Reading Assignment

Questions to think about...

When you read this chapter, make sure that you keep the learning objectives listed on previous page in mind. In addition, it's important that you keep your eye on the "big picture." To help you do so, consider these following questions (These might make good discussion topics in the "Classroom" discussion):

• Why is it important to have a good understanding of maps and map projections before starting to study the weather? What might be some common mistakes made if you don't have a good grasp of these concepts.


• Why do we need a common time format when looking at meteorological data? How might you easily remember the conversion from UTC to your local time?
• Memorizing the conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius can be difficult. What would be an easy way to remember the formula?


• Why do you have to be careful when using statistics to describe the climate for a particular location? How might these statistics mislead your understanding of what to expect, weather-wise, for that location?


• Which is better... to have a map plotted with actual numbers, or contoured? Is there a case to be made for both methods of presenting data?


• Sometimes, having a map full of station models can be a little overwhelming. When might you want to look at individual station models, and when might you want to look at more "processed" form of data (like contour maps)?


• What role do meteograms play in understanding the state of the atmosphere? Do you think this type of data is important or does it fall more into the "gee-wiz" category?

When you have completed the textbook reading assignment, check out the "Additional Resources" on the next page.

Questions?

Remember, if you have any questions, please discuss them in class or drop me a note via Canvas.