Second Annual Weather Video Preview Theater
Monday –Thursday, 15–18 January; 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
The Second Annual Weather Video Preview Theater will be yet another highlight at this year’s Annual Meeting.  The theater will be held Monday­–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–­5:30 p.m.

There will be continuously scheduled showings of a wide variety of exciting and educational DVDs on weather, storms, and the environment that will appeal to viewers of all interests. This will also be a chance for educators and weather enthusiasts to preview the DVDs before purchase. Many will be on sale at the conference ( AMS Resource Center) or through www.Sky-Fire.TV. A portion of the proceeds will benefit AMS educational programs.

Relax for a while in the showing room, a port in the conference storm, and watch some exciting videos about…storms!  The STORMS of 2006 chase videos will be joined by some great specials produced for the television series NOVA on hurricanes (Katrina, Gilbert, Camille), a volcano under a city, the Mount Pinatubo eruption in retrospect, killer earthquakes and the 2004 tsunami. The sad tale of Isaac’s Storm from The History Channel will debut as well.

There will be a special showing of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth on Sunday night and at Noon Thursday (Ballroom C). Climate change will be featured in diverse programs covering the Little Ice Age and Dimming the Sun, which examines aerosol impacts on our atmosphere.

We will also preview our new Research Channel series, The American Meteorological Society Journal, with Phil Krider's wonderful Benjamin Franklin’s Science marking the statesman and inventor’s 300th birthday celebration. And the aurora, solar storms, red sprites, blizzards, lightning bolts and time-lapse cloud videos set to music will all star, along with quite a few AMS members, in many other exciting DVDs.

For additional information, or to suggest DVDs for future consideration, please contact Walt Lyons (e-mail, walyons@frii.com).

 

WELCOME TO THE 2007 AMS WEATHER VIDEO PREVIEW THEATER

 

Continuous showings of the Weather Video Preview Theatre will be from 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. each day in Room of the Convention Center. The exception will be Sunday evening and  Thursday, Noon-1:45 PM in Ballroom C when there will be a special showing of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Most programs are available for purchase as DVDs in the AMS Resource Center in the Exhibit area, while supplies last, or on line throughout the year at www.Sky-Fire.TV.

A portion of the proceeds fund AMS education and outreach programs.

 

(Please see bottom and reverse side for program  descriptions.)

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     Monday, 15 JANUARY 2007

 

8:00 a.m Storms of 2006 (excerpts)

8:45 a.m. In the Path of a Killer Volcano

9:45 a.m.     Aurora Borealis (narrated program)

10:15 a.m.   Solar Max (an IMAX™ film)

11:00 a.m.   Hurricane Katrina: A Storm Chaser’s Story

12:00 p.m.   Tsunami: The Wave That Shook the World

1:00 p.m.     Cloud Catcher: A Sky Symphony

1:30 p.m.     Storms of 2004 (excerpts)

2:00 p.m.     Killer Quake

3:00 p.m.     Lightning!

4:00 p.m.     Isaac’s Storm

 

 

    Tuesday, 16 JANUARY 2007

 

8:00 a.m.      Stormchasers (an IMAX™ film)

8:45 a.m.      The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite

9:30 a.m.     Katrina: The Storm that Drowned a City

10:30 a.m.   Tim Samaras: Driven by Passion (selection 1)

11:30 a.m.   Blizzard – Whiteout!

12:15 p.m.   Dimming the Sun

1:15 p.m.     Katrina: America’s Costliest Storm

2:00 p.m.     Ultimate Disaster: Tsunami

3:00 p.m.     The AMS Journal: Ben Franklin’s Science

4:00 p.m.     Little Ice Age: Big Chill

 

 

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Brief Descriptions of the Video Programs

 

An Inconvenient Truth*

Two special showings of the feature film by the Honorable Al Gore.  The third highest grossing documentary film ever, it is being mentioned for an Academy Award…and is still the source of ongoing debate. If you haven’t seen it, here is your chance on Sunday Night or mid-day Thursday. DVDs available for purchase.

 

Aurora Borealis (the program)*

Stunning, real-time aurora video from Iceland is the most realistic depiction of the northern lights yet captured on video, along with a narrative describing the history and the physics of aurora. A perfect DVD for any class on space

physics, astronomy or earth sciences.

