Meteo 452/597B
Fall 1998
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William M. Frank
506 Walker
865-0470
frank@ems.psu.edu
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Tropical Meteorology
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Overview:
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The tropics cover approximately half of the Earth, and at least two third of the global
population live equatorward of 30 degrees latitude. The laws of physics and the equations and
concepts that we use in meteorology do not change with latitude, but the weather in the tropics is
significantly different from weather in the midlatitudes and polar regions. Life tends to be
somewhat different in the tropics as well. It isn't possible to understand weather fully without
considering the atmosphere globally, and this course is intended to provide an overview of both
tropical weather and how the entire global atmosphere works. Particular emphasis will be placed
on tropical cyclones, which are the most destructive of all individual weather phenomena.
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The course is intended for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students. The
two groups will be graded separately, but both will participate in virtually all the same class
activities except for different types of term projects.
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The course meets three times a week. The normal procedure will be to have lectures on
Monday and Wednesday, while the double session on Fridays will be used for labs, presentations
and other activities.
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Text:
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Alas, there is no text. No one has ever written a book on tropical meteorology that is suitable for
use as a modern textbook. There will be numerous handouts to accompany the lectures. There
will be a small packet of papers for you to purchase at a copy center later in the term, but you do
not need to purchase any materials to begin the course.
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For a general reference on the basic dynamics of the tropical atmosphere, refer to chapters 10 and
11 of Holton's "An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology", 3rd edition. You should all have a
copy of that book by now.
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Grades:
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There will be one midterm exam (25%) and a final exam (25%). There will be team projects, with
group presentations at the end of the term (25%). (Grad students will do individual projects
instead.) The final 25% will be based on your net lab work.
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TROPICAL METEOROLOGY
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OUTLINE
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The course will cover seven major topics, listed below. Each topic will consist of about four
lectures. The first and last lecture periods will be used to organize and introduce the class, and to
review the major points, respectively.
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1. Introduction to Tropical Weather and Forecasting.
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What are the tropics? What are the main characteristics of tropical weather? What types
of data are available? What are typical forecasting problems and techniques in the tropics?
Introduction to tropical cyclone forecasting.
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2. Large-Scale Circulations and the Role of the Tropics in the General Circulation.
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Hadley cell, trade wind regimes, the ITCZ, monsoons, Walker cells, upper-level jets, the TUTT, basic ocean properties, budgets of moisture, energy and momentum.
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3. Tropical Dynamics and Vertical Structure
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Basic scaling, tropical waves, the Gill model, vertical structure, the balanced vortex model, geostrophic adjustment, etc.
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4. Synoptic-Scale Circulations of the Tropics
5. Monsoon Meteorology and Long-Term Variability
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The ENSO, atmosphere-ocean coupling, seasonal, interannual and interdecadal
variations.
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6. Convection and Convective Weather Systems
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Tropical clouds, dynamics of convective regimes, parameterization of convection.
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7. Tropical Cyclones
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Structure, energetics, theories of formation and motion.
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In addition to the above lectures, the first half of some of the lab periods will be used to discuss
tropical cyclone forecasting methods and the impact of storms on society.