Hydrometeorology

Time: Tuesday and Thursday 2:30-3:45
Room: NWC 5600
Instructor: Basara

Course Description: Hydrometeorology is that part of meteorology directly concerned with hydrologic problems, such as forecasting and observing heavy precipitation and floods and how such features impact flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and similar fields of engineering and water resource management. The term “hydrometeorology” also is used in many countries to name the official forecast and warning service charged with the dual responsibility of dealing with weather and hydrologic problems. This discipline also encompasses the complex issues associated with widespread drought and associated lack of precipitation.

The Hydrometeorology course begins with a specific focus on the water cycle and how water in all three phases (solid, vapor, liquid) exists and moves within the surface-subsurface-atmosphere continuum. Additionally, the course addresses topics including cloud and precipitation formation, the mechanisms involved in extreme precipitation (snow, ice, convective precipitation, and non-convective precipitation), floods, drought, precipitation monitoring and forecasting, and evapotranspiration,. These topics are further covered as related to local versus regional, versus global scales and how these processes impact human systems.

Meeting Times and Location:          Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 – 3:45 pm

NWC 5600

Final Exam: 1:30 – 3:30 pm, May 10, 2017

Online: D2L

Course Professor:                             Jeffrey Basara, Ph.D.

Address:                               School of Meteorology, NWC 5238                          

Telephone Number:            (405) 325-1760

E-mail Address:                   jbasara@ou.edu

Office Hours:                       TBD and/or by appointment.

Course Grade Determination:

Mid-Term Exam:
                                       25%

Final Exam:                                                   30%

Semester Project*:                                         30%

Homework and Reading Assignments:         15%

Guaranteed Course Grades:

100 – 90.0                    A

< 90.0 – 80.0               B

< 80.0 – 70.0               C

< 70.0 – 60.0               D

< 60.0                          F

Required Texts and Readings:

Text – none;

Selected Readings are included on the calendar and additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester.

Suggested Texts and Readings:

Hydrometeorology, Christopher G. Collier

 Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology: Dynamics, analysis, and forecasting, Gary Lackmann.

Mesoscale Meteorology in Midlatitudes, Paul Markowski and Yvette Richardson.

Terrestrial Hydrometeorology, W. James Shuttleworth,

Enrollment: Prerequisite – A grade of C or better in METR 3123 and 3223, or permission of the instructor.

*METR 5633 Requirements:

To earn graduate credit in the course, METR 5633 students will be required to conduct an independent (1) literature review,  (2) semester paper, and (3) semester presentation (undergraduate students will participate in group assignments).

Reasonable Accommodation:

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested to speak with me as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone 405/325- 3852 or TDD only 405/325-4173.

Academic Misconduct:

All provisions of the Norman Campus Academic Misconduct Code shall apply in cases of academic dishonesty. ANY violation of the Academic Misconduct Code will result in your removal from this course, and a grade of F will be recorded for the course. Academic misconduct is defined as “any act that improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement.” At the University of Oklahoma, academic integrity is expected from each student. Misconduct such as plagiarism, fabrication, and fraud, as well as attempting to commit such acts or assisting others in so doing, will not be tolerated. Students are responsible for knowing the OU Academic Code, which can be found at http://www.ou.edu/studentcode and http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity.

Religious Observance:

It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to reschedule examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays, without penalty. [See Faculty Handbook 3.15.2]

Title IX Resources and Reporting Requirement:

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405/325-2215 (8 to 5, M-F) or smo@ou.edu. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at 405/615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).  Also, please be advised that a professor/GA/TA is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to the Sexual Misconduct Office.  Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to: Bobby J. Mason, University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at 405/325-3546 or bjm@ou.edu. For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html.

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues:

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact your professor or the Disability Resource Center at 405/325-3852 as soon as possible. Also, see http://www.ou.edu/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for answers to commonly asked questions.

In-Class Policies:

Students must maintain regular attendance and are expected to participate in all class discussions. To eliminate distractions to the instructor and/or fellow students, all cell phone devices must be silent during in-class meeting times and may not be used except in an emergency – texting is NOT allowed. Laptop computers are permissible (and encouraged) but MUST be used for course related activities. As such, applications and activities including, but not limited to Text, Chat, Facebook, SnapChat, Twitter, etc. are NOT allowed without the consent of the instructor.