INTERMEDIATE METEOROLOGICAL TRAINING COURSE

(GENERAL METEOROLOGY)

Syllabus for e-Learning

1. Dynamic Meteorology
1.1 Dynamic meteorology, its scope and uses, Concepts of displacement, Velocity Acceleration,
Force, angular velocity. Newton’s law of motion, Absolute and relative motion. Elementary ideas
regarding atmospheric boundary layer. Equation of continuity. Dynes compensation principle,
vertical motion in the atmosphere.

2. Physical Meteorology
2.1 Thermodynamics

2.1.1 Gas laws, ideal gas equation. Concepts of internal energy and specific heats of gas, First
and second laws of thermodynamics, concepts of adiabatic process, potential
temperature and entropy.

2.1.2 Clouds, fog and precipitation, basic knowledge of their formation.

2.2 Radiation
2.2.1 Kirchhofs law, Stefan- Boltzman’s law. Wien’s displacement law and Planck’s law,
Beer’s law. Elementary ideas of absorption emission and scattering of radiation in the
atmosphere.

3. METEOROLOGICAL STATISTICS
3.1 Introduction: Statistical variables, continuous and discrete variable: dispersion, means,
median, mode, quartile deviation, interquartile range, deciles and percentiles. Graphical
representation of a distribution, histogram, cumulative frequency distribution.

3.2 Mean deviation, Standard deviation. Elementary concept of probability.

4. CLIMATOLOGY
4.1 Introduction: Earth Sun relationship. Ecliptic and equatorial plane: rotation and
revolution of the earth: Equinox. Solstice, Perihelion: cause of seasons: seasonal and
latitudinal variation of insolation.

4.2 INDIAN CLIMATOLOGY

Sub - tropical westerly Jet streams. Equatorial Trough. Inter-tropical convergence zone.

Inter- annual and intra- seasonal variability of monsoon.

5. SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY
5.1 Synoptic Analysis

Scales of atmospheric motion.

5.2 Tropical Meteorology

Distribution of pressure and wind, subtropical high, trade wind and equatorial trough.
Trade wind inversion, Monsoon. Diurnal and Local effects.

5.3 Extra- tropical Meteorology

Fronts and associated weather.

6. AERONAUTICAL METEOROLOGY
6.1 Structure and functions of INDIA meteorological Department. World Meteorological
organisation and Internationall Civil Aviation Organisation. Meteorological broadcasts for
aeronautical purposes. Meteorological organisation for aviation in India. Publication of
Civil Aviation Department.

MARINE METEOROLOGY

6.2 Marine Meteorological Organisation- Voluntary Observing Fleet .Marine Climatology.

 INTERMEDIATE METEOROLOGICAL TRAINING COURSE

(GENERAL METEOROLOGY)

Syllabus for Class Room Learning

1. Dynamic Meteorology
1.1 Basic concepts regarding coriolis force. Pressure gradient force, Centrifugal force, gravity and
gravitation.

1.2 Equation of motion in component form. explanation (without derivation) of all the terms and
their significance.

1.3 Balanced motion- Geostrophic, Gradient and Cyclostrophic winds. Ageostrophic wind, Thermal
wind- uses of thermal Wind and calculation of thermal wind by the graphical method with examples.

1.4 Kinematics of wind and pressure field: lows, highs, trough, ridge and col. Hydrostatic balance,.

1.5 Divergence and vorticity in natural coordinates: Illustration by typical cases on synoptic charts.

2. Physical Meteorology
2.1 Thermodynamics

2.1.1 Dry adiabatic lapse rate. Moisture in the atmosphere, vapour pressure. Saturation
vapour pressure, relative humidity, Mixing ratio, virtual temperature . Dew point and wet
bulb temperature, changes in saturation vapour pressure with temperature. Moist
adiabatic lapse rate, Statement of Normand’s theorem, equivalent potential temperature.

2.1.2 Geo-potential, pressure- height curve, barometric altimetry, standard atmosphere. T-Ф
gram and its uses. Computation of height of pressure surface moisture variables. Study, of
stability by parcel method.

2.2 Radiation
2.2.1 Radiative equilibrium. Solar radiation, direct and diffuse and their measurements.
Solar constant. Albedo.

