Course content and assessment

Aim

The course provides a solid foundation in physical, dynamical and synoptic meteorology, climate dynamics and numerical weather prediction. It supplies the scientific training needed for a career in applied meteorology within the public or private sectors, and is also an excellent starting point for an academic research career in meteorology and climate.

Course organization

The course is modular, and may be taken on either a full time or part time basis. Most students opt for full time study. The university operates a semester system. The first semester runs for twelve weeks from early September. The second semester starts in January and continues, with a two or three week break, until the end of April. Thus, there are two twelve-week semesters.

The M.Sc. lecture courses comprise five taught modules covering the following areas:

Physical and Dynamical Meteorology are taught in the first semester and Climate Dynamics and Numerical Weather Prediction in the second. The Synoptic Meteorology module runs over both semesters.

An intensive one-week practical course in Forecasting Techniques takes place in the Spring. This is presented in collaboration with staff from Met Éireann.

Part time students may opt to take either of the following combinations in each year:

Synoptic Meteorology should be taken in two semesters of a single year. Other combinations may not be possible, as the Climate module will depend on the Physical one, and the Numerical on the Dynamical. For various practical reasons, it is desirable to divide the part time students evenly between the options, so students may not be guaranteed their preferred choice.

Timetable

Lectures will be each morning, Monday to Friday. Synoptic Meteorology theory and practical sessions are on Friday mornings.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, there will be practical sessions and tutorials and exercises.

Textbooks

The primary text for the Dynamic meteorology module is Holton's "Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology" (4th Edn). Students are REQUIRED to have a copy of this text. (There should be copies of this text, price 60 Euros, available in the Campus Bookshop). THIS IS A REQUIRED TEXT.

The text on which the Physical Meteorology module is based is "Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey", by J M Wallace and P V Hobbs. The second edition of this excellent text was published in 2006. THIS IS A REQUIRED TEXT.

Notes for the module in Climate/Synoptic Meteorology will be provided. A recent book, “Weather Analysis and Forecasting”, by P Santurette and C G Georgirv, is of interest for the synoptic module. This is a not required text.

The text for the course in Numerical Weather Prediction is “Atmospheric Modeling, Data Assimilation and Predictability” by Eugenia Kalnay, published in 2003 by Cambridge. THIS IS A REQUIRED TEXT.

Synoptic Meteorology Sessions

On Friday mornings there are sessions in Synoptic Meteorology, from 10am to 1pm. The first hour comprises a lecture. Following a short break, we have practical sessions for two hours. These include examination and analysis of current weather, using real-time meteorological data provided by Met Éireann, and exercises in practical weather forecasting.

Afternoon Sessions

The afternoon “Laboratory” Sessions vary in nature. Some are tutorial in nature; others are used for exercise sessions based on the material presented in the lectures.

Research Thesis

Students are required to undertake a research project over the Summer months, and to write up the results in the form of a thesis. Thesis projects will be assigned by agreement, and each student will report regularly to a supervisor.

Research work for the projects will be undertaken over a period of about ten weeks, from early June until mid-August (exact dates will be given later) but it is wise to start planning your projects early in the academic year. The project reports are typically about fifty to one hundred pages in length. It is important for you to know that they are formally assessed, and count towards your final marks.

Field Excursion

In October there is a Field Excursion to Valentia Observatory, the Met Éireann Geophysical Observatory in Caherciveen, Co Kerry. The provisional date for this is the second Friday in October. In view of the distance, it will be necessary to travel to Kerry on the Thursday. There are lectures and presentations at the Observatory, and students are able to witness a radiosonde launch and learn about the geomagnetic and seismological work in addition to the meteorological programme of the Observatory. All students are expected to participate in the Field Excursion.

Students must bear their own travel and accommodation expenses for the Field Excursion. Further details about it will be available nearer the time.

Assessment

Most modules are taught over a single semester, and are examined at the end of the semester. Thus, there are two examinations in December (in Physical and in Dynamical Meteorology) and two in May (in Climate Dynamics and in Numerical Meteorology) each year. Synoptic Meteorology is examined in May.

Students failing to obtain a pass mark in Physical or Dynamical Meteorology may re-sit the relevant examination(s) in May. Those failing to pass the examination in Climate, Synoptic or Numerical Meteorology may re-sit in the Autumn. Thus, students will have two (and only two) chances to obtain a pass in each module. The thesis will also be assessed and a mark awarded. The allocation of marks will be as follows:

Module grades are based on the following scheme:

To be eligible for award of an M.Sc., students must obtain Grade D or better (>=40%) for each of the five taught modules and also for the thesis.

Warning: Marks for repeat examinations will be capped at 40%.

Some statistics