18, pencils and calculator to class (due Friday at start of class)
• 09 Dec Review 

The dates and topics listed on the syllabus are only approximate. Changes will occur as the rhythm of the course becomes established. Some basic notes will be posted on Angel, but these notes will not represent all the material…consider them highlights. On many days, we will have a discussion of the current weather situation in which concepts covered during the course will be applied in “real life”.

Examinations and Grading

• Exam I (10%)
• Exam II (20%)
• Pop Quizzes (20%)
• Final Examination (25%)
• Laboratory Grade (25%)

The tests and final will consist primarily of multiple choice, true/false and short answer questions and they are comprehensive in nature, although Exam II and the final will focus on material taught since the previous exam. Make-ups may be scheduled at the instructor's convenience for excused absences. The make-up should be taken before the scheduled exam time, if at all possible.
To encourage reading of the assigned material and to emphasize the importance of class participation, note that quizzes compose a notable part of the final grade. Quizzes may be announced, but often will be a surprise. They will generally be multiple choice, true/false or short answer questions that deal with the recent material. Please be sure to bring a pencil or pen and some (preferably loose-leaf) paper to class, and don't be late! Quizzes cannot be made up but there will be a minimum of three drops allowed depending upon the final number of quizzes.
Note also that the laboratory assignments are worth a quarter of your total grade. Lab assignments are due at the beginning of Friday’s class, with few exceptions! Again, if you are unable to attend because of an emergency, tell the TA as soon as possible and get the assignment- we cannot accept assignments once the next lab begins (a week late). Late assignments are penalized.

Campus Emergenices

Campus emergencies, including weather delays, are announced on Penn State News: http:/news.psu.edu/ and communicated to cellphones, email, the Penn State Facebook page, and Twitter via PSUAlert (Sign up at: https://psualert.psu.edu/psualert/).