Introduction to Meteorology
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- Languages: English
- Completion Time: Varies
- Topics:
Other
Description
This course provides an overview and introduction to many important topics to meteorology with a progression as foundational topics are presented. The course starts off with these foundational topics such as Earth's atmosphere and composition, the energy balance, and seasons before addressing moisture concepts such as humidity, stability, clouds, and precipitation and precipitation processes. Next is wind both as a general topic and as a large scale and localized topic. The final lessons include mid-latitude cyclones, fronts, air masses, convection and hurricanes.
Goals and Objectives
Overview
Course Outline
Additional Resources
Course Outline
Earth and Earth's Atmosphere/Composition
S-290 Unit 4: Basic Weather Processes Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2008-10-27
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Fire Weather
(8749 ratings)- Description & Location:
The lesson summarizes atmospheric structure and composition, the Sun-Earth radiation budget, weather elements used to describe the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, and temperature lags observed both daily and seasonally. The content introduces the concepts of pressure, atmospheric heating, and temperature and provides a basis for understanding weather topics.
Physics of the Aurora: Earth Systems Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2004-12-28
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Space Weather
(73 ratings)- Description & Location:
The "Upper Atmosphere" section discusses the layers of the atmosphere, heating and visible light.
Met 101: Introduction to the Atmosphere Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2017-03-01
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Environment and Society
(2262 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides an overview of Earth’s atmosphere, its vertical structure, the fundamental forces acting on air, and how the atmosphere's composition affects the colors we see in the sky. The lesson also includes information about how Earth receives energy from the Sun as solar and infrared radiation, and the mechanisms for transferring heat around the globe. Learners will be introduced to the components of Earth’s water cycle, and also briefly explore the main types of systems used to observe the atmosphere.
Watersheds: Connecting Weather to the Environment Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2006-08-30
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Environment and Society, Hydrology/Flooding, Other
(646 ratings)- Description & Location:
This short course provides students with the knowledge to help them understand watersheds as our environmental home and to help understand the relationship between the weather and the health and protection of the environment.
Understanding the Hydrologic Cycle: International Edition Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2010-07-27
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Hydrology/Flooding
(1193 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson helps students gain a basic understanding of the elements of the hydrologic cycle. This lesson examines the basic concepts of the hydrologic cycle including water distribution, atmospheric water, surface water, groundwater, and snowpack/snowmelt.
Introduction to Ocean Tides Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2006-09-22
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Oceanography/Marine/Tsunami
(1167 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides an introduction to the origin, characteristics, and prediction of tides. After introducing common terminology, the lesson examines the mechanisms that cause and modify tides, including both astronomical and meteorological effects.
Introduction to Climatology Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2008-09-22
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Climate, Environment and Society
(1838 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides an overview of climatology, the study of climate. The lesson examines the drivers that create the climate regions of the world—from those at the mesoscale (local) level to those at the synoptic-scale (continental) and global-scale levels. The lesson also examines a scheme for classifying the world’s climate zones, the sources and uses of climate information, and some of its limitations.
Climate Change: Fitting the Pieces Together Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2009-05-11
Last Updated On: 2012-12-18
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Climate, Emergency Management, Environment and Society
(1641 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson discusses climate change, particularly as it is currently being affected by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities. It also covers signs of climate change, how scientists study climate, the current thinking on future changes, and what can be done to minimize the effects.
The Amazon Rain Forest and Climate Change Optional
Languages: English, Portuguese
Publish Date: 2009-12-22
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Climate, Environment and Society
(214 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson discusses global climate change that is occurring largely because of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, and in particular the impact that tropical deforestation plays in the climate system. It also covers signs of climate change, the current thinking on future changes, and international agreements that are attempting to minimize the effects of climate change.
Introduction to Climate Models Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2012-09-19
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Climate, Numerical Modeling (NWP)
(496 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson explains how climate models work such as understanding how climate responds to changes in atmospheric composition and how other factors drive climate understanding. The first two section may be the most useful as the focus is on basic concepts like energy balance and weather vs climate.
Introduction to Climatology for the Tropical Pacific Islands Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2015-10-07
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Climate, Tropical/Hurricanes
(300 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides information on climatology—what it is, the factors that create an area's climate, and the sources and uses of climate information. Chapter 1 "Basic Climatology" and Chapter 2 "Tropical Climate Features" provide good background information and contain basic concepts with a world application approach.
Weather and Road Management Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2008-07-21
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Environment and Society, Other
(143 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson gives learners a basic understanding of meteorology and weather hazards so that they can better interpret weather forecast information used to make road management decisions. It provides a good introductory-level background on many topics.
This also complements the moisture and large scale meteorology topic areas.
Anticipating Hazardous Weather and Community Risk, 2nd Edition Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2012-06-01
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Convective Weather, Emergency Management, Environment and Society, Hydrology/Flooding, Tropical/Hurricanes, Winter Weather
(1167 ratings)- Description & Location:
The lesson explains the basic processes that cause and/or signal hazardous weather, describes the basic weather forecasting process and its limitations, and shows how the weather is communicated. This can help show the many aspects that meteorologist deal with.
This section can also fit into the large weather and small weather phenonemon sections as it discuss severe weather, fronts, and different air masses.
Foundations of Meteorological Instrumentation and Measurements Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2017-04-17
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Other
(853 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides an introduction to the instrumentation used for meteorological measurements. The lesson describes different types of meteorological variables measured such as temperature, pressure, humidity, winds, clouds, precipitation, and trace gases.
The U.S. Naval Observatory: Mission, Products, and Services Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2012-03-06
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Geospatial
(35 ratings)- Description & Location:
"Precise Time" section covers UTC Time.
SatFC-J: Orbits and Data Availability Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2018-02-07
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Satellite Meteorology
(101 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson presents a brief overview of NOAA's operational low Earth orbiting satellites, focusing on how their orbits define observational coverage and how ground receiving capabilities impact data latency from the observation time to product availability.
Instrumentation and Measurement of Atmospheric Temperature Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2017-10-03
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Other
(190 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson offers a comprehensive overview of temperature measurement as related to the atmosphere, bodies of water, soils, and other parts of Earth’s surface. The first part of the lesson defines temperature and why it is an important property to characterize, which instructors may find useful.
Weather Observing Fundamentals Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2014-03-11
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Oceanography/Marine/Tsunami, Other
(157 ratings)- Description & Location:
The lesson details standard procedures for taking accurate weather observations and for encoding those observations. Topics include clouds, present weather, sea level pressure, and temperature.
NWS JetStream: Online School for Weather Optional
This content is not hosted on MetEd.
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2016-12-21
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Emergency Management, Environment and Society, Mesoscale Meteorology
(3 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson presents a brief overview of NOAA's operational low Earth orbiting satellites, focusing on how their orbits define observational coverage and how ground receiving capabilities impact data latency from the observation time to product availability.
Introduction to Tropical Meteorology, 2nd Edition, Chapter 1: Introduction Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2010-12-22
Last Updated On: 2016-03-04
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Climate, Tropical/Hurricanes
(475 ratings)- Description & Location:
This online text book covers a variety of information that can help supplement basic background material. Other material from various chapters can fit in many of the topics for this class, so review the table of contents for additional support.
Atmospheric Moisture
Instrumentation and Measurement of Atmospheric Humidity Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2018-12-07
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Other
(144 ratings)- Description & Location:
Part I of this lesson provides a discussion of the various measures used to quantify atmospheric humidity, including mixing ratio, partial pressure, absolute humidity, dewpoint and dewpoint depression, relative humidity, specific humidity, and more.
S-290 Unit 5: Temperature and Relative Humidity Relationships Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2008-11-21
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Fire Weather
(8088 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson focuses on methods of describing humidity in the atmosphere and how temperature changes can affect relative humidity.
S-290 Unit 6: Atmospheric Stability Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2010-03-02
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Fire Weather
(7412 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson introduces the processes related to stable and unstable atmospheric conditions and how they depend on moisture. Section 2 focuses on cloud development and cloud types.
Fog: Its Processes and Impacts to Aviation and Aviation Forecasting Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2010-10-12
Last Updated On: 2012-04-17
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Aviation Weather, Fog and Low Stratus
(338 ratings)- Description & Location:
The main content of the lesson explains the physical processes and life cycle of radiation and advection fog, including their preconditioning environment, initiation, growth, and dissipation. The processes covered in the lesson include radiation (both solar and longwave), soil-atmosphere thermal interactions, turbulent mixing, the roles of condensation nuclei, and droplet settling.
Tropical Fog: A Look at Fog That Impacts Aviation in Guyana Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2013-12-20
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Aviation Weather, Fog and Low Stratus, Satellite Meteorology
(39 ratings)- Description & Location:
A basic overview of the main fog types is provided, and then a detailed analysis is done for a representative fog event in Guyana.
Flash Flood Processes: International Edition Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2011-02-22
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Hydrology/Flooding
(515 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson examines both the hydrologic and meteorological processes that often contribute to the development of flash flooding. The "Meteorological Influences" section describes the different type of rain processes.
Topics in Precipitation Type Forecasting Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2005-09-27
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Winter Weather
(249 ratings)- Description & Location:
Part 1, the "Ice-Crystal Process" explains the microphysics of snow crystal growth, the interaction of cloud water with cloud ice, and the important roles of dendrites and aggregation.
Dynamics & Microphysics of Cool-Season Orographic Storms Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2004-08-09
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Mesoscale Meteorology, Mountain Meteorology, QPF/QPE (Precip), Winter Weather
(137 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides a brief microphysics review, an overview of cool-season orographic precipitation processes in several mountain ranges, and a look at forecasting tools and techniques.
The Microphysics section provides an overview of cloud droplet growth and the warm and cold rain processes.
Forecasting Aviation Icing: Icing Type and Severity Optional
Languages: English, Spanish, French
Publish Date: 1998-03-13
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Aviation Weather, Winter Weather
(227 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson discusses the current theories of atmospheric conditions associated with icing and applies the theories to the aircraft icing diagnosis and forecast process. The contribution of liquid water content, temperature, and droplet size parameters to icing are examined. Identification of icing type, icing severity, and the hazards associated with icing features are presented.
Section 2 deals with the cloud development process and phase transitions.
Snowmelt Processes: International Edition Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2011-01-04
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Environment and Society, Hydrology/Flooding
(173 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson examines the influences of environmental conditions on snowfall distribution, snowpack structure, snowpack-environment energy exchange, and finally, the rate and amount of snowmelt itself. The "Snowpack Characteristics" section addresses the snow-liquid equivalent ration.
Winds: Big and Small
Instrumentation and Measurement of Atmospheric Pressure Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2018-06-26
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Other
(123 ratings)- Description & Location:
The "Fundamentals" section of the lesson reviews the key physical laws governing atmospheric pressure, including Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures.
S-290 Unit 7: Wind Systems Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2009-11-24
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Fire Weather
(6927 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson outlines general and local winds and their processes. Detailed information includes frontal winds, foehn winds, and thunderstorm winds. The lesson also describes topographic influences on winds, and provides guidelines for estimating winds based on location.
Thermally-forced Circulation I: Sea Breezes Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2002-12-12
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Coastal Weather, Oceanography/Marine/Tsunami
(474 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson describes the phenomena of the sea breeze. It examines factors that lead to the formation of a sea breeze, modifying effects on sea breeze development, how mesoscale NWP models handle sea breezes, and sea breeze forecast parameters.
Thermally-forced Circulation II: Mountain/Valley Breezes Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2002-06-28
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Mountain Meteorology
(483 ratings)- Description & Location:
Topics covered include up- and downslope breezes, up- and down-valley winds, associated hazards, and forecasting techniques.
Flow Interaction with Topography Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Mountain Meteorology
(589 ratings)- Description & Location:
Topics covered include an overview of factors that control whether air will go up and over a mountain or be forced around it, the role of potential and kinetic energy, the Froude number and what it tells you, and air flow blocked by topography.
Jet Streams Optional
Languages: English, French, Spanish, German
Publish Date: 2012-11-13
Last Updated On: 2017-02-13
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Aviation Weather, Tropical/Hurricanes
(637 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson describes the general characteristics of upper-level jet streams (Polar Jet, Subtropical Jet, and Tropical Easterly Jet) and two major tropical low-level wind maxima (Somali Jet, African Easterly Jet). Included are discussions of their formation, maintenance, influence on synoptic weather, and role in the general circulation.
Jet Streak Circulations Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2005-04-25
Skill Level: 3
Topics:
Convective Weather, Mesoscale Meteorology, Other, Winter Weather
(212 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson reviews many aspects of jet streak dynamics including convergence/divergence, ageostrophic winds, propagation, and coupled jets.
The overview section of the talk is the most relevant and course level-appropriate.
Tropical Mesoscale and Local Circulations Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2012-11-27
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Convective Weather, Mesoscale Meteorology, Tropical/Hurricanes
(85 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson covers mesoscale, thermally-forced circulations (i.e. land-sea breeze and mountain-valley breeze), interactions of mesoscale, thermally forced circulations with other atmospheric phenomena, and the impact of thermally forced and interacting circulations at various scales on the diurnal cycle of precipitation in the tropics.
Large Weather Phenomena
Met 101: Basic Weather Processes Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2017-02-24
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Environment and Society
(1670 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides an overview of basic weather processes, beginning with how the distribution of incoming solar energy helps to establish Earth’s atmospheric circulations. Learners will gain an understanding of the differences between weather and climate, and how Earth’s winds tend to have dominant patterns determined by region. An introduction to atmospheric stability, clouds, precipitation processes, and thunderstorm characteristics is also included, along with an introduction to weather impacts affecting aviation operations.
This section can also be used in the Earth and Earth Atmosphere and the Small Scale Phenomena topics.
Introduction to Meteorological Charting Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2015-07-23
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Other
(1111 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson provides a brief overview of surface and upper-air data and how these data are plotted on meteorological charts. The content introduces various charting and reporting techniques, including station models, contour analyses, streamlines, and upper air maps. For instructors who have a lab component, this lesson can be useful.
Mesoscale Banded Precipitation Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2005-06-24
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Mesoscale Meteorology, Winter Weather
(167 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson examines several mechanisms that result in mesoscale banded precipitation, focusing primarily on processes at work in midlatitude cyclones. The lesson reviews the Norwegian and conveyor belt cyclone models amongst other topics that may be beyond the scope of an "Introduction" course.
Forecasters' Overview of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2013-03-26
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Climate, Oceanography/Marine/Tsunami, Tropical/Hurricanes
(64 ratings)- Description & Location:
The climatology section covers the seasonal climatology of jet streams and synoptic weather systems, extratropical cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico, and monthly and seasonal statistics of tropical cyclone activity.
Frontal Diagnosis 1 Optional
Languages: English, French
Publish Date: 2019-03-22
Skill Level: 3
Topics:
Mesoscale Meteorology, Satellite Meteorology
(144 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson investigates different types of fronts that are commonly analyzed, including two types of cold fronts: classic (stacked), and katabatic. Then, we identify the main characteristics of these frontal types and what sets them apart from each other in conceptual models and in water vapour imagery.
Frontal Diagnosis 2 Optional
Languages: English, French
Publish Date: 2019-03-22
Skill Level: 3
Topics:
Mesoscale Meteorology, Satellite Meteorology
(67 ratings)- Description & Location:
In this lesson, we address the characteristics of anabatic cold fronts, then move into analysis of those characteristics. In the analysis activity, you are asked to diagnose the different types of fronts that appear and identify the main characteristics of anabatic and katabatic fronts.
Small Weather Phenomena
Skywarn Spotter Convective Basics Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2011-04-22
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Convective Weather, Emergency Management
(19546 ratings)- Description & Location:
The lesson will guide users to a basic understanding of convective storms. This includes the basic of storm structures and includes accomplying imagery.
Weather Ready Nation: Prepare and Be Safe! Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2016-11-08
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Emergency Management, Environment and Society
(3 ratings)- Description & Location:
The scenarios are based on potential weather events ranging from floods to heatwaves and teach safety steps individuals should take before, during and after significant weather events.
Weather Radar Fundamentals Optional
Languages: English, Spanish, French, German
Publish Date: 2012-03-21
Last Updated On: 2017-02-13
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Radar Meteorology
(1369 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson presents the fundamental principles of Doppler weather radar operation and how to interpret common weather phenomena using radar imagery. The lesson focuses on a variety of meteorological concept such as velocity, various types of precipitation, and severe/extreme weather.
Caribbean Radar Cases Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2013-12-31
Last Updated On: 2013-12-31
Skill Level: 2
Topics:
Aviation Weather, Convective Weather, Mesoscale Meteorology, Radar Meteorology, Tropical/Hurricanes
(55 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson presents radar case studies taken from events in the Caribbean that highlight radar signatures of severe weather. These cases include examples of deep convection, squall lines, bow echoes, tornadoes, and heavy rain resulting in flooding. Each case study includes a discussion of the conceptual models of each type of event as a review before showing the radar signatures and allowing the learner to analyze each one.
Hurricane Strike! Optional
Languages: English
Publish Date: 2010-08-24
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Coastal Weather, Emergency Management, Environment and Society, Tropical/Hurricanes
(2 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson creates a scenario to frame learning activities that focus on hurricane science and safety. The learner is introduced to many basic concepts of atmospheric science, climate, and geography, while also learning some important and possibly life-saving safety and preparedness skills.
*Note this lesson was originally designed for grades 6-8 but contains relevant basic information on hurricanes
Remote Sensing Using Satellites, 2nd Edition Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2012-09-18
Skill Level: 0
Topics:
Satellite Meteorology, Tropical/Hurricanes
(1187 ratings)- Description & Location:
Students in this lesson will learn about remote sensing in general and then more specifically about how it is done from satellites. Imagery from hurricanes and other phenomena are used. Chapter 2 focuses on hurricanes.
Tropical Severe Local Storms Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2013-01-09
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Convective Weather, Tropical/Hurricanes
(428 ratings)- Description & Location:
The lesson provides a brief overview of severe local storms in the tropics. Basic ingredients for thunderstorms and assessment of thunderstorm potential from soundings are described. Then properties and hazards of ordinary thunderstorms, multicellular thunderstorms, supercells are reviewed.
GOES-R GLM: Introduction to the Geostationary Lightning Mapper Optional
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese
Publish Date: 2014-09-05
Last Updated On: 2016-05-04
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Mesoscale Meteorology, Satellite Meteorology
(214 ratings)- Description & Location:
The second section lets users explore the life cycle of a typical cloud-to-ground lightning flash. This lesson can allow for an application and understading of satellites can aid in forecasting.
SatFC-G: Introduction to the GLM Optional
Languages: English, Spanish
Publish Date: 2016-06-07
Last Updated On: 2019-03-28
Skill Level: 1
Topics:
Satellite Meteorology
(48 ratings)- Description & Location:
This lesson can allow for an application and understading of how satellites can aid in forecasting through lightning detection.