Notes for meteorology 356

Michelle Cristofani and Perry Teaff

Notes for Meteorology 356

August 30, 2004

Assignments: Week of August 30, 2004

Student Note Taking Begins Monday 30 August
Reading:

Williams: Chp 1; Chp 2
Reader: Section I
Browse---Section II, 10, 15, 27, 28
Browse---Section III, 30-41
Read --- Section IV, 67-80
Browse---Section V, 280-285

Homework: Week of August 25, 2004

Williams: Chp 1; Chp 2
Reader (assignments start Monday)

Bookstore requests count of number of additional books to order
Additional copies of Reader being printed; go to Bookstore.
Student note taking starts Monday 30 August

Housekeeping:

- reviewed more of the class website

- received information detailing what is expected of the class notes to be posted on the website.

First we started the class with a review of the temperature scale. Hint 16 degrees C = 61 degrees F. Note scale below:

Fahrenheit	Centigrade	Kelvin (Absolute)
212	100	373
61	16	289
32	0	273
	-273	0

Second we discussed wind direction and speed with regards to plotting it on a map. The location on the map that is reporting the wind speed and direction will have a small circle above it. (Please see page 35 of the course reader for weather symbols.) This circle will be filled in black on a cloudy and empty on a clear day. Wind direction is denoted by a line drawn from the edge of the circle towards the wind. At the end of the line drawn from the circle lines are drawn off at an angle like the feathers from an arrow. Wind speed is represented in three ways: A long line represents 10 mph, a sort line represents 5 mph, and 50 mph is represented as a flag, with the longer feather at the end. Wind speed is rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Wind speed may also be given in mph (miles per hour) or Knots (nautical miles per hour) they should be treated as equals in our class although (mph<Knots).

Third we started with satellite images and the basics on how to read them. First we learned how to read the time. Most satellite images in Grenich Mean Time (GMT, UTC, Z). The west coast however is on Pacific Standard Time (PST). A simple math equation will give PST from GMT, UTC, or Z which is GMT, UTC, or Z minus seven hours equals PST.

Fourth, we started with an introduction to stratus (fog) clouds and cumulus (piled up, thunderstorm type) clouds. We also briefly looked at the Solid vs Gas link on the class website which is also shown on page 283 in our reader.