Severe Weather and Society

3 credits

GEOG-4680

Geography
College of Arts and Science

(cross-leveled with GEOG 7680). On the one hand, this course focuses on the social impacts of severe weather phenomena including thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail storms, lightning, and hurricanes. On the other, it is about non-fiction storytelling and the creation of intriguing digital representations that can foster new ways knowing about tornadoes, hail, and other things that fall from the sky and impact people on the ground. Atmospheric scientists have contributed much to the scientific understanding of severe weather. Geographers also have an intellectual history associated with storm research including perceptions of severe weather, vulnerability analysis, and hazards mitigation. More recently, geospatial technologies like geographic information systems (GIS) have contributed to severe weather research and applications in the field including storm spotting, chasing, forecasting, and alerts. How can we bridge science, the humanities, and digital technologies in ways that intrigue and inform the general public about severe weather. Graded on A-F basis only. Recommended: GEOG 2610.