MTMTEA: Tropical and Extratropical Weather Systems Analysis

Module code: MTMTEA

Module provider: Meteorology; School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Chris Holloway, email: c.e.holloway@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Helen Dacre, email: h.f.dacre@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): Before taking this module, you must have an understanding of fronts, tephigrams, geostrophic/hydrostatic balance, vector calculus, thermal wind. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE MTMFWC (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

An introduction to tropical weather systems and circulation patterns, and a problem-based investigation of both tropical and extratropical high-impact weather systems.

Aims:

• To provide an understanding of tropical meteorology, including investigate the main physical and dynamical processes which are involved in the development of tropical weather systems;
• To relate the properties of tropical weather systems to convection in the tropics and to explore theories of the interactions between small scale convection and the large scale flow;
• To develop the students’ application of the scientific method to the analysis of cases of extreme weather, in both the tropics and extratropics, that have a significant impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, using a problem-based learning approach to develop the students’ ability to analyse data, draw conclusions and communicate the results;
• To deepen the understanding of the physical processes leading to high-impact weather systems, using the knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of atmospheric dynamics and physics gained from previous modules and newly presented material.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Describe the major features of weather systems affecting the tropics;
2. Describe theories of the interaction of convection with the large-scale tropical flow;
3. Apply relevant tools, including tephigrams, hodographs and surface charts, to analyse observational and model data in order to synthesize results to form supported conclusions;
4. Describe factors that are critical in the genesis & evolution of significant weather events in the form of brief structured accounts.

Module content

This module provides an introduction to the dynamics and physical processes that are important for understanding weather systems and circulations in the tropics.  It also provides a problem-based learning approach to analyse high-impact weather systems in both the tropics and extratropics. 

Outline of content introducing tropical meteorology: 

• Review of observations and main features of tropical meteorology; 
• Description of the large-scale flow in the Tropics in terms of the response of the Shallow Water Equations to regions of deep convection; 
• Conditional instability, convection, and convective organisation;  
• The inter-tropical convergence zone and the tropical Hadley circulation; 
• The dynamics of monsoons; 
• The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO); 
• The Madden-Julian oscillation; 
• Observations and dynamics of tropical cyclones. 

Several weather systems that produce hazardous weather will be analysed. These may include: 

• Extratropical severe flooding hazards 
• Explosive development of extratropical cyclones 
• Formation of sting jet wind hazards 
• Convection and tornado hazards 
• Volcanic ash hazards 
• Tropical cyclone hazards 
• Tropical severe flooding hazards 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students will learn the main physical and dynamical processes which are involved in the development of tropical weather systems with short lectures and problem-based learning approaches, including problem sets and case studies.  Students will also learn about the nature of high-impact weather prediction by synthesising a range of meteorological fields to produce a coherent explanation of several tropical and extratropical case studies of high-impact events. Each session on high-impact weather is guided by a brief introductory lecture. 

Study hours

At least 42 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Case Study of a hazardous flooding event in the Lake District 

Problem Sets 

Reassessment

Additional costs