9502009 Sousounis Under the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER), the Principal Investigator will perform research on the Great Lakes and integrate aspects of this research into the educational curriculum. The CAREER Program is an National Science Foundation Program is intended to support junior faculty within the context of their overall career development. It combines in a single program the support of quality research and education. For the research component, the Principal Investigator will utilized an advanced mesoscale numerical model to study the aggregate effect of the Great Lakes on larger scale meteorological systems. The Great Lakes effect weather on a variety of scales. While intense lake-effect storms are primarily the result of forcing from individual lakes, larger effects also occur in winter as a result of forcing from all the Great Lakes (e.g. the Great Lakes aggregate). Under certain cold air conditions, a 2000 km wide and 3 km deep circulation can develop that significantly impact weak synoptic-scale systems. The development and impact of lake-aggregate circulations have not yet been studied. The two primary research objectives are to understand: how lake-aggregate circulations develop energetically; and how heat aggregate-forced circulations depend on synoptic conditions and aggregate heating characteristics. The objectives of the educational component are to: bridge the gap between classroom work, theoretical knowledge and real-world problems; give students an in-depth look and hands-on experience on a problem concerning atmospheric scale interactions; provide students with experience in the applications of advanced computer technology. The educational component will be attacked through the development of homework problems; class projects and research opportunities. ***
