School of Meteorology Spring 2001 Course Announcement
Severe and Unusual Weather
METR 2603

(Serves as a General Education Core II Natural Science Elective)

Instructor:        Dr. Kelvin K. Droegemeier

                          Office:  Energy Center Tower, Room 1110 (325-0453)

                          Office Hours:   Tuesday, 1-2 pm; Thursday, 11 am - noon

                          Other times by appointment

                          Email:   kkd@ou.edu

                          Web page:  http://geosciences.ou.edu

Web:                   The course home page is http://geosciences.ou.edu/~kkd/metr2103.htm

Assistant:           Mr. Andrew Reader

                           Office:  Energy Center Tower, Room 1538 (325-2665)

                           Office Hours:  Monday and Wednesday, 2:30 - 3:20 pm.

                           Email:   beavis@ou.edu

Room/Time:      Room 150, Adams Hall, 1:30-2:20 pm M W F

                          (NOTE CHANGE IN LOCATION)

Text:                  Ahrens, C.D., 2000:  Meteorology Today, Sixth Edition.  Brooks-Cole

                           Publishers, 528pp.  (Available at campus textbook stores.)

                           This course will draw heavily from the web, and appropriate links will be

                           given throughout the semester. 

Content:             Severe and Unusual Weather is a non-majors course that serves as a

                           General Education Core II Natural Science Elective (non-lab).  It is designed

                           to provide students with an in-depth look at the physical and societal aspects

                           of severe and unusual weather.  Specific topics to be covered include thunderstorms,
squall lines, hail, lightning, tornadoes, microbursts, hurricanes, observational systems
and procedures, remote sensing tools, severe weather forecasting, ElNino and LaNina,
severe weather climatology, optical phenomena, blizzards and ice storms, lake-effect
snow storms, weather modification, and weather impacts on industry and society. 

Grading:             2 In-Class Hour Exams (Feb 19, April 9)       35%

                           Homework Assignments                                 30%

                           Comprehensive Final (May 9, 8-10 am)          35%

Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact the instructor personally as soon as possible so that accommodations necessary can be made to ensure full participation and to facilitate your educational opportunities.