The OREO Field Program
During the month of November 2017, a Center for Severe Weather Research Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar will visit the University of Utah for the Outreach and Radar Education in Orography (OREO) field campaign. During OREO, the DOW will be used for:
- undergraduate and graduate instruction in polarimetric radar and its use in complex terrain;
- student-directed field research;
- on-campus demonstrations for general-education students and the broader University of Utah community;
- public outreach.
OREO has two primary goals. The first is to provide University of Utah undergraduate and graduate atmospheric sciences majors with hands-on instruction in polarimetric radar fundamentals and field-program execution in an area of complex terrain. The second is to use the DOW as an agent for delivering a high-quality STEM outreach experience for general-education students, the University of Utah community, and the general public.
Educational deployment of the Doppler on Wheels (DOW) to the University of Utah is made possible by the National Science Foundation and the Center for Severe Weather Research.
Major Activities
Use of the DOW will include intensive observing periods, or IOPs, for examining orographic, frontal, and lake-effect precipitation events. Prior to the start of OREO, University of Utah students will prepare short proposals for these IOPs that identify key scientific questions and hypotheses, deployment locations, and radar scaning strategies. During OREO, students will produce forecasts, plan for operations, and execute IOPs. During peirods of benign weather, we may explore some non-meteorological phenomena, such as bird migration near the Great Salt Lake (yes, radars can be used to examine biological targets, in addition to meteorological ones!).
For instruction in radar meteroology, mountain weather, and precipitation processes, the DOW will be operated at times on or near the Univeristy of Utah campus, with students shuttled as necessary by vehicle to the DOW location. For the general public, we are lanning a sidewalk exhibition on the University of Utah campus and an exhibition at the Natural History Museum of Utah (Dates TBA).
Getting Involved
University of Utah atmospheric sciences majors interested in participating in DOW IOPs should contact Jim Steenburgh (e-mail address at upper right) and ask to be added to the OREO e-mail list. Field-program activities will be coordinated via e-mail, with some planning meetings held on campus as an as needed basis, as announced by e-mail.
Following OREO
Anyone interested in following OREO developments should monitor the Wasatch Weather Weenies blog andfollow @ProfessorPowder on twitter.Requirements
All faculty and students wishing to participate in OREO must complete and sign a Liability and Indemnification Agreement and provide the form to Nola Lucke in 484 INSCC. All faculty and students must also complete and pass a University of Utah Driver Training Video and Test. If you have done this since December 2015, provide a copy of your certificate to Nola Lucke in 484 INSCC. If you have not done this since December 2015, go to The University of Utah Risk & Insurance Services Web Site, login with your unid and password, click on vehicles and then Driver Training Programs and complete the driver trining video and test. You can either have e-mail of your completion sent to nola.lucke@utah.edu or provide her a copy of the certificate upon completion.
ADA Accomodations
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangement for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.
