Synoptic I – ATMS 410 Outline (LP#1) –Course introduction –Course purpose –Course perspective –Course focus –Course outline –Career challenge.

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Outline (LP#1)– Course introduction– Course purpose– Course perspective– Course focus– Course outline– Career challenge

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Introduction– Various attempts at

categorizing meteorological scales

The tiny microscale motions... constitute a part of the larger mesoscale motions... which, in turn, are part of the much larger synoptic scale. Notice that as the scale becomes larger, motions observed at the smaller scale are no longer visible.

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

Synoptic I – ATMS 410• Scales of meteorology

Horizontal scale is related to time scale (lifespan)

near-ground disturbances

Synoptic I – ATMS 410• Scales of meteorology

Horizontal scale is related to time scale (lifespan)

upper-air disturbances

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Introduction– Synoptic = (from the

Greek syn- together and opsis appearance)

– Course often affords the opportunity of “light bulb” moments

http://www.mythinglinks.org/euro~west~greece~Icarus.html

The Fall of Icarus

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Purpose– Course gives the “big

picture”• How do weather analysis

(ATMS 205), thermodynamics (ATMS 305), kinematics and dynamics (ATMS 310), and physical meteorology (ATMS 455) help make me a better forecaster?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096926/

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Course perspective (along with ATMS 411, spring semester)– Atmosphere tending toward a state

of balance• Conservation of global properties,

geostrophic balance, cyclostrophic balance

– Telescoping• Global scale synoptic scale

mesoscale

http://www.gp.com/build/popups/pc/images/balance_beam.jpg

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Course focus– To explore the physical

processes which contribute to synoptic-scale motions

– How these processes impact synoptic-scale balances

• Geostrophic balance

• Hydrostatic balance

http://boar.he.net/~thelow/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41_83&products_id=244

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Course outline– Introduction– General circulation – Atmospheric oscillations– Teleconnections– Kinematics and dynamics– Mid-latitude cyclone

development– Three-dimensional

structure of mid-latitude cyclones

http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/image_galleries/looking_for_the_bird_man_gallery.shtml?58

Synoptic I – ATMS 410

• Challenge– You are expensive– Somewhere an

accountant is trying to eliminate you

– What value will you add to meteorology and to the forecast process?

http://www.13a.co.uk/images/tobar/Mechanoid%20Robot.jpg