Friday, March 2, 2007 ~ EBE 110 ~ 3 PM

Neil P. Barton’s (California University of Pennsylvania, 2003 alumnus) presentation will focus on research from his master thesis and contain tips on how to get into and survive graduate school.

The title of Neil’s master’s thesis is The Winter North Pacific Jet Stream, Teleconnections, and Precipitation Along the United States West Coast.  The dynamics between the jet stream and surface pressure and resulting precipitation are well known.  In this research, the relationship between jet streams and precipitation is tested on a winter seasonal average.  Seasonal averages of precipitation are known to relate to large-scale oscillations, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Some research hypothesisizes that these oscillations influence seasonal precipitation by affecting atmospheric circulations.  For this reason, the relationship between the jet stream and teleconnections are also an important topic.  A winter seasonal climatology of the jet stream over the North Pacific Ocean is defined and related to seasonal precipitation along the west coast of the United States and popular teleconnection indices.  There is a statistically significant relationship between the winter averaged North Pacific Jet stream and seasonal precipitation.  There is also a significant relationship between some teleconnection indices and the winter jet stream.  Many jet stream-seasonal precipitation relationships are similar to the jet stream-teleconnection relationships.

In the second part of the presentation, there will be a discussion about tips and personal experiences on preparing for graduate school, applying to graduate schools, and doing graduate school work.   Some specific topics include; important course work to take while at California University of Pennsylvania, tips in organizing application material, and ways to survive and afford graduate school. Please come with any questions about graduate school and jet stream dynamics to make an enjoyable discussion.