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Homework 3: Weather Systems Analysis

You may work in groups of up to 10 team members. One

team member will turn in the homework assignment with

EACH team member's name and student ID number

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GEO.1305.004

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GEO 1305 Meteorology: HW 3

Fall 2022:

This file is for student use only. Do not share online.

Homework 3: Weather Systems Analysis

GEO 1305 HW 3 2022.docx

You may work in groups of up to 10 team members. One team

member will turn in the homework assignment with EACH team

member's name and student ID number displayed on the first page.

You can turn in the assignment by typing directly into this word

document or by creating a new one. If you cannot access Microsoft

Word at this time, please use another open source program and turn

in your answers via .pdf. You could use Google Docs, or Microsoft

Word online, which are both collaborative programs so that each of

your team members can work on the document together!

Homework 3: Student Names (up to 10 students per group)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Part 1: The Troposphere

NOAA's Storm Predicition Center

(https://www.spc.noaa.gov/obswx/maps/) produces daily

objectivly analyzed maps for the surface and for different

pressure heights from 925 mb to 250mb for the continental

USA. There are certain "slices" of the troposphere that

meteorologists monitor most frequently. They are the surface,

and then different pressure heights of 850 mb, 700 mb, 500 mb,

and 300 mb (or 200 mb). Why are these slices monitored and

not others more frequently? Here's the answer: the surface is

obviously important because it gives information on the weather

that we are experiencing at the surface of the planet. The 850 mb

level represents the top of the planetary boundary layer (for low

elevation regions). The 500 mb level is important because it is

very near the level of non-divergence. This allows for an

efficient analysis of vorticity. The 500 millibar level also

represents the level where about one half of the atmosphere's

mass is below it and half is above it. Either the 200 or 300 mb

chart can be used to assess the jet stream. In winter, the 300 mb

short warlza hast and in the summor the 200 mh short wala hat

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GEO 1305 HW 3 2022.docx

emerent analysis of vorticity. The 300 minbar lever also

represents the level where about one half of the atmosphere's

mass is below it and half is above it. Either the 200 or 300 mb

chart can be used to assess the jet stream. In winter, the 300 mb

chart works best and in the summer the 200 mb chart works best

for analyzing the core of the jet.

Surface and Upper Air Maps

Today's Maps

The 00z maps are produced at 01z using the available upper air data with a first guess from

the 18z NAM 6-hour forecast for the objective analysis. The 12z maps are produced at 13z

using the 062 NAM 6-hour forecast as a first guess for the objective analysis. If the 182 or 06z

NAM runs are unavailable, a first guess from the 12-hour foreacst of the 002 or 12z NAM is

used. Errors may result if NAM model data is not available, or if sounding data is late or

erroneous

Objectively analyzed maps

002: Surface 925 mb 850 mb 700 mb 500 mb 300 mb 250 mb

12Z: Surface 925 mb 850 mb 700 mb 500 mb 300 mb 250 mb

Loop: 1-day 1-day 1-day 1-day 1-day 1-day 1-day

Loop: 3-day 3-day 3-day 3-day 3-day 3-day 3-day

Loop: 7-day 7-day 7-day 7-day 7-day 7-day 7-day

Explore the maps you find at

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/obswx/maps/. You can use the current

day's maps, or if NOAA is reporting a data error, use the

previous days maps from the Map Archive.

Answer the questions below (2 points each) using the maps from

NOAA and what you know about the troposphere. You will need

to provide screenshots of maps (There are many ways to take

screenshots, here are a few: Windows-PrtScn, Mac-Shift-

Command-4, Chromebook-Shift + Ctrl + Show windows)

Q1: In your own words, explain how you think upper air maps

are created (use 1-2 complete sentences). (Hint: how is upper air

data collected?)

Q2: The objectively analyzed maps on this website are

organized into the following categories: 00Z, 12Z, and 1, 3, and

7 day loops. What do 00Z and 12Z mean? Why are these terms

used? (1-2 sentences)

Q3: Look at the wind speed and direction for the Surface, 500

mb, and 250 mb heights (either at 00Z or 12Z). Take a

screenshot of these three plots and paste them below with your

answer (please resize the screenshots to look at the two maps

and compare them). What features and wave patterns do you

see?

Q4. In order to visualize the polar front Jet Stream, which map

would you use? Paste a screenshot below of the map that best

shows the polar front Jet Stream. Describe in 1-2 sentences

where the polar front Jet Stream is located on the map, and why.

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Q5. Do some research online and think about what you already

know about the Jet Stream. In 3-4 original sentences, explain

how the jet stream is related to the formation of Winter Storm

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used? (1-2 sentences)

Q3: Look at the wind speed and direction for the Surface, 500

mb, and 250 mb heights (either at 00Z or 12Z). Take a

screenshot of these three plots and paste them below with your

answer (please resize the screenshots to look at the two maps

and compare them). What features and wave patterns do you

see?

Q4. In order to visualize the polar front Jet Stream, which map

would you use? Paste a screenshot below of the map that best

shows the polar front Jet Stream. Describe in 1-2 sentences

where the polar front Jet Stream is located on the map, and why.

Q5. Do some research online and think about what you already

know about the Jet Stream. In 3-4 original sentences, explain

how the jet stream is related to the formation of Winter Storm

Uri which descended on Texas in February 2021. Cite your

sources!

Part 2: Tropical Systems The National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration provides a database historical hurricane tracks.

Access https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes and search hurricanes

by basin. Type in "North Atlantic Ocean Basin" in the search bar.

10

HISTORICAL THOS

Let's find a hurricane you're

interested in.

QIH

You will see a very busy map pop up! So let's try to search the

following years one at a time: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021....

HISTORICAL

HURRICANE TRACKS

GEO 1305 HW 3 2022.docx

Year (Newest)

SANDRA 2021

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TERRY 2021

TROPICAL STO

WANDA 2021

C5 2001

RICK 2021

2001.

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