SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES
Fall 1998
METEOROLOGY 356
California Weather Events
(Section 1)
Credit: 3 Semester Units Room/Time: TH604; TTh 1100-1215
Prerequisites: None.
Instructor: John P. Monteverdi, Professor of Meteorology; TH509 Ext. 2061
Office Hours: M 1-2; TTh 9-10:30 or by appointment
Meteorology 356 fulfills the Perspectives from the Sciences requirement of the California Cultures and Environments cluster in Segment III of the General Education program. This course will also be designated a Core Course in the new California Studies degree program administered by the Department of History.
Students should note that in order for this course to count towards fulfilling your General Education Segment III requirement you must: (i) fulfill the other requirements of the cluster (found on page 162 of the Schedule of Classes); and, (ii) be at least a Junior while taking any course in the cluster.
Scope of the Course
The general function of any course in the General Education program is to provide students with the information which is a fundamental underpinning for any well-educated individual. Students may rightfully argue that they have enough troubles filling out their majors program without the added burden of taking on coursework which seems at best peripheral and at worst totally non-relevant to their educational goals. I believe that this attitude is expedient and the end result of its implementation is that the student, upon graduation, is not the least bit "well-rounded". Such a student has limited ability to make informed judgments about the issues which confront him or her beyond those which fall into their narrow field of interest.
In the case of the present course, the instructor has designed the content to help students become aware of some of the important aspects of their immediate environment. In the context of California studies, it is fundamental that students graduating from a major univerisity in California have some understanding of the physical processes which control the local natural environment. The controls on these physical processes can be understood at a conceptual level by the educated layperson.
The science portion of the General Education program is also designed to expose the student to the ways in which scientists do research. The definition of and testing of a hypothesis is fundamental to the advancement of any discipline and is termed the "scientific method". It is the instructor's experience that students generally have a poor conception of what is involved in application of the scientific method in the study of a problem. The present course is designed to help initiate the student to the scientific method by presenting them with the results of a number of varied research efforts into the understanding of California weather patterns. Hopefully, the students will then be able to distinguish between the conclusions of valid scientific research efforts and those of "fringe scientists" even though both may be given equal weight in the media.
Segment III of General Education has an additional goal beyond those listed above. Courses in this segment should show that advancement in a particular field has occurred because of interdisciplinary cooperation; hence the Segment III title Relationships of Knowledge. In the case of California weather pheonmena, oceanographers and geologists can contribute much to our understanding of the local controls on meteorological events. For example, sea-surface temperature patterns have dramatic effects on a number of phenomena spanning many scales, from California's summer fog pattterns to the path, number and strength of winter storms. Flooding and mudslides have as much to do the local geology and geomorphology as they do to excessive rainfall. While a detailed overview of such interrelationships is covered in other courses (Metr 302--The Violent Atmosphere and Ocean), the instructor will stress these interelationships when they govern the basic California weather types discussed in this course.
Finally, since no student has fulfilled the goals of a university education unless he or she can communicate the learned information to others, one of the requirements of Segment III is that students learn to pass on important information in an effective manner, both verbally and in written form. Since this class is relatively small, this will be accomplished by both brief written assignments and in brief oral reports.
Logistics of the Course
The instructor's main research interest is severe and unusual weather in California. As such I have studied the meteorological controls on diverse weather events in California, from freezes to tornadoes, from drought to flood etc. I believe that the basic controlling factors on the "normal" and "abnormal" weather events which comprise Califomia climate can be understood at a conceptual level. It is an important purpose of this course that the students attain the ability to recognize fifteen or so of the most frequent Califomia weather pattems. Such pattem recognition will be an invaluable aid not only to those involved in teaching physical science as a career, but also to those individuals who have a deep interest in their natural environment.
Beyond discussion of the basic weather types, there are a number of global meteorological events which are having important local consequences. Students in this course will be introduced to the role that teleconnections (a cause-effect or effect-effect relationship between events in distant locations) have in determining California weather pattems. The impact of the El Nino phenomenon on Califomia climate is an important example of this. Also, we will be discussing increasing global carbon dioxide levels and Califomia temperature trends as possible corroboration of the so-called "runaway Greenhouse Effect".
