Spring 2021
GEOG 560 Seminar in Geographic Information Science: Effective monitoring and response for weather related hazards
- Semester: Spring 2021
- Instructor: Helen Greatrex
- Office: 211 Walker Building
- E-mail: hlg5155@psu.edu
- Office hours: TBD
- Class time: TBD
Description
Learning how to deal with the weather is one of oldest challenges facing humanity, and extreme events can impact almost every aspect of human life. Remote sensing and models have changed the game about how we forecast, monitor and respond to weather related disasters. But equally, one must go beyond meteorological knowledge; effectively responding to the weather requires both knowledge of both the meteorological conditions and the context of the communities it affects. Pulling together hazard, vulnerability, risk, impact and action is a challenging, interdisciplinary process.
In this seminar, we will be exploring how Weather/Climate Risk Management is informed by remote sensing, geographical, meteorological and sociological research. Discussions will include topics such as vulnerability assessment; remote sensing techniques; post-event analysis; weather justice; or exploring the research underpinning tools such as Forecast Based Finance. weather insurance, or public health.
The seminar will include a variety of invited conversations with experts across the weather risk management field (including disaster/humanitarian response, global reinsurers, forecasters and researchers). We will then merge these with an assessment of current literature and case studies to tie everything together. The seminar will end with an opportunity to explore an extreme weather event of interest to you.