2.2.2 Terrestrial radiation, Green house effect. Simpson’s diagram, Heat balance of the earth
and atmosphere, Minimum and maximum temperature.

3. METEOROLOGICAL STATISTICS
3.1 Linear correlation and regression. Uses of significance tables for correlation coefficients.

4. CLIMATOLOGY
4.1 Elementary ideas of general circulation of the atmosphere over the globe. Distribution
of pressure and temperature over the surface of the earth. Climatic zones. Climate.
Climate elements such as pressure, temperature and rainfall and climatic controls.

4.2 INDIAN CLIMATOLOGY

Division of Indian climatologically year into four seasons: Winter season – western
disturbance and Easterly waves and weather associated with them, Fog cold wave.
Thunderstorm and hail.

Pre- monsoon or hot weather season. Heat wave – Cyclonic storms in the Indian seas:
western disturbances with associated induced lows: factors affecting visibility in India:
Fog dust storm, dust raising winds. Thunderstorms, hail storms. Norwester, Andhi,
Southwest monsoon season, onset and advance of southwest monsoon: Semi permanent
systems of monsoon: Strong and weak monsoon: break monsoon, Factors affecting
distribution of monsoon rainfall, synoptic systems in monsoon particularly monsoon
depression. Retreating southwest monsoon season – withdrawal of S.W Monsoon:
Cyclonic storms in the Indian seas: Northeast monsoon, western disturbances.

NOTE
Climatologically aspects of various phenomena in India occurring in the above mentioned
seasons are to be covered including a special study of mean upper wind and temperature
charts.

5. SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY
5.1 Synoptic Analysis

Thermal wind, Synoptic net-work, surface and upper air isobars on level surface and
contours on an isobaric surface, Isotherms, , analysis of Tendency and departure charts.
Streamline and Isotach analysis, Vertical Time Section and Cross Section.

5.2 Synoptic Models

 Tropical cyclones: Monsoon depression. Mid-tropospheric cyclone: Western disturbances:
Easterly wave: Trough in westerlies. Jet streams.

5.3 Weather Forecasting

Short, medium and long forecasting (elementary ideas). Now casting forecasting of
Thunderstorm and associated weather. Forecasting techniques for synoptic systems and
associated weather: basic concepts of Kinematic methods, statistical methods, use of
persistence, climatology and steering and physical techniques, Meteorological satellites
elementary ideas. Uses of satellite data in weather forecasting, with typical illustrations.
Met, Radars elementary ideas and use of radar data. Elementary ideas of forecasting.
Thunderstorm, Squall, Dust storm fog, Low cloud and heavy rain in different synoptic
situations.

6. AERONAUTICAL METEOROLOGY
6.1 Air Traffic services: Altimeter setting procedures: Briefing and documentation
procedures: Met. Services provided to airlines, Flight forecast, Local forecast. TAF, Area
Met. Watch: Aviation registers: Display in met, offer: Aviation climatologically
publications. Different types of aircraft (piston prop: turboprop: Jet ect, and their
meteorological requirements: Elements of Air Navigation. Effects of weather on aircraft
flights: Aircraft accidents and their investigations, VVIP/ VIP flights.

MARINE METEOROLOGY

6.2 Meteorological broadcasts for shipping: weather warning issued to ports for shipping.

7. PRACTICAL – I
Exercises in chart reading: Plotting of constant pressure charts direct from teletype
messages: Techniques of analysis. Climatological charts: surfaces charts: upper wind
charts: constant pressure charts. Analysis of surface and upper air charts typical of the 4
seasons. Analysis of a few days charts each of tropical cyclones. Monsoon depression,
Western disturbances and Jet- stream for surface. 850 hpa. 700 hpa 5oo hpa and 200 hpa.
Time section and cross section analysis. Preparation of flight forecast, two for each
season. Preparation of TREND forecast for deterioration and improvement in respect of
each element. Formats and elements in different types of forecasts/ warning (both
aviation and non aviation)

8. PRACTICAL -II
Inspection of observatories including barometer comparison: analysis of Tephigram.
Computation of height of pressure surface: location of tropopause and inversion: estimation
of height of base and top of clouds: study of the instability of the atmosphere (parcel
method) - Elementary concepts of thermodynamic parameters. Decoding of flight. Route
and aerodrome forecasts on relevant forms. Statistical exercise and computation.