SO422, Nearshore Oceanography

Fall 2005

Hurricane Exercise

You are to prepare an illustrated summary about the hurricane danger for Annapolis, MD.  You are are compare this danger (annual risk) to that of open ocean locations on the Atlantic coast (especially Ocean City or your home town), and what coastal residents should expect when a hurricane does arrive.  The web sites below provide a starting point for your research.  You should include graphs, tables, or pictures, and assume your audience are educated laypeople so you must explain basic principles.  You will emphasize the impact on the coast (geology and oceanography), since this is not a weather course, although the meteorology certainly impacts your discussion.  You can use a "bullet" format, but you must explain your content sufficiently so that a "typical hypothetical mother" could understand it.

You will create a Power Point presentation, and will turn your product in electronically (email, CDROM, or Zip disk):

Give credit to all sources.

You are being given two class periods to work on this, and I expect a commensurate effort.  I am looking for quality graphics and text to explain them, and not cute PowerPoint special effects.  This is a science course, and not special effects.

You may works in groups of 2; if so, you will include an acknowledgments section which assigns credit/blame to each member for their contributions.

Starting points--these have all been subject to quality control and were verified to be live (8/15/2005); if you use other sites, make sure they also have high standards.

• USGS hurricane: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/index.html
• NOAA hurricane center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ (especially the historical information)
• http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqG.html (especially G11 to G14)

Lab will be turned in by class on Wed 31 August 2005.  Late submissions without a valid excuse (e.g. hospital admission or emergency leave) will receive a 0 grade.