The Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education & Training (COMET^®) and
The Program for the Advancement of Geoscience Education (PAGE)

Announce a Summer 2000 Course for University Faculty:

Hydrometeorology

 12–16 June 2000

Boulder, Colorado

Purpose of the Course

The science of hydrology and meteorology are closely linked in the rainfall and runoff processes. This link can be quite complex, but understanding the interrelationships is crucial to understanding flooding, especially flash flooding. Tremendous advances in the observation and modeling of the mesoscale environment have had a direct impact on QPF and QPE data and guidance. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and advances in hydrologic modeling are making high-resolution data available for the hydrologic processes as well. The purpose of this course is to present the state-of-the-art in hydrometeorological observation and forecasting and to provide hands-on experience and discussion about the current science and the most important next steps in flood forecasting. The goal for this course is to enhance awareness and utilization of hydrometeorology in education and to provide faculty with some hands-on experience.

Course Content

The Hydrometeorology Course for University Faculty will be conducted using scientific lectures and computer-based data analysis and modeling sessions. During the course, experts will provide morning lectures on different hydrometeorology topics. The afternoon sessions will be devoted primarily to hands-on training in which participants will use COMET workstations for lab activities that focus on the lecture topics of the morning. Precipitation production and hydrologic processes will be discussed, with some emphasis on short-duration, intense precipitation and fast-response basins. A field trip to three different hydrologic sites (an urban flood, a canyon disaster, and a dam break) will embellish the classroom material with real world examples. Social issues about warnings and technology will provide a focus for discussion on how to approach the increasing frequency of flood disasters in the United States. Short weather discussions in the afternoon will emphasize hydrometeorological interpretation and forecasting.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be encouraged to engage in a follow-up project to develop hydrometeorology instructional materials for their own courses that they can share with other faculty. This course will precede the Unidata summer workshop entitled Shaping the Future: Unidata Users as Leaders to be held 1923 June 2000 in Boulder.

Course organizers include Dr. Ken Crawford of the University of Oklahoma and Matt Kelsch and Dr. Greg Byrd of the COMET Program. The course program committee also includes Dr. Mary Marlino, PAGE Director.

Who Should Participate

This course is geared toward college and university faculty who teach atmospheric science or related courses that presently include (or wish to include in the future) some component of hydrometeorology. Enrollment is limited to 18 participants.

Cost

1.    The COMET Program will provide tuition.  
2.    The COMET Program will provide lodging.  
3.    A registration fee of $50 per person will be required to cover logistical expenses.  
4.    Participants are responsible for their own travel costs and arrangements.

Application Procedure

Participant selection will be made on the basis of application materials listed below, and will be done in such a way as to ensure a wide range of university participation.

1.    Send a letter of application stating your interest in the course.
2.    Include a two-page curriculum vita containing a list of courses you have taught.
3.    Also provide a description of your department's relevant course(s), detailing your access to hydrometeorological data sources.

APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THEIR SELECTION BY 1 MAY 2000.

	The COMET Program is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and funded by the National  Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pursuant to NOAA Award No. NA97WD0082. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the sponsoring agencies

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