Training on tropical cyclones for Latin American students

Tropical cyclones are important weather systems that develop over several regions of the globe. While they occur over relatively warm oceans, the eastern North Pacific basin is a remarkably prolific region, where more systems develop per unit area than any other region. Their development has the potential to affect Central and North America. In general, the approach of tropical cyclones brings changes in moisture content over relatively large areas and they become a significant source of rainfall over mountainous terrain.

In comparison to developed countries, in Latin America there is a lack of meteorology and climatology professionals with adequate knowledge of tropical cyclones; major efforts are required to build capacity in these disciplines. As part of an international project we designed a series of short courses based on the current understanding of tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific. Our main goal is to train students from institutions of higher education in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America, where capacity building is in the early stages.

Our approach includes a brief review of climatological features on formation, intensification, and dissipation as well as advanced topics on thermodynamical and dynamical aspects of cyclone intensification, air-sea interaction, oceanic response, long-term variability, climate-related predictions, and geology-related techniques (paleotempestology) to study coastal impacts upon landfall. Additionally, practical sessions are offered to analyze case studies of approach and landfall over western Mexico. The courses have already been offered during four consecutive years with funding by a grant from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change (IAI, CRN2048). There are plans underway, sponsored jointly by UNAM and CICESE, to offer more courses on an annual basis.

In addition to the courses, we have convened symposia, to discuss social and economic issues that are associated with the landfall of tropical cyclones. Topics include coastal impacts and flooding, the link between cyclones and water resources, flow of weather and climate information from scientists to policy-makers, the role of emergency managers, and impacts on public health. Speakers on the human dimensions represent educational institutions and public and private agencies, including emergency management agencies from regions with frequent activity.