2 http://www.met.rdg.ac.uk/cag/courses/Stats/ Course Aim: To introduce the basic statistical concepts rel- evant to environmental science and to provide experience in the Statistical concepts correct use and interpretation of the various statistical methods currently used in the analysis of weather/climate observed and in environmental science model simulated data. Practical Exercises Each topic covered in the lectures will be Dr. David B. Stephenson followed by exercises analyzing real data in practical computing
[email protected] classes using MINITAB statistical software. Department of Meteorology University of Reading Prerequisites Minimal statistical knowledge but some basic math- ematics and computer skills will be assumed. 10th January 2003 Course outline 1. Introduction \Some people hate the very name of stat- 2. Descriptive statistics istics but I ¯nd them full of beauty and in- 3. Basic probability concepts terest. Whenever they are not brutalized, 4. Probability distributions but delicately handled by the higher meