Teaching

Fall 2014

METEO 434: Radar Meteorology

Courtesy of Ashley Ellis

Courtesy of Ashley Ellis

Fundamentals and principles of weather radar and its use for meteorological applications, with a heavy focus on radar polarimetry and its applications in the detection and quantification of hazardous weather.

PSU-DROPS Project Page


 Spring 2015

 METEO 437: Atmospheric Chemistry and Cloud Physics

Overview of the molecular basis of thermodynamics, chemistry, and the physical properties of water, basic properties of aerosols and clouds, cloud and precipitation chemistry, cloud particle nucleation and precipitation growth processes.


Fall 2015

METEO 434: Radar MeteorologyOUPrime_Z

Fundamentals and principles of weather radar and its use for meteorological applications, with a heavy focus on radar polarimetry and its applications in the detection and quantification of hazardous weather.

METEO 582: Ice and Snow Physics  (co-taught with Prof. Jerry Harrington)

ElectronMicroscop

Seminar/discussion-based course on topics related to the structure of ice and its electrical, optical, mechanical, and surface properties; snow formation and growth in the atmosphere.


Spring 2016

 METEO 533: Cloud Physics

Overview of cloud systems; theories of phase changes in clouds and microphysical mechanisms of precipitation formation; cloud electrification.


 Fall 2016

METEO 414: Mesoscale Meteorology

1399503837185

A survey of conceptual models and analysis techniques for mesoscale atmospheric features.

 


Spring 2017

 METEO 533: Cloud Physics

Overview of cloud systems; theories of phase changes in clouds and microphysical mechanisms of precipitation formation; cloud electrification.


Fall 2017

METEO 434: Radar Meteorology

Fundamentals and principles of weather radar and its use for meteorological applications, with a heavy focus on radar polarimetry and its applications in the detection and quantification of hazardous weather.


Spring 2018

 METEO 533: Cloud Physics

Overview of cloud systems; theories of phase changes in clouds and microphysical mechanisms of precipitation formation; cloud electrification.

 

METEO 597: Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions (co-taught with Prof. Jerry Harrington)

Aerosol particles control most of the nucleation of the liquid and ice phase in cloud systems. We may therefore expect that changes in aerosol populations through natural and anthropogenic processes could have important impacts on the microphysics, absorbed and scattered radiation, and the dynamics of shallow and deep convective cloud systems. However, the strength of the response of a given cloud system to perturbations in aerosol concentrations depends on many factors, including radiative responses, thermal responses, and conditioning of the cloud system by the larger environment. During the semester, we will attempt to unravel the known physical, dynamical, and larger scale factors that govern the interactions of aerosols with clouds. We will focus primarily on shallow layered clouds and deep convective clouds because most of the research done on this topic has been focused on these two cloud types. We will discuss and expose some of the controversies associated with the possible impacts of aerosol on invigorating deep convection, and what the results may mean for measuring aerosol responses in the atmospheric system.


Spring 2019

 METEO 414: Mesoscale Meteorology

1399503837185

A survey of conceptual models and analysis techniques for mesoscale atmospheric features.

 

METEO 582: Ice and Snow Physics  (co-taught with Prof. Jerry Harrington)

Seminar/discussion-based course on topics related to the structure of ice and its electrical, optical, mechanical, and surface properties; snow formation and growth in the atmosphere.

ElectronMicroscop

 

 

 

 


Fall 2019

 METEO 533: Cloud Physics

Overview of cloud systems; theories of phase changes in clouds and microphysical mechanisms of precipitation formation; cloud electrification.

 


Spring 2020

METEO 597: Precipitation Physics

Importance of precipitation in weather and climate; physical properties of precipitation particles, including rain, snow, ice pellets, graupel, and hail; precipitation formation mechanisms; growth and multiplication of hydrometeors; hydrometeor phase changes; hydrometeor interactions and associated physical processes (e.g., collision-coalescence, collisional breakup, aggregation, riming, shedding) and results of these interactions (e.g., electrification and lightning); role of precipitation in storm evolution; precipitation hazards; representations of precipitation in numerical models.


Fall 2020

METEO 497: Observing Meteorological Phenomena (Atmospheric Optics)

This upper-level undergraduate course will cover the fundamental physics of light and scattering of light by atmospheric particles. Knowledge of these processes will be applied to understand how they result in optical displays in the sky, including colors in the sky, phenomena associated with refraction of light, scattering by liquid drops and ice crystals, and electrification. The course will guide students to observe, document, and understand these beautiful and sometimes bizarre atmospheric optical phenomena. Students will make their own observations using their eyes, optical cameras, and polarization filters. The students will document their observations through regular written sky journal entries to hone their writing skills. By working together through hands-on activities and discussions, students will unlock the mysteries of these phenomena through applying the fundamental physical principles that underly all topics covered in the course. Throughout the semester, students will research a phenomenon of interest to them, culminating in a final paper on this topic. Students who have completed this course will understand the physical concepts associated with atmospheric optical phenomena and where/how to look for them, observe them, and document them.

 

 

 

 


Spring 2021

METEO 437: Atmospheric Chemistry and Cloud Physics

Overview of the molecular basis of thermodynamics, chemistry, and the physical properties of water, basic properties of aerosols and clouds, cloud and precipitation chemistry, cloud particle nucleation and precipitation growth processes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Fall 2021

METEO 434: Radar Meteorology

Fundamentals and principles of weather radar and its use for meteorological applications, with a heavy focus on radar polarimetry and its applications in the detection and quantification of hazardous weather.

 


Spring 2022

METEO 533: Cloud Physics

Overview of cloud systems; theories of phase changes in clouds and microphysical mechanisms of precipitation formation; cloud electrification.

 

Cloud and Precipitation Physics


Fall 2022

METEO 597: Precipitation Physics

Importance of precipitation in weather and climate; physical properties of precipitation particles, including rain, snow, ice pellets, graupel, and hail; precipitation formation mechanisms; growth and multiplication of hydrometeors; hydrometeor phase changes; hydrometeor interactions and associated physical processes (e.g., collision-coalescence, collisional breakup, aggregation, riming, shedding) and results of these interactions (e.g., electrification and lightning); role of precipitation in storm evolution; precipitation hazards; representations of precipitation in numerical models.


Spring 2023

METEO 437: Atmospheric Chemistry and Cloud Physics

Overview of the molecular basis of thermodynamics, chemistry, and the physical properties of water, basic properties of aerosols and clouds, cloud and precipitation chemistry, cloud particle nucleation and precipitation growth processes.