AMS Weather Studies is an introductory undergraduate meteorology course generally offered in partnership with college and university faculty.
Students using the Weather Studies textbook can explore twelve principal themes, plus three independent themes, arranged by chapter. Themes are organized so that Earth’s atmosphere emerges as an interactive system subject to physical laws. Chapter 1 focuses on sources of weather information, and Chapter 2 covers the origin, composition, and structure of the atmosphere. Chapter 3 examines Earth’s radiation budget, which Chapter 4 follows with the controls of temperature and atmospheric circulation via the radiation budget. Chapter 5 focuses on air pressure measurement and implications of horizontal and vertical changes in air pressure. Chapter 6 addresses humidity, saturation, and stability, which leads into Chapter 7 as it details cloud and precipitation formation and types. Chapter 8 focuses on the forces governing atmospheric circulation, and Chapter 9 covers planetary-scale circulation features, including oscillations. Chapter 10 describes mid-latitude weather systems, while Chapter 11 details thunderstorms and tornadoes and Chapter 12 details tropical storms and hurricanes. The independent themes, Chapter 13 covers weather analysis and forecasting, Chapter 14 delves into atmospheric optics and acoustics, and Chapter 15 describes aspects of climate and climate change. All chapters have accompanying investigations in the Investigations Manual.
