Class Notes, Metr 302.01

January 30, 2004

Darrell Aaron

Kimiko Adachi

Reading Assignment: Willams: Preface, Introduction and Chapter1

Zebrowski: Preface, Introduction and Capter1

House Keeping: Received weather map

Announced class note

Reviewed the class web site

Discussed natural disaster, storm and sever thunderstorm

Started to discuss the method of reading weather map

Definitions

Natural Disaster: force of nature (ex. Hurricane, thunderstorm and severe thunderstorm)

Quote from Zebrowski (p.19) “a natural disaster is an event in which the forces of natural claim human lives or destroy the fruits of human labor on a large scale.

Meaning of “Severe” Thunderstorm is when these events occur:

- 57/mph straight line wind (50 knots)

- 3/4” hail or large

- Tornadoes

Storm: any organized disturbed state of the atmosphere, especially as affecting the earth’s surface and strongly implying destructive or otherwise unpleasant weather. (From class web-site)

Super cell thunderstorms are sub-sets of severe thunderstorms

Meteorology: study of meteors (objects suspended in space

Climatology: study of climate (weather averaged over a period of time)

Map: a 2-D representation of an area

Watching and warning: National Weather Service advice the public about potentially damaging and or hazardous weather such as hurricane, sever thunderstorm or tornadoes. They use satellite radar (Doppler Rader) which shows before and after tornadoes life and rainfall.

Oklahoma has many tornadoes in the U.S.

Bangladesh has much more enormous sever thunderstorm then U.S.

Quote from Robert Haimmer (I am not sure this quote is correct???)

“Climate is what you expect

Weather is what you get”

Number and sign of surface weather map: upper left corner indicates temperature in ˚F on a weather map. The lower left corner indicates the dew point temperature and the upper right corner indicates the atmospheric pressure.

National Government Sites

NHC (National Hurricane Center) – purpose is to advise and warn the public about tropical cyclones

SPC (Storms Prediction Center) - purpose is to advise and warn the public about sever thunderstorms and tornadoes

HPC (Hydro meteorological Prediction Center) – purpose is to advise and warn the public about flooding

NWS (National Weather Service) – purpose is to provide public with news on watches and warnings –normal weather