In your own words, define Meteorology

 Definition: scientific study of the atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena including weather and climate

 Daily Weather – affects how we plan our day  Severe Weather – causes damage, loss of life, loss of property Includes: tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, thunderstorms, etc  Climate Change – how will weather and climate change in the future? Affects quality of life, water supplies, food supplies

 On average, about 150 people die each year in the US from floods and flash floods – more than any other natural disaster?  Can you name any recent weather related natural disasters in the US or globally? (Try to name 5)

 Hurricane Sandy October 2012 At least 253 people were killed along the path in 7 countries (147 in US) Cost $65.5 billion (2 nd costliest Atlantic Hurricane) Winds expanded 820 miles at widest Hurricane Sandy

 Joplin Tornado May 2011 Catastrophic EF5 multiple vortex 158 died and over 1,100 injured Deadliest tornado in America since 1947 Joplin Tornado

 Great Plains Drought Throughout 2012 Worst hit region was Central Great Plains Agriculture

 Don’t worry, we will keep our math to basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

 High School Recommended courses:  Math  Physics  Chemistry  Earth science  Computer science

 Bachelor’s program in meteorology or atmospheric science  Some universities: UCLA MIT NYU University of Miami A master’s or doctorate is needed

 Starting salaries range from mid- to high- 20K’s (higher with Masters and Doctorate)  Within 5-7 years – 40K-70K  Many jobs top out at K  With better credentials you can make more (AMS seal of approval, Certified Consulting Meteorologist, etc)

In pairs, discuss different career opportunities you could have as a meteorologist. Describe 3-5 different jobs that a meteorologist could do (There are at least 12)

 Applied Meteorology Most common career for meteorologists Weather forecasting – most common and well known Forecasting opportunities exist in public, military, private sector (industrial and commercial), and aviation Not typically a 9 to 5 job (shiftwork is required)

 Public Forecasting National Weather Service (NWS)-issue watches, warnings, zone forecasts, etc. Good benefits (working for the government) Training programs Potential for advancement if you’re good (and especially if you get a master’s degree)

 Military Forecasting All army and air force support is provided by meteorologists in the air force Mostly forecast for aviation, but also for army ops, special ops, top secret stuff May involve time away from family and getting assignments rather than deciding your own future Often sent to grad school for a masters (paid by military)

 Private Sector Forecasting These places offer detailed, special forecasts to many different types of users Users may include: utility companies, farmers and ranchers, ocean shipping firms and port operators, and highway depts. Usually work for smaller company (usually some shiftwork required but not always)

 Aviation Forecasting Larger airlines (passenger and cargo) have their own meteorology departments. But a lot of aviation forecasting is done by the NWS and commercial weather firms. Services provided may include: terminal and en route forecasts, automated computer-generated flight plans, etc.

 Consulting Almost any type of meteorological service provided to a client. Can deal with specialized environmental services (especially air quality) Development of meteorological software and weather information systems Forensic meteorology (application of meteorological expertise to legal matters and police investigations)

 Air Quality Meteorology Broad range of technical areas including: environmental assessments and permitting, dispersion modeling (pollutant concentrations), risk assessments, measuring air pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters, and specialized studies such as photochemical modeling, acid rain, and global warming. Work with polluters to help them follow the federal and state laws.

 Forensic Meteorology Addresses application of meteorological expertise to legal matters and police investigations May range from people slipping on ice and breaking bones--to robberies or massive car pile ups Anything that includes weather and police investigations

 Basic Research Addresses more fundamental atmospheric processes Ex: formation of clouds and precipitation, air-sea interactions, radiation budgets, aerosol transport, thermodynamics, and global general circulation. Basic research often support advances in numerical weather prediction models. Still a flood of unanswered questions: effects of Global warming, what makes a thunderstorm tornado, etc.

 Non-University Research Usually requires at least a masters degree No teaching Divided between applied research and basic research Applied research =deals with weather and climate observation, analysis, and forecasting. Research you can apply to everyday activities and operations. Ex: forecast techniques,forecast verification methods, & case studies

 University Teaching and Research Requires a Ph.D Hold faculty position at university or college Professors usually do research supported by government or foundation grants If you want to teach below the university level, need to be a physics, earth, or general science teacher (like me!)

 Media Weather Casting Broadcast meteorology Weather casting for television, radio, and newspapers Highest profile of all careers in meteorology Ranges from celebrity-type positions at major networks and cable channels to part- time, relatively obscure jobs at small-market stations. Generally starts small, but can improve rapidly

What type of meteorologist would you want to be and why?