Textbooks & iClicker

Required

Image copyright © by Roland Stull.  Used with permission.

Textbook: "Practical Meteorology, An Algebra-based Survey of Atmospheric Science-v1.02" by Stull (2018).  This book is available free online at:  https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/books/Practical_Meteorology/. Hint: It is easier to use this book and find stuff if you download individal chapter pdfs, instead of downloading the whole book as a single large pdf file.

Software for your computer.

This course will be taught in person.  Nonetheless, you will need to bring your laptop or tablet or cell phone to class. I recommend that you use your laptop or desktop computer for: (1) viewing a pdf copy of the textbook chapter.   (2) using your smartphone or iPad to run the iClicker-Student app.  (Or, if you don't have a smartphone or iPad, you can run the web version of iClicker-REEF on your web browser on your computer.)  https://www.iclicker.com/students/   By logging into Canvas and selecting this course (ATSC 201), you will find links that give you FREE access to the iClicker-Student account.  Here are more details: 0) Canvas:  If you are unfamiliar with the Canvas learning management tool, here is a Canvas Student Guide pdf that you can download and read. 1) Zoom.  We will not use Zoom this term for lectures, because the course is in person.  However, we will probably use zoom for office hours. 2) pdf Viewer.  There are many different apps that allow you to view and annotate pdf files, such as chapters from our textbook.  Almost any app is OK for this course.  Some apps come free with your computer (such as Preview on Apple computers), some web browsers have built-in pdf viewers, and some other pdf viewers can be purchased.  3) iClicker:  Use this UBC iClicker Student Guide to set up your free iClicker-Student account, which is free for UBC students. Also, here is a short YouTube video to give you an overview of iClicker-Student:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGoG5RTXVvQ   This term, we will NOT use the physical iClicker handheld "remote" transmitter for this class.   Instead, we will use the free iclicke-Student  software   . Privacy information: Some of your personal iClicker data will be on computers outside of Canada. When you sign up (i.e., register) for the iClicker-Student software, you will be asked to agree to this.  (If you are not willing to consent to this, then you can sign up using an alias.) You will probably want to open the two items listed above ( pdf viewer for the textbook, and iClicker) at the start of every class meeting.  Other apps are discussed in the Help link above.

Optional Readings of Recent Journal Papers (Worth bonus marks in Optional One-page Essays.). 
See Assignments web pages for dates.

• Did you answer the question(s) that were asked (in the green font above)?
• Did your answer demonstrate that you actually read the assigned journal paper (see link above), not just the intro and summary/conclusions?
• Did you make a compelling argument in support of your thesis?
• Did you write in clear, correct English?  Was the paper enjoyable to read?
• Was the paper printed or typed (i.e., not written longhand) and 1 page or less?
  
  

Optional Readings for 2022:    (under construction)

Essay #1 - Topic: xxx.  (Turn in at same time as HWxxx)  xxx_link_here_xxx .    xxx_authors & title here_xxx.
Questions: xxx?       

Essay #2 - Topic: xxx.  (Turn in at same time as HWxxx)  xxx_link_here_xxx .    xxx_authors & title here_xxx.
Questions: xxx?       

Essay #3 - Topic: xxx.  (Turn in at same time as HWxxx)  xxx_link_here_xxx .    xxx_authors & title here_xxx.
Questions: xxx?       

Essay #4 - Topic: xxx.  (Turn in at same time as HWxxx)  xxx_link_here_xxx .    xxx_authors & title here_xxx.
Questions: xxx?       

Optional Readings from 2021 (not for 2022):

Essay #1 - Topic: Phased Array Radar.  (Turn in at same time as HW3)  https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0067.1  . Weber et al, 2021: Towards the Next Generation Operational Meteorological Radar.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Questions: What is a phased array radar?  What can it measure?  What are its advantages over traditional radars that were discussed in the textbook?       

Essay #2 - Topic: Rainbows.   (Turn in at the same time as HW5)  https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0101.1 .  Businger, S., 2021: The secrets of the Best Rainbows on Earth.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Questions:  Describe the optics involved in rainbows.  Why are convective clouds ideal for the best thunderstorms?  (Hints: see the first page of Chapter 15 in our textbook.   Also skim the rainbow section of Chapter 22 in our textbook.)

Essay #3 - Topic: Lightning Megaflashes.     (Turn in at the same time as HW7)  https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0178.1  .  Peterson, M. 2021: Where are the Most Extradinary Lightning Megaflashes in the Americas?  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 
Questions: What are lightning megaflashes, what causes them, where are they relative to thunderstorm clouds, and where in the world are they most frequent?

Essay #4 - Topic: Satellites.   (Turn in the same time as HW11)  https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0082.1  .   Klaes, et al, 2021: The EUMETSAT Polar System.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 
Questions: What have been some of the meteorological successes/capabilities of the European polar-orbiting weather satellites?

Optional Readings from 2020 (not for 2022):

• Essay #1: HW Week 2. Topic: Derecho. (Due 21 September 2020.)   https://www.weather.gov/dmx/2020derecho .  View this website and its associated links.
  Question: First give a 1-paragraph overview of this August 2020 derecho .  Then, describe what aspects of the August 2020 derecho were similar to, and what aspects were different, from the derecho description in our textbook (p494 INFO box)?
  
  
• Essay #2: HW Weeks 7-9. Topic: Nighttime Thunderstorms. (Due 9 Nov 2020.)   Weckwerth et al, 2019: Noctural Convection Initiation during Pecan 2015.  Bulletin of the Amer. Meteor. Soc., 100(11 = November), p2223 - 2239.  DOI:10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0299.1   Download electronic copy from UBC Library.  If you cannot access this paper, see Off-Campus Access . 
  Question: (a)  What thunderstorm characteristics or behavior were used in this paper that we DID cover in class?  (b)  What are 3 things about thunderstorms in this paper that were NOT covered in our textbook & class, other than the fact that thunderstorms can start at night? 
  
  
• Essay #3: HW Week 10. Topic: Monsoons (Due 16 Nov 2020)   Sunil Amrith, 2020: The life and possible death of the great Asian Monsoon.  American Scientist, 108. No. 2 (March-April 2020), p114-119 . Download electronic copy from UBC Library.  If you cannot access this paper, see Off-Campus Access . 
  Question: Which aspects of the Asian monsoon will change due to the changing climate?  How will that affect people living in India?  What (if anything) can be done to mitigate the effects of changes in the monsoon?
  
  
• Essay #4: HW Week 12. Topic: Effect of Climate Change on Hurricanes & Typhoons.  (Due 2 Dec 2020)   Knutson,et al, March 2020: Tropical Cyclones and Climate Change Assessment: Part II: Projected Response to Anthropogenic Warming  .   Bulletin of the Amer. Meteor. Soc., 101(3 = March), E303-E322. https://journals.ametsoc.org/bams/article/101/3/E303/345043/Tropical-Cyclones-and-Climate-Change-Assessment  .  Or download electronic copy from UBC Library.  If you cannot access this paper, see Off-Campus Access .  https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0194.1
  Question: Which aspects of tropical storms will change due to the changing climate?  How much will they change?  When will you see the changes?  What are the uncertainties in these predictions?  Assuming the climate change is not stopped, what actions are needed to reduce the negative effects on society of those tropical-storm changes?
  
  

Other Interesting Books (for fun; not required): Other books & articles.