INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL
METEOROLOGY
ATMO 451b/551b
Independent Project/Report
The independent project gives each member of the class an opportunity to: (1) go beyond the course material and delve deeper into a particular topic or subject area that has been or will be covered in class, (2) explore a topic or area that will NOT be covered in class, and/or (3) assemble and perform a classroom demonstration of a phenomenon in physical meteorology, (4) construct one or more sensors for atmospheric measurements, and/or (5) reduce and analyze existing experimental data. The report will also provide experience in writing and editing technical papers and reports. You are free to focus on any scientific or technical aspect of physical meteorology that you are interested in, and experimental studies are particularly encouraged.
The evaluation of your Project/Report represents a significant fraction (20%) of your final grade. You should submit a title and a one-page plan for your project to your instructors by Wednesday, February 4, 2004, and a final 8 to 10 page report (including any figures and references) no later than Wednesday, April 14, 2004. You will be evaluated on your choice of topic and plan as well as the overall quality of your Project and the associated Report. Your plan should include a statement of why you think the topic is important and at least 5 references or other sources that you plan to use in your work. The final Report should represent your best effort in technical writing, and you will be graded on the organization and the clarity of the English as well as the content.
Examples of possible projects include: construction and evaluation of a sensor that is (or could be) used in research; a detailed investigation of one or more phenomena in physical meteorology; a review/critique of the literature on a particular topic; etc. BE CREATIVE, and feel free to build on your own interests, but please do NOT report on a sponsored research project. The project/report should represent your own efforts this semester and should NOT duplicate any other work that you have done in the past.