Using a Dynamical Atmospheric Model to Develop a Virtual Atmospheric Laboratory

The research and educational process in atmospheric science has been hampered by the fact that the atmosphere cannot be brought into the research lab or classroom to study and manipulate in the manner that is often done for the subjects of many of the other sciences. A research project involving MESO, Inc. and Saint Louis University addressed the possibility of utilizing advanced atmospheric simulation technology, currently used for forecasting the weather, to create an inquiry-based educational software system. The overall objective of the project was to develop an easy to use interactive experimentation tool that allows students at various educational and experience levels to explore and learn about the real atmospheric and the related solar, terrestrial and oceanographic interactions by using a dynamically based model. The secondary objective was to demonstrate feasibility of running the experiments on a low-cost desktop computer ultimately making this educational tool available to every student. The software system that was developed in prototype form is termed the Virtual Atmospheric Laboratory (VAL). The VAL is an integration of several technological components including: (1) sophisticated physics-based atmospheric numerical models; (2) graphical user interfaces which allow the user to easily navigate through and control complex computer programs; (3) visualization tools which permit the user to interactively examine and animate complex multi-dimensional datasets; and (4) hypertext instructional databases which permit the user to pursue threads of knowledge through the use of words and phrases which are linked to other parts of the instructional database.

MESO designed and built a working prototype of the VAL. It was installed on the UNIX-based Saint Louis University Meteorology computer laboratory workstation network. The working VAL prototype was used in the Synoptic Meteorology Laboratory course taught by Dr. James Moore at Saint Louis University. First, Dr. Moore, his graduate teaching assistants and MESO established the educational objectives and associated requirements for the university-level VAL prototype. This included identifying the meteorological concepts that would be taught and developing experiments and experimental designs to address those concepts. For the students using this prototype, the specific educational objectives involved understanding the parameters that play a critical role in two fundamental meteorological concepts: (1) the formation and evolution of a thermally-direct circulation, such as a land/sea breeze; and (2) the geostrophic adjustment process. Additionally the prototype VAL was evaluated in a workshop setting by both students and teachers. The presentation and preprint will discuss the results of this effort and the possible application of the VAL as a tool for teaching atmospheric and related sciences.