Bob Rauber
Professor of Atmospheric Science

I received my Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University in 1985. I joined the Department in 1987 where I am a Professor of Atmospheric Science. I also currently hold the position of Chief Editor of the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Applied Meteorology (2003-2007).

 

SEVERE AND HAZARDOUS WEATHER

           

With my coauthors John Walsh and Donna Charlevoix, I have recently completed the second edition of our popular textbook Severe and Hazardous Weather, An Introduction to High Impact Meteorology, published by Kendall Hunt Publishing Company. Severe and Hazardous Weather has been used by over 72 universities since the first edition publication in 2002.  Severe and Hazardous Weather provides current, relevant, and scientifically accurate discussion of all types of hazardous weather. The material is presented in a manner that students with a wide variety of backgrounds can understand; conveying meteorological concepts in a descriptive manner without resorting to mathematics.

Our new textbook focuses on all types of severe and hazardous weather, with an emphasis on weather affecting North America.   The book presents in understandable language the physical and dynamical principles governing the formation, structure, and evolution of all types of severe weather events in North America.  The book contains 26 chapters, organized in 6 sections.  The first section (7 chapters) is devoted to introductory material that builds a foundation for understanding atmospheric processes associated with severe and hazardous weather.  The remaining sections focus on phenomena associated with frontal cyclones (3 chapters), winter weather (6 chapters), thunderstorm phenomena (5 chapters), tropical weather (2 chapters), and widespread weather disasters (3 chapters).  Phenomenon covered include Great Plains, Gulf and East Coast cyclones, ice storms, lake-effect snowstorms, cold waves, blizzards, mountain snowstorms, mountain windstorms, mesoscale convective systems, frontal squall lines, supercells, tornadoes, lightning, downbursts, hailstorms, El-Nino, hurricanes, floods, heat waves and drought.  Each of these phenomena has its own chapter.

 The text, which is full color, provides physical descriptions of each type of hazardous weather event, clear explanations, based on the latest research, on why each weather phenomena forms and how it evolves, and case studies of both extreme and recent events.  The text is written for a non-technical university-wide audience of students that have no prior knowledge of meteorology.  Animations of weather data illustrating each phenomenon are included on an accompanying CD and on the Severe and Hazardous Weather Website.  These animations are described thoroughly in the text so that they can be understood in the context of the material in the chapter.  Use of the internet is integrated throughout the book. We maintain the “Severe and Hazardous Weather Website” which you can access at http://severewx.atmos.uiuc.edu   CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE!

The book is loaded with pedagogical material.  Questions within each chapter check the student’s understanding of the material, and questions at the end of the chapter further test the students understanding and simple problem solving skills.  A unique feature of the book is the set of activities in each chapter that encourage students to take full advantage of the wealth of weather information now available on the World Wide Web, all linked seamlessly through our book’s Severe and Hazardous Weather Website.  The book comes with a CD that is a mirror of the website and contains all the animations described in the book.  We have also published a second book of Active Learning Exercises for Severe and Hazardous Weather, which can be used to supplement the book.

Instructors who adopt the book also receive an instructor's manual. The manual contains teaching tips, sample lesson plans, Chapter Key words, potential test Questions (about 20 true/false and about 20 multiple choice per chapter), and answers to test questions and answers to the "Test your problem solving skills" questions at the back of each chapter in the book.
The Instructor's CD contains: Every figure in the book in jpg format, Every table in the book in MS Word format, Powerpoint files for each chapter containing all figures and tables in that chapter, and over 1000 true/false and multiple choice questions in MS Word format. If you are interested in examining the book for a course you teach, let me know, or contact Deb Roth at Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

RESEARCH, TEACHING, FIELD WORK, AND PUBLICATIONS

My research falls within the disciplines of physical meteorology, radar meteorology and mesoscale meteorology. Click on the following links to learn more about my current research projects, the courses I teach, the field campaigns I've been involved in, or to see a list of my publications.

I maintain very active programs in the fields of mesoscale meteorology and precipitation physics. I currently have three research grants from the National Science Foundation.  Much of my work involves collaborative efforts with other faculty members and scientists from other institutions. I love field research -- there is nothing more exciting in atmospheric science than living through (and flying through!) the weather you ultimately study, especially when you are using the most sophisticated state-of-the-art instruments. Field campaigns lead to new discoveries, the most exciting aspect of science.  Recent field campaigns I have been involved in include the Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean study (RICO), which was conducted in Antigua and Barbuda, two Caribbean islands in late 2004, and 2005, and the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Vortex Experiment (BAMEX), which was held in the central United States in late Spring of 2003.

I require my graduate students to produce research of publication quality and I encourage them all to participate, and preferably take the lead, in publication of their work. Most of my graduated students have published their research. I also strongly encourage all my students to present the results of their research at national and international scientific conferences. I believe it is critical for their self-development to have these opportunities for national exposure. In addition, exposure enhances their employment opportunities. I make every attempt to include my students in national field research programs. I have given many students, including department students not directly under my supervision, the opportunity to participate in national field programs that involve scientists from many universities, national centers and laboratories. My grants will have supported student participation in fourteen field projects by the end of 2005. I also involve many of my students in collaborative research with colleagues at other institutions.