Weather Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science 7th Edition

Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the nations premier scientific and professional organization promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Close to 13,000 U.S. and International members include scientists, researchers, educators, broadcast meteorologists, students, weather enthusiasts, and other professionals in the fields of weather, water, and climate.

The Education Program is the initiative of the American Meteorological Society fostering the teaching of the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences at the precollege level and in community college, college and university programs. It is a unique partnership between scientists and educators at all levels with the ultimate goals of (1) attracting young people to further studies in science, mathematics, and technology, and (2) promoting public scientific literacy. This is done via the development and dissemination of scientifically authentic, up-to-date, and instructionally sound learning and resource materials for teachers and students.

AMS Weather Studies is an introductory undergraduate meteorology course generally offered in partnership with college and university faculty. DataStreme Atmosphere is a graduate-level teacher professional development program that increases the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of in-service K-12 teachers so they feel more confident engaging with atmospheric science topics in the classroom. Both courses provide a comprehensive study of the principles of meteorology and appropriate investigations and applications focusing on web-delivered real-world current data.

This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundatio n under Grant No. DUE - 9752416. O pinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation. This Weather Studies textbook was prepared by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) under award NA17SEC0080003 from the Environmental Literacy Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the textbook editors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Weather Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science/ Elizabeth W. Mills, Ed. 7 th edition

ISBN-10: 1-944970-60-6

ISBN-13: 978-1-944970-60-4

Copyright 2020 by the American Meteorological Society

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by the American Meteorological Society

45 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108

The 1 st and 2 nd editions of this book were published under the title Online Weather Studies . The 3 rd through 5 th editions of this book were authored by Joseph M. Moran of the AMS Education Program.

Cover photograph: By Mike ONeil (Forked Lightning Bolt) via WeatherVideoHD.TV

Welcome to the American Meteorological Societys Weather Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science textbook! You are embarking on an exciting study of the science of the atmosphere. The purpose of this book is to provide you with background information on the properties of the atmosphere, the scientific principles that govern weather and climate, how the atmosphere interacts with the other components of the Earth system, and the implications of those interactions for humankind. Weather Studies was developed by the Education Program of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) with primary support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The seventh edition is a major revision to Weather Studies , with significant updates to content and imagery. New, expanded, or significantly revised topics include satellite meteorology material, especially about GOES and the geostationary lightning mapper (GLM) instrument, evolution of the atmosphere and its theories for the presence of liquid water and the buildup of free oxygen, Mars missions to explore past presence of liquid water on the planets surface and possibilities for life, the urban heat island effect, summer heat waves, the effect of contrails on the diurnal temperature range, U.S. cloud seeding efforts, cloud and precipitation processes, wind power, wind profilers, El Nio and La Nia events, the Madden-Julian Oscillation, blocking systems and historic Mississippi River flooding, the polar vortex, dust devils and implications for Mars research, noreasters and the Regional Snowfall Index, mesoscale convective systems, recent severe weather events, lightning safety, the inner workings of the supercell thunderstorm, field research to understand tornado formation, recent U.S. landfalling hurricanes, the effects of climate variability and climate change on tropical cyclone activity, hurricane evacuation, storm surge forecasting, weather and climate forecasting models, billion dollar weather disasters, sustainability and resilience, climate change updates corresponding to the Fourth National Climate Assessment and the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C , the status of Arctic sea ice, and Greenland and Antarctic glacial ice sheet trends.

Weather Studies may serve as a stand-alone textbook in an undergraduate college course on atmospheric science, meteorology, or weather and climate. It is also the reference book for AMS Weather Studies , a turnkey undergraduate-level curriculum package developed, licensed, and nationally implemented by AMS. Each chapter corresponds to one week of the AMS Weather Studies course. The c ompanion Investigations Manual and a RealTime Weather Portal provide weekly meteorology investigations, engag ing through observation, prediction, data analysis, inference, and critical thinking. The course can be offered in face-to-face, online , or blended instructional environments.

Weather Studies is also a key component of the AMS DataStreme Atmosphere graduate-level teacher professional development course, supported in-part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through the Cooperative Program for Earth System Education (AMS/NOAA CPESE). DataStreme Atmosphere increases the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of in-service K-12 teachers so they feel confident engaging with weather topics in the classroom. The Weather Studies textbook and course investigations provide content knowledge in support of A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States (2013). The lates t edition of Weather Studies also features new Section 508 compliant accessibility features to better facilitate those with disabili ties .

The overarching goal of the AMS Education Program is science literacy for all. Seeing Students Learn Science: Integrating Assessment and Instruction in the Classroom (2017) explains how literacy includes the comprehension of the value and application of science and engineering, the ability to do evidence-based reasoning, and the understanding of the work of scientists and engineers. The grasp of these interconnected scientific ideas will help all students as they progress through their studies into adulthood. The content emphasized within Weather Studies relates to Atmospheric Science Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Atmospheric Science (2007) and Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science (2009), and contributes to the development of overall scientific literacy.