Dr. Arlene Laing December 2012

1. Tropical Meteorology & Caribbean Initiatives Dr. Arlene Laing December 2012

2. Online Textbook http://www.meted.ucar.edu/tropical/textbook_2nd_edition/

3. Online Textbook Dr. Arlene Laing & Prof. Jenni Evans • Advances and growing interest in tropical meteorology (e.g., atmospheric interactions with ocean and land) • Advances in learning technologies, where COMET is a leader • Peer-reviewed, academically rigorous treatment • Guest contributors (e.g., Australian Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre)

4. Online Textbook Theoretical Reality Interactivity & high production values to stimulate learning

5. University-level online course to meet WMO BIP-M requirements https://sites.google.com/a/comet.ucar.edu/tropical-synoptic-meteorology-curriculum/ 5 5

6. Tropical Synoptic Meteorology Online Course package https://sites.google.com/a/comet.ucar.edu/tropical-synoptic-meteorology-curriculum/

7. Teaching Guide “... supportive and engaging learning environment …“ “... start communications early ... be prompt with responses “ “... detailed instructions, clear expectations …” “… rules of conduct for forum …”

8. Developing course material • Determined which parts of BIP-M synoptic and mesoscale requirements are applicable to tropics • Identified existing training (e.g., tropical textbook) • Created new content to fill gaps • Learning activities & Synoptic Laboratory exercises • Use of reliable, stable archives such as NOAA, NRL, EUMETSAT • Guidance on activity, including how students should present assignments

9. Course Outline Unit 1:  General review and global circulation concepts Unit 2:  Tropical disturbances Unit 3:  General Mesoscale phenomena • Introduction Slides • Learning Objectives • Topics and Resources • Case Studies • Tools • Learning Activities and Assignments • Review Questions • Quiz Questions • Supplemental Resources

10. Introduction Slides for Each Unit

11. Unit 1 Assignment: Trade Wind Inversion • Understand relationship between semi-permanent surface pressure systems and trade wind inversion • Understand how that relationship influences east-west variation in cloud layer height across tropical oceans. • Estimate inversion base from soundings, graph height across ocean basin, compare reality and conceptual model, explain similarities and differences based on synoptic conditions

12. Unit 1 Assignment: Trade Wind Inversion

13. Unit 2: Topics and Resources

14. Unit 2: Case Exercise Created in support of a tropical synoptic meteorology curriculum

15. Unit 2: Case Exercise (Indian Ocean)

16. Unit 3: Suggested Learning Activities and Guidelines

17. Unit 3: Case StudySevere Weather and Flooding in Jamaica

18. New Course Resources MJO, Equatorial Waves, and Tropical Cyclogenesis Jet Streams Tropical Mesoscale and Local Circulations African Easterly Waves Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems Tropical Severe Local Storms Tropical-Extratropical air mass interactions

19. Institutions Planning to Adapt Course University of South Pacific University of the West Indies University of Costa Rica Presentations made to potential adapters: University of Nairobi University of Cape Town

20. Partnership with Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) Supported by the WMO Caribbean Initiatives

21. Aeronautical Continuing Professional Development Blended Learning Course Project Lead: Kathy-Ann Caesar, CIMH

22. Need for Training New WMO competency standards Large number of Caribbean forecasters need access to continuing professional development Not much time available for training Deadline approaching to demonstrate competency (Nov 2013)

23. ICAO/WMO Competencies Required by November 2013 Analyze and monitor continuously the weather situation Forecast aeronautical meteorological phenomena and parameters Warn of hazardous phenomena Ensure quality of meteorological information of service Communicate meteorological information to internal and external users 23

24. Need for Distance Learning • Cost • Forecaster participation during normal working hours • Course had to be flexible • Participants had to be committed to participating and completing the course • Content needed to have relevance for students

25. Course Organization and Approach • Course organized to provide assignments that students completed on their own and opportunities to share ideas • Facilitated using Moodle • Onlinetraining modules, assignments, projects • Live synchronous sessions that included discussion and direct application of material

26. Course Outline • Review of Tropical Meteorology Fundamentals • Satellite Interpretation in the Tropics • Radar Interpretation • Interpretation and Use of NWP Mesoscale Models • Aeronautical Meteorology

27. Course Development • Identified existing training from a variety of sources • Identified gaps and began to fill in • Length of course – six months (turned out to be a very short time) • Some sections were made longer • Some sections were reduced

28. Adapting Course During some sessions, refresher training became necessary Instructors open to addressing remedial training needs Live discussions were important for both identifying and addressing extra training needs Fundamentals needed to be reviewed for some topics

29. Applying Course Material Aeronautical Meteorology section facilitates analysis of how well students can apply material presented Aids in competency assessment, but not enough to allow final check off

30. Evolution of Course • Initial offering of course Oct 2011- Apr 2012 • Ten students began the course, seven completed it • Countries represented • Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia and Guyana • Became an official course that will be offered annually • 2nd offering, 2012-2013 • 18 registrants (12 active) • Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Guyana

31. New Training Planned for 2012-2013 Offering • Hurricane forecasting with representative from US National Hurricane Center • Refine the radar session • Have more practical sessions in Aeronautical Meteorology • Have participants prepare a briefing

32. COMET’s Contribution • Use of existing training • e.g., Tropical Textbook • Adapting existing training • National Weather Service Radar Training • Writing Effective TAFs • Fog • New resources • Caribbean Case Studies • Radar Signatures in the Caribbean • Instructor Guide

33. Use of Existing Training • COMET • Tropical Textbook • Skew-T Mastery • Volcanic Ash • GOES-R • NWP • TAF Writing • VISIT • Tropical Satellite Interpretation • Volcanic Ash • Convection

34. COMET Modules Adapted Fog: Its Processes and Impacts to Aviation and Aviation Forecasting Writing Effective TAFs in the Caribbean Radar Signatures in the Caribbean

35. Aviation Module Adaptations

36. Case Studies • Caribbean Radar Cases (Published) • Aviation Case Study: Fog in Guyana (in preparation)

37. Instructor Guide • Based on COMET’s Tropical Synoptic Course • Used to orient guest instructors • Written by Instructional Designers • Tools for Delivering Online Material • Setting the Tone • Preparing Students • Effective and Engaging Online Sessions • Developing Interactions

38. Translating Course to Other WMO Regions • Spanish translations for Central America • Safe Skies for Africa • French translations planned • Indonesia

39. Lessons Learned Do not be discouraged by dropouts Participation is key to judging how well students are learning the material Internet connectivity is a concern

40. Variability in the Course • New topics will be introduced with each offering • Identifying Tropical Storms on satellite highlighted this year with a representative from US NHC • This year: Introduction to GOES-R • Next year: Implementation of GOES-R 40

41. Course Instructors • Ms. Kathy-Ann Caesar • Dr. Andrea Sealy • Mr. Lawrence Pologne • Mrs. MargaretteMayers-Als • Dr. Brad Baker • Guest lecturers: • Dr. Bernie Connell • Mr. Ronald Gordon

42. Questions? Contact: laing@ucar.edu