             Wednesday, 17 JANUARY 2007

 

8:00 a.m.      Tim Samaras: Driven by Passion (selection 2)

8:30 a.m.       Volcano Under the City

9:30 a.m.       Hurricane Katrina: A Storm Chaser’s Story

10:30 a.m.     Nature Tech: Lightning

11:15 a.m.     Stormchasers (an IMAX™ film)

12:00 p.m.     The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite

12:45 p.m.     Storms of 2005 (excerpts)

1:30 p.m.       Katrina: The Storm that Drowned a City

2:30 p.m.       Storms of 2006 (excerpts)

3:15 p.m.       Lightning!

4:00 p.m.       Hurricane Charley: Punta Gorda, Friday 13th

 

 

          Thursday, 18 JANUARY 2007

 

8:00 a.m.      Katrina in New Orleans: Before, During, After

9:15 a.m.      Tim Samaras: Driven by Passion (selection 1)

10:00 a.m.    Hurricane Katrina: A Storm Chaser’s Story

11:00 a.m.    The AMS Journal: Ben Franklin’s Science

12:00 P.M.    An Inconvenient Truth    

       (Shown in____________)

1:45 p.m.      Dimming the Sun

2:45 p.m.      Aurora Borealis (set to music)

3:15 p.m.      Solar Max (an IMAX™ film)

4:00 p.m.      Little Ice Age: Big Chill

 

 

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Aurora Borealis (set to  music)*

The ultimate cosmic experience. Almost 40 minutes of stunning color, real-time northern lights set to the music of Gustav Holst. This is just a pure "sit back and watch in wonder" DVD.  (It comes along with the narrative program version plus still images in a beautifully packaged DVD. A perfect gift!)

 

Benjamin Franklin’s Science*

Prof. Phillip Krider prepared this wonderful presentation to celebrate Franklin’s

Tercentenary. And this program also marks Volume 1 of The American Meteorological Society Journal, a new video series on ResearchChannel.org

which premiers this month on satellite, cable and the Internet.

 

Blizzards – Whiteout!*

This History Channel production chronicles four historic winter tempests which changed America. Two blizzards of 1888 – one in the urban east and a tragedy on the northern plains – remain compelling stories, as is the tale of the snow storms that toppled the Chicago political machine.

 

Cloud Catcher*

A “Fantasia for Clouds.”  Time lapse cloudscapes set to a musical score (Vivaldi, Mozart, Grieg, Albinoni and more). Perfect for the home theater, the ten chapters can also be used to illustrate in the classroom key cloud system behaviors (stratus, convective systems, mountain wave clouds, etc.)

 

Dimming the Sun**

NOVA documents a climate conundrum...the amount of sunlight reaching Earth is dropping and cooling the atmosphere. And also masking the full impact of global warming? Scientists investigate the impacts of anthropogenic aerosols on dimming the sun… yet another very inconvenient truth.

 

Tim Samaras: Driven By Passion* (selections)

Engineer Tim Samaras not only chases tornadoes, he catches them! And he became the first to obtain both video and pressure drop records inside the vortex. This 2 DVD set is an exciting first person account of his adventures.

 

Hurricane Charley: Punta Gorda, Friday the 13th*

Ever wonder what is it like standing in the eye wall of a CAT 4 hurricane while buildings around you begin to disintegrate in 145 mph winds? These chasers captured some of wildest wind and rain footage ever!.

 

Hurricane Katrina: A Storm Chaser’s Story*

Storm chaser Jim Edds and his team experience the “other Katrina,” the winds and storm surge devastation along the Mississippi coast. This award winning DVD also has scenes shot onboard the NOAA G4 and USAF P3s.

 

In the Path of a Killer Volcano*

The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo was a major climate event…and a formidable forecasting challenge for volcanologists charged with the decision of whether to evacuate Clark AFB. Watch the world’s largest eruption in 80 years, followed by the devastation wrought by volcanic ash and typhoon rains

 

Isaac’s Storm*

This History Channel feature film is a dramatization of Erik Larson’s award winning book of the same name. Experience the Galveston disaster through the personal story of meteorologist Isaac Cline. And ponder just how much we have really learned about disaster preparedness in the last 107 years.

