The MetEd website, COMET’s signature offering, is a free collection of hundreds of training resources intended for the geoscience community. We deliver over 240,000 hours of online education each year in disciplines such as aviation weather, climate, convective weather, emergency management, hydrology, numerical modeling, satellite meteorology and winter weather, among many others.
A variety of MetEd lessons are translated in multiple languages. COMET partners with many international stakeholders and is sponsored by global agencies such as, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), National Science Foundation (NSF), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and many more.
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Latest MetEd Publications
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Streamgage Basics: High Water
This lesson prepares a hydrologic technician to prepare and complete a site visit for a streamgage experiencing high water conditions. Flooding conditions often require extra safety precautions, use of an ADCP to make a discharge measurement and particular attention to collecting multiple gage readings as well as a CSG reading and high water marks. The hydrotech may need to be resourceful and adaptable in order to obtain accurate high water data.
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Tsunami Warning Systems, 2nd Edition
Tsunami Warning Systems describes the processes involved in anticipating, detecting, and warning for a tsunami by summarizing data collection, modeling, analysis, and alert procedures used at NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers. Past tsunami occurrences provide examples for highlighting warning system processes for determining the tsunami threat based on seismic and sea level observations and tsunami forecast models. Message communication and local response are also addressed as final components of any warning system. The lesson is intended for Weather Forecast Office staff and emergency managers who require a better understanding of tsunami warning delivery. The lesson will also benefit anyone wanting to learn more about the components of tsunami warning systems.
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Monitoring for Potential Flash Flood & Debris Flow Threats
This 45-minute lesson introduces the learner to the 2018 Spring Creek Fire burn scar in Colorado and the assets threatened by potential flooding and debris flow events in the area. Next, the learner takes on the role of a forecaster exploring three different rainfall events to evaluate the factors conducive for a flash flood and debris flow event in relation to the burn scar. In each event, the learner is supported by feedback from the Burned Area Response Team, Service Hydrologist and operational forecaster colleague on what aspects are most important to consider in the situation. Following the exercises, learners can view a model simulation of a realistic post-wildfire flash flood and debris flow event that impacted Glenwood Canyon in Colorado.
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Streamgage Basics: A Day in the Life of a Hydrotech
This lesson prepares a hydrologic technician for a typical day at work. This includes office work such as examining hydrographs of stage, discharge and battery voltage as well as looking at local weather reports. It also includes field work such as a routine site visit to a streamgage. The hydrotech will become familiar with how the USGS measures stage and discharge, as well as the workflow of a routine site visit. This includes tasks such as reading reference and recorder gages, inspecting the control, inspecting the crest stage gage, making a discharge measurement and examining the gage house equipment.
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Streamgage Basics: Controls
This lesson prepares a hydrologic technician to complete a streamflow control inspection during a site visit. This includes identifying the control type, control condition, distance from the control to the gage, control cleaning and documenting additional important comments. During this lesson, several scenarios are examined that illustrate situations where the control has changed. The hydrotech may need to be resourceful and adapt the control inspection as necessary. The hydrotech is also expected to make inferences about how changes to the control may affect discharge measurements.
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Streamgage Basics: Low Water
This lesson prepares a hydrologic technician for a site visit to a streamgage experiencing low water. Low water conditions may lead to fouling or burial of a bubbler orifice and algal growth. Reference gage readings and discharge measurements frequently require alternative methods. The hydrotech may need to be resourceful and adaptable in order to obtain accurate results and maintain gages in a challenging and frequently inhospitable environment.
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Aviation Hazards: Turbulence
This lesson introduces aviation forecasters to the impact of turbulence on aviation functions within the US National Airspace System (NAS) and how National Weather Service (NWS) programs coordinate the production of relevant aviation turbulence forecast products. In the lesson, learners will adopt the role of an aviation forecaster at one of three key aviation program offices, including a Weather Forecast Office, a Center Weather Service Unit and the Aviation Weather Center. Learners will assess a real turbulence forecast situation and apply their knowledge of observations and forecast tools to create initial aviation turbulence forecast products. They will then coordinate the issuance of final products and collaborate with relevant external program offices as needed to clarify and update the products. By the end of the lesson, learners will understand not only the impact of turbulence on the NAS, but also the breadth and depth of collaborative work required to provide forecast product continuity and clear decision support services.
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Working with Water Level Data: Inundation Analysis
Coastal water levels rise and fall for many reasons, including tides and other environmental factors. Inundation occurs when water levels rise above the land surface elevation. Inundation events can flood coastal infrastructure, erode coastal defenses, and harm to coastal ecosystems. People seek to understand when and where inundation may occur for the purposes of restoring marshes and mitigating coastal flooding, among other reasons. Inundation analysis allows us to quantify inundation at a site, over a time-period. The statistics obtained from inundation analysis can help decision makers in planning for inundation events in the long-term. In this lesson you will calculate, interpret, and apply the statistics that describe inundation.
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NASA-SPoRT Introductory Learning Resources for Satellite RGB Applications
Developed and hosted by NASA's Short-term Prediction, Research, and Transition (SPoRT) program, this training series highlights multiple red-green-blue (RGB) composite imagery products introduced during the GOES-R (GOES-16/17/18) era. These include the Nighttime Microphysics, Dust, Ash, Air Mass, Differential Water Vapor, Fire Temperature, Day Convection, Day Fire, and Day Land Cloud RGB products. Each application learning object (~15 min in length) provides a brief overview of the product and a demonstration of the RGB product application of value to the operational user. A general understanding of the RGB concept and some knowledge of the individual channels from the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) are required as prerequisites.
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Smoke Forecasting and Communication
The need for strategic planning around smoke impacts to communities has grown as the length of the fire season and frequency of wildland fires have increased. NWS meteorologists are frequently asked how smoke may affect air quality, aviation operations, and firefighters working on a fire. NWS meteorologists need to communicate this smoke information to partners and amplify partner messages with increasing frequency. In this lesson, learners will work through three different simulations in which they will need to diagnose the potential for smoke to affect their area of responsibility and possible impacts. They will also practice communicating with partners and aligning NWS messages with those of their partners. If you are unfamiliar with the physical processes that affect smoke or with smoke concerns about air quality, please review the Air Quality Forecasting Fundamentals lesson before working on this one.