Sep 20, 2026  
Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  Academic Rules & Policies
  Degrees, Certificates, and Microcredentials
  Course Descriptions
HELP
Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027

SCI 100L Meteorology Lab

Credits: (1)
This optional lab course is designed to increase the students’ understanding of meteorology and dynamic characteristics of the atmosphere covered in SCI 100 Meteorology , by challenging them with conceptual and mathematical analyses and interpretation exercises. It should be taken concurrently with SCI 100 or in a subsequent semester upon successful completion of that lecture course. It is intended for those who want a deeper understanding of meteorology and/or those students who have a laboratory science requirement to satisfy. Pre/co-requisite(s): SCI 100 . One two-hour laboratory session per week.

Designation(s): Liberal Arts

Learning Outcomes
  1. Calculate important meteorological parameters and understand units and conversions.
  2. Plot and analyze upper air data to study the vertical structure of the atmosphere.
  3. Assess Earth-Sun relationships including seasonal variation of day length, sun angle, and solar intensity at various locations.
  4. Calculate and differentiate solar and terrestrial radiation.  Assess the affects of clouds on solar and terrestrial radiation. Interpret temperature data at Syracuse, New York. 
  5. Mathematically determine and interpret atmospheric moisture parameters including relative humidity, dew point temperature, and water vapor content.
  6. Analyze and evaluate cloud formation through the understanding of adiabatic processes and atmospheric stability.
  7. Describe the role of cloud type, cloud thickness, and cloud base height as they pertain to types of precipitation. 
  8. Calculate, analyze, and interpret the forces involved in determining wind speed and direction for both surface winds and upper air winds.
  9. Apply meteorological concepts that control climatic factors of temperature and precipitation at various locations around the world.
  10. Analyze and interpret surface and upper air data to better understand air masses, weather fronts, and middle latitude cyclones.
  11. Explain and differentiate weather data and weather processes involved in the formation of air mass thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes.
  12. Evaluate features and favorable conditions for the formation and sustainment of hurricanes and their hazards.