Meteorological Education Research Articles

Project EUROMET: Meteorological Computer-Assisted Learning in Europe

This paper presents the EUROMET project to the international meteorological community. EUROMET is an effort to develop a multimedia, network-based service to support meteorological education and training throughout Europe.

The Sixth AMS Symposium on Education

The American Meteorological Society held its Sixth Symposium on Education in conjunction with the 77th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California. The theme of the symposium was “Atmospheric and Oceanographic Education: Teaching about the Global Environment.” Thirty-eight oral presentations and 37 poster presentations summarized a variety of educational programs or examined educational issues for both the precollege and university levels. There was also a joint session with the Eighth Symposium on Global Change Studies and a special session on “home pages” to promote popular meteorological education. Over 200 people representing a wide spectrum of the Society attended one or more of the sessions in this two-day conference where they increased their awareness of teaching about the global environment.

Meteorology's Educational Dilemma

Meteorology has seen unparalleled growth and change during the past 50 years. Rapid advances in theory, applications, and technology have demanded constant revision and updating of basic meteorology course material. This continued growth and expansion of basic knowledge and applications requires that older materials be replaced with new, that depth be replaced by breadth, or that fundamental pedagogical changes be made in instruction and curricular content. These choices are symptomatic of meteorology's current and future educational dilemma: How do we adequately prepare future meteorologists for their careers as the wealth of meteorological information, theory, and applications change? Answering this question requires a brief consideration of the history and effectiveness of undergraduate meteorological education. Perhaps more importantly, it points to the need for a consensus within the field as to what constitutes appropriate undergraduate meteorological preparation. Only then may possible solutions be outlined and their merits, cost-effectiveness, and efficacy reviewed. Based on this assessment, a plan of action can be developed to ensure the field's growth and its ability to produce viable meteorologists. Seven options are outlined in this paper as possible solutions to the dilemma. Of these, we believe that a revision of the pedagogy of meteorology with regard to curriculum requirements, course content, certification, and methods of instruction may be the most appropriate.

Educational affairs

For the past five years, the Outreach Program, under the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training, has been fostering partnerships in applied forecasting research conducted by university faculty and operational forecasters. Over 100 research projects have received financial support. In addition, the Outreach Program has sponsored regional workshops and symposiums to provide forums for discussing Outreach Program results, as well as broader issues related to the new data becoming available through the modernization of the nation's weather services. The program has also recently created a fellowship program for outstanding graduate and postdoctoral students. These activities are not only improving forecasts, they are also providing benefits in meteorology education and a model for broader collaborations that advance the understanding of mesoscale meteorology.

A modern teaching tool for cyclone development and structure

AbstractA simple cyclone model is presented as a new and modern tool for use in education and training in synoptic‐dynamic meteorology. The model has been programmed on an IBM‐compatible personal computer under DOS and is used as a teaching tool by the Royal Dutch Air Force and at the Department of Meteorology of Wageningen Agricultural University. The model is based on an approximate analytical solution of the equations of motion. This solution is capable of generating a realistic mature mid‐latitude cyclone and its development in time. Several basic parameters of the solution can be varied, leading to different characteristic types of cyclone structure and development.

Future directions and needs for academic education in agricultural meteorology

Agricultural meteorology, because it deals with various aspects of agricultural sustainability, approaches to managing natural resources and areas of concern in global change and environmental quality, is a very relevant science for addressing some of the most important issues facing society today and in the future. Agricultural meteorologists must be actively involved in developing educational programs to introduce students and teachers in the primary and high school grades to the exciting contributions that agricultural meteorologists can make to these issues. A revised and expanded curriculum in agricultural meteorology is needed to prepare undergraduate and graduate students to deal effectively with solving current and future agricultural and environmental problems. Because of financial constraints and the relatively small number of agricultural meteorologists, innovative approaches to sharing information, expertise and educational materials should be explored and adopted where appropriate. These approaches would include use of satellite delivery of courses to many institutions, offering short courses and workshops for credit, and the opportunity for students to spend one or more semesters at a visiting institution to take relevant courses not available at their home institution.

Report on the Third International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education

The Third International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education was held 14–18 July 1993 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This conference was attended by approximately 150 educators, meteorologists, oceanographers, and government officials representing 12 countries. The themes of this conference were the role of meteorology and oceanography in the formal science education of students in grades K-12 and the enhancement of scientific literacy of the public in order to permit individuals to make better use of products and services provided by the national environmental services and the media. Sixty formal presentations plus two poster sessions and six workshops provided information on educational programs as well as a variety of classroom activities on meteorological and oceanographic topics.

The Third International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education

The Third International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education

Second International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education: Impact on Precollege Atmospheric Education

The Second International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education has led to innovative initiatives in precollege education in the area of atmospheric sciences. The conference demonstrated that the American Meteorological Society could have a major impact on the instructional attitudes and practices of precollege teachers. As a direct result of the conference, the Society's innovative education program—Project ATMOSPHERE—enjoys the attention of the science education community.

Use of the CSU–CHILL Radar in Radar Meteorology Education at Colorado State University

Abstract A recent example illustrating the use of the CSU–CHILL Doppler radar in a graduate-level course in radar meteorology at Colorado State University (CSU) is described. In addition to providing students in the Department of Atmospheric Science with “hands-on” experience in the operation of a multiparameter Doppler radar, the data collected by this radar provided a unique opportunity to conduct case-study analyses for a variety of weather situations that occurred in northeastern Colorado. A total of six case studies were analyzed by the students in the class, and ranged from the study of a mesocyclone in a tornadic storm to snowbands in a winter cyclone. The case studies were presented by student groups in the format of a “miniconference” held during the final exam period for this class. Several of the case studies are described herein. The data collected in each of these case studies is available to the atmospheric sciences community as part of a “case-study archive” maintained at the CSU–CHILL rada...