 

Killer Quake*

The January 17, 1994 Northridge quake was the last major U.S. seismic event. NOVA explores what else might be lurking beneath the surface of  Los Angeles. A network of potentially deadly faults runs right under downtown.

 

Katrina in New Orleans: Before, During and After*

Videographer and chaser Doug Kiesling had one of the few cameras rolling inside New Orleans during and after Katrina. But watch this first person narrative of the storm, its blinding fury, and the sudden chilling realization that the waters are rising…and he needs a way out! Fast!

 

Katrina -  America’s Costliest Storm*

From the Coastal Weather Research Center of the University of Southern Alabama, Dr. Bill Williams assembles the satellite and radar imagery, along with the damage surveys that document the life cycle of this legendary storm. Excellent for earth science classroom instruction.

 

Katrina - The Storm That Drowned a City*

Eyewitness testimony of what actually happened during Katrina along with state-of-the-art graphic descriptions of the calamity. And NOVA asks the key question: what can be done to restore New Orleans to a habitable and safe city?

Lightning!*

The atmosphere’s most dazzling and dangerous display explored by NOVA.

Many AMS members appear in this classic program which highlights lightning,

both natural and triggered. Listen to golfer Lee Trevino recount his shocking tale.

 

Nature Tech:  Lightning*

The History Channel and many AMS members team up to prove this excellent overview of the history of lightning, and various detection and protection strategies. Dr. Maryanne Cooper explains the trauma experience by strike victims.

 

Solar Max*

This amazing IMAX™ film is arguably one of the best science films ever made. Stunning visuals and an incredible musical score describe the sun-earth system in ways that will both amaze and inspire.  SPECIAL BONUS:  AMS special DVD offer includes the Nigel Westlake soundtrack on CD!

 

Storms of 2004* (selections)

The first in the Storms of…series from the gang at NSSL, showing highlights from the incredible 2004 season. Great music. Great video. Scary stuff! 

Storms of 2005*  (selections)   

A compilation of the best storm chases of 2005, produced by Greg Stumpf and Jim Ladue, complete with detailed map discussions, radar, satellite and a musical score. A great teaching tool for the classroom – or just plain vicarious fun for us deskbound folks who can’t chase come tornado season.

 

Storms of 2006*  (selections)             

The 2006 Great Plains chase season was slow, but also bookended by some great storms early and late. And legions of dedicated chasers were ready to intercept by car, van…and even helicopter. And if you like BIG hail…you’ll love this DVD.  Portions of the proceeds also benefit the American Red Cross.

 

Stormchasers*

This classic IMAX™ now on HD DVD chronicles the great chase using vans, Dopplers on Wheels, P3 aircraft and even sail planes. A great classroom

introduction to tornadoes, hurricanes and monsoons.       

 

The Hundred Year Hunt for the Red Sprite*

A scientific detective story. For over a century, people have reported seeing strange lights above storms in the night sky – and they were! But how did science prove these events were real?  Award winning DVD with companion educational website and tutorials for teachers (www.Sky-Fire.TV).

 

Tsunami: The Wave the Shook the World**

December 26, 2004...the earth’s crust slipped along a 700-mile-long fault off the coast of Sumatra…and 250,000 people perished. This NOVA special chronicles the minute-by-minute history of this disaster, plus investigates the scientific investigation of why these waves were so destructive. Chilling video.

 

Ultimate Disaster: Tsunami

This New Zealand production is not available in the U.S., but it contains some of the best footage from the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster, which is then placed in the context of other great tsunamis in Alaska, Japan and the landslide-induced tsunami which could potentially someday destroy Honolulu.

 

Volcano Under the City*

If you thought tornado chasers were a little crazy, wait until you see what these intrepid volcanologists do! Is the central African city of Goma threatened by a Mt. Nyiragongo eruption? And could you identify a mazuku as this insidious CO2 hazard silently takes innocent lives?

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* Available in the AMS Resource Center in the Convention Center or on line at www.Sky-Fire.TV

 

** Available from WGBH Boston at 1-800-949-8670