Since the current teacher of this course, Dr. Mark Lander, is a research scientist with ongoing research projects concerning typhoon motion and intensity, tropical climatology, and tropical rainfall processes, the class is largely taught from the notes of the instructor. Extensive use is made of published research articles, and weather charts and satellite imagery obtained from the personal files of the instructor. With the anticipated acquisition of sophisticated satellite image processing equipment by the University of Guam as part of a grant from NASA, the students may participate more fully in all the stages of image acquisition to image interpretation. An ideal size for this class is on the order of 10 to 15 students. Field trips to live on-island television weather broadcasts, and the offices of the National Weather Service and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center are best with a smaller group.
Dynamic meteorology is the study of atmospheric motion.
Physical meteorology is a wide-ranging study of the physical processes within the atmosphere. Given their knowledge of local weather systems, students should be able to determine the location and direction of movement of typhoons near Guam observations of the local change in wind and cloud patterns. The students performance is evaluated through weekly quizzes, and a mid-term and final exam. Extra credit projects are encouraged. The following syllabus provides more details on the learning objectives and methods of evaluation.