A Networked Desktop Synoptic Laboratory

Abstract Over the past several years, the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois has developed a computerized weather laboratory that permits interactive access to real-time data from observing sites around the United States and to output from numerical weather prediction models at the operational centers. Such a setup, with timely access to observations and numerical model forecasts from any networked terminal, personal computer, or workstation, is a valuable tool for education and research in meteorology. The University of Illinois system acts as a real-time, on-line, in-class instructional meteorology laboratory for students. The data-display software is based on the X-windows protocol, which is network transparent and system independent. In addition to software packages distributed by the University Data Project (UNIDATA), software tools developed by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and the University of Illinois are used to display, animate, and manipulate...

Technical note A low-cost high-quality system for the acquisition and digital processing of images of WEFAX type provided by meteorological geostationary satellites

A low-cost high-quality system for the processing of satellite data received in the WEFAX analogue format is presented. It is composed of a receiver with its antenna connected to a personal computer with digitizing and graphic boards. The software automatically performs the storage of data onto the hard disk, contrast enhancement and false colour display, accurate navigation and animation loops. Interactive features are also available. Such a system is of great use in meteorological education, in weather forecasting and in environmental research. Taking into account the peculiarities of the WEFAX format, some algorithms have been devised lo correct for atmospheric depletion. Ground albedo can therefore be evaluated accurately on a pixel basis as well as global irradiation, cloud coverage and atmospheric global transmission.

The State of Professional Pilot Meteorology Education: How Much Is Enough?

In January, 1989, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) sponsored the Third International Conference on the Aviation Weather System. A prevailing theme, deficiencies in weather education, became the impetus for the Professional Pilot's Meteorology Training Standards Conference held at the United States Air Force Academy, April, 1989. Many military and civilian organizations, including five University Aviation Association member schools, were represented. The attendees included pilots, meteorologists, trainers, and other educators. Two primary goals of the conference were: (1) to attempt to develop a minimum set of meteorological objectives for all professional pilots, and (2) to initiate dialogue between pilots and meteorologists. The conference confirmed that diversity rules in meteorology education in the professional pilot training curricula. Although a list of objectives was developed, disagreement continues concerning professional pilot needs in terms of meteorology. The true success of the conference was the establishment of a viable network of pilots, meteorologists, and the organizations responsible for pilot training and for providing weather information to pilots. Military and civilian working groups were created, each with a distinct agenda. Participants concur that more communication and cooperation are essential to further define the needs of weather education for professional pilots.

Weather Education: Proceedings of the First International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological Education

Weather Education: Proceedings of the First International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological Education

Modern Meteorological Computing Resources—the Maryland Experience

The Department of Meteorology at the University of Maryland is developing one of the first computer systems in meteorology to take advantage of the new networked computer architecture that has been made possible by recent advances in computer and communication technology. Elements of the department's system include scientific workstations, local mainframe computers, remote mainframe computers, local-area networks,'long-haul' computer-to-computer communications, and 'receive-only' communications. Some background is provided, together with highlights of some lessons that were learned in carrying out the design. In agreement with work in the Unidata Project, this work shows that the networked computer architecture discussed here presents a new style of resources for solving problems that arise in meteorological research and education.

Results of AMS Questionnaire on Role of Undergraduate Education in Meteorology

Results of AMS Questionnaire on Role of Undergraduate Education in Meteorology

Forecasting Skill of Beginners

A weather-forecasting contest was conducted at the City College of the City University of New York during the spring semester of 1977. The backgrounds of the participants were such that it was possible to classify each as either “experienced” or “inexperienced” and as either “educated” or “uneducated.” An analysis of the contest results suggested that, provided there is a basic meteorological education, 1) a beginner acquires much of the weather-forecasting skill he will ever have after making about 30 detailed forecasts, and 2) there appears to be a rather small advantage to being meteorologically educated, but the sample size was too small to determine the statistical significance of the advantage. The value of experience is, however, quite important for the more unusual weather situations. It also appears that the amount of effort and time spent preparing forecasts is of great importance.

The Roles of Universities and Weather Services in the Education of Meteorological Personnel

1 This paper was prepared for presentation at the World Meteorological Organization's Symposium on Education and Training in Meteorology and Meteorological Aspects of Environmental Problems, Caracas, Venezuela, February 1975. Any opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the U.S. Government.

Education and Training in Meteorology: Symposium

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics (IAMAP) are collaborating in organization of a symposium on Education and Training in Meteorology and Meteorological Aspects of Environmental Problems, to be held in Caracas, Venezuela, during one week in February 1975.The symposium is one of a series organized jointly by WMO and IAMAP and offered at four‐year intervals. The program was adopted following the first WMO/IAMAP symposium, held in Rome in 1970, which was a notable success.

WMO/IAMAP Symposium on Education and Training in Meteorology and Meteorological Aspects of Environmental Problems, held in Caracas, Venezuela, 17–22 February 1975

WMO/IAMAP Symposium on Education and Training in Meteorology and Meteorological Aspects of Environmental Problems, held in Caracas, Venezuela, 17–22 February 1975