An Undergraduate Field Course in Meteorology and Atmospheric Chemistry

Abstract

A field course for undergraduate science students at The City College of New York (CCNY) is described. The students, who have completed an introductory meteorology course, conduct experiments at Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in the northern Colorado Rockies during winter breaks. The students apply their classroom learning to understand actual meteorological conditions. Prior to the field work, the students learn the necessary measurement and observation skills in a series of laboratories at CCNY and SPL. Experiments are conducted in both cloudy and clear conditions. From the clouds that envelop SPL, the students collect cloud droplets and snow crystals for physical and chemical analyses and for more detailed analyses at CCNY. For example, the students measure the pH of droplets as a function of droplet size and, in clear conditions, measure the diurnal behavior of valley temperature inversions. Following the winter field experiments, the students reduce and analyze their data during the spring semester. At the end of the semester, each student reports his or her findings in a scientific paper and presents the paper at a department seminar. Other university professors are encouraged to develop teaching and research activities at SPL.