The instructor's approach will be to examine the research which has led to the identification of the weather pattems discussed above and, in so doing, to expose the students to the fundamentals of the scientific method. No knowledge of meteorology is presupposed by the instructor; a brief introduction to the science and synopsis of the basic controls of weather phenomena will be provided within the structure of the course. One of the important benefits of a course of this sort is that not only will students become more familiar with the controls of California climate, but also will be exposed to the basic reasons for the development of hurricanes, thunderstorms, fog etc.
Course Plan
TWO TAKEHOME WRITING ASSIGNMENTS worth 5% each for a total of 10%.
HOMEWORKS worth a total of 10%.
CLASS PARTICIPATION worth 10%.
TWO MIDTERMS worth 20% each for a total of 40%.
ONE FINAL (Comprehensive) worth 30% of the grade.
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Please Note: Ordinarily, there will be no MAKE-UP quizzes or exams, and late assignments
will not be accepted. If there is a compelling reason you must miss an exam or assignment, you MUST contact me beforehand to arrange for a make-up date or extension.
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Textbooks
Required:
Anthes, R.A., 1997: Meteorology, Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall, Paperback, 214 pp.
Keen, R.A., 1987: Skywatch: The Western Weather Guide. Fulcrum, Inc. 158 pp.
Monteverdi, J.P., 1995: Metr 356 Reader. Duplicated Materials, AS Bookstore.
Important Dates
Homework 1: Dist: Thurssday 10 September
Due: Tuesday 15 September
Writing Assignment #1: Dist: Tuesday 15 September
Due: Thursday 24 September
Last Day to Drop Wednesday 23 September
Midterm #1 Thursday 8 October
Writing Assignment #2: Dist: Tuesday 3 November
Due: Thursday 12 November
Midterm #2 Tuesday 24 November
Thanksgiving Recess Thursday-Sunday 26-29 November
Final Exam Tuesday 15 December 10:45-1:15
Note: I will be at the American Meteorological Societyís Conference on Severe Local Storms for the Class Sessions on Monday September 14 and Wednesday September 16. As of now, class WILL be held those days with guest lecturers.
Tentative Course Outline
Meteorology 356
1. Introduction
2. Basics of Meteorology and Map Interpretation
3. Description of California's Climate and the Mediterranean Climate Around the World
4. Variability of California's Climate
a. Definitions
b. Non-meteorological evidence
c. Trends in California's temperature and precipitation record
5. Drought and Flood as Norrnal Features of the California Climate
6. Global Teleconnections and California Climate Variabilit
7. El Niño and La Niña and California Climate
8. Controls on California Climate
a. Global-scale controls--the General Circulation
b. Continental-scale controls--monsoonal circulations
c. Local controls--topography etc.
9. Summer and Fall California Weather Types
a. Summer Phenomena
(i) Large-scale meteorological setting
(ii) Advection Fog
(iii) Inversions and Air Pollution
(iv) Arizona Monsoon and warm season Rainfall in California
(v) Hurricanes and warm season rainfall in California
b. Fall Phenomena
(i) Large-scale meteorological setting
(ii) Santa Ana, Diablo, Mono and Sundowner Winds
(iii) Fire
10. Dynamic Controls on Climate in the Middle Latitudes
a. Jet Streams
b. Extratropical disturbances
11. Winter and Spring California Weather Types
a. Winter Phenomena
(i) Large-scale meteorological setting
(ii) Freezes and frosts
(iii) Middle-latitude (normal) Wave Cyclone Type
(iv) "Unusual" Storm Types
(A) High Latitude Type
(B) Low Latitude Type
(C) Non-frontal
b. Spring Phenomena
(i) Large-scale meteorological setting
(ii) Tonopah lows
(iii) Severe thunderstorms and tomadoes