Online METEOROLOGY Course Available through Ramapo College
How The Weatherworks is pleased to announce the availability of its online, educationally-focused meteorology elective course offered by Ramapo College in New Jersey. Ramapo is a proven leader in providing advanced technology training especially for educators. This course is one of many available as part of its growing online presence.
If you are interested in adding to your understanding of weather (especially with linkages to classroom implementation), we hope that you'll sign up for this fun-filled and information-packed laboratory course.
H.
Michael Mogil
Certified Consulting Meteorologist and National Weather Education
Consultant
SGET
624 Remote Sensing Technology - Meteorology (4 credits)
Ramapo College of New Jersey
January - May 2001
Instructor - H. Michael Mogil
Certified Consulting Meteorologist and National Weather Education
Consultant
Enrollment options:
o as part of on site Ramapo College Master
of Science in Educational Technology degree program ---
o as a non-matriculated student.
For additional information
and registration, contact:
Angela Cristini, Director
Master of Science in Educational Technology (MSET)
acristin@ramapo.edu
(201) 684-7721
Course Description:
This course will use remote sensing and web-based technologies to examine weather processes and events on Earth. Keying on real-time weather using TV, newspaper, and the web, students will see first-hand how weather is shaped and how it affects our lives and our planet. By exploring satellite and radar image interpretation, analyzing weather maps and single station data sets, and assessing weather variables at the ground and at high altitude (via charts and radiosonde soundings), participants will become immersed in weather science. To ensure that course content is transferable to the classroom, experiments, data gathering, and other activities will be crafted with a science and educational blend, emphasizing patterning, inquiry-based investigations, and linkages to other classroom disciplines (e.g., geography, math, communication). Content will mesh with national science, math, geography, and technology standards. Data sharing among participants will be emphasized.
Courseware will involve online, textbook, and self-directed activities. A knowledge of web-based methods (e.g., search engines, displays, printing) and a willingness to observe the weather and record data is required. E-mails and a class e-mail server will provide vehicles for frequent and timely interaction among participants and instructor.
Homework and laboratory work will be submitted via online capabilities (assistance to be provided, as needed). A classroom-based term project will be required in lieu of a final exam.
Tuition is $271.10 per credit in-state and $341.30 per credit out-of-state. The technology / media and parking fees will be waived.
A textbook and a small package of expendables are required (pricing and ordering information is not yet finalized). Optional equipment (e.g., a UV meter, a spectrometer, and a hand-held observing system) are available based on student interest and needs.
Grade Rubric
To be determined
Preliminary course outline (to be adjusted based on actual period of study); assignments will be modified to fit course schedule
Week # Topics
1. Online introductions; course expectations; goals; questions you want to have answered; e-mail and e-mail server. Observing The Weather (part I) -- Watching the sky and identifying clouds; cloud recipes; using clouds as a forecasting aid; keeping and using a weather diary; weather in the news; local data collection, introduction to graphing and analysis; weather resources on the web, TV, and newspaper. Introduction to sky colors and optics. Add clouds to local data collection.
2. Observing The Weather (part II) -- Weather satellites, weather radar, aircraft observations, data buoys and other types of remote sensing systems. Compare clouds seen from the ground to clouds seen from space.
3. Temperature -- Globally, annually,
seasonally (sun-earth relationship), daily; variations across
continents; local influences (cities, rivers, sea breezes); measuring
temperatures; greenhouse effect; sun vs shade; sun vs clouds;
temperature variations at home. Add temperature to local data
collection.
4. The Water Cycle -- Evaporation, condensation, precipitation
and accumulation; measuring rain and snowfall; different precipitation
types; humidity, measuring and computing humidity, humidity comfort
indices in and out of our homes; droughts and floods; heat index
or humiture. Add humidity / dew point and precipitation to
local data collection.
5. Weather mapping -- Understanding and reading weather maps; weather map analysis. Building and interpreting meteorological and geologic topographic maps.
6. Atmospheric Pressure -- Pressure systems
and how they form and move; weather associated with these; how
pressure affects our everyday lives; measuring pressure. Add
pressure (possibly) to local data collection.
7. Wind -- Relationship between pressure and wind; wind flow around
pressure systems and how this affects weather; Coriolis Force;
frames of motion; vector analysis; measuring wind; wind chill
index. Add wind to local data collection.
8. Air masses -- What they are and their relationship to pressure systems; formation and transformation of air masses; land-water variations including reflectivity, transmission, and specific heat differences.
9. Vertical atmospheric structure -- Wind, temperature, moisture; jet streams; links to satellite imagery, microwave sounding systems, and radiosondes for jet stream analysis.
10. Weather patterns -- Globally, daily, locally; life cycles; expected weather; differences between climate and weather; climate classification
Local weather influences and how these modify expected larger scale weather events; discussion of local area weather observers network and some extreme cases of local weather variations; lake effect snows, gap winds, and heat islands; school-based weather data on the web.
Understanding your temperature-weather graphs (will be a HW assignment due this week).
11. Global climates and climate control systems
12. Optics and radiation -- Rainbows, halos, crepuscular rays, UV and IR radiation, and more.
13. Hurricanes -- Life cycle, tracking, Saffir-Simpson Scale, and historical perspectives; forecasting and safety.
14. Severe weather -- Thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and high winds; Fujita Scale; stability and instability; forecasting and safety.
15. Winter storms -- Ice storms, snow
storms, floods, strong downslope winds; forecasting and safety.
16. Forecasting The Weather -- Atmospheric models of fronts and
low pressure systems (and their evolution), expected cloud type
sequences with fronts and lows; extrapolation, role of computers.
Forecast accuracy (HW assignment due this week).
17. Environmental Issues -- Global warming, ozone hole, air pollution
(indoor and outdoor), acid rain, deforestation, desertification,
agriculture, oil exploration, water needs, planned and inadvertent
weather modification, human comfort indices, and degree days.
18. Weather lore; unanswered questions; additional sources of weather data and information; relationship of weather to other disciplines; class assignment.
***summer field study course (4 credits) at Outer Banks of NC available July 30 - August 6, 2001.
This page was updated on December 1, 2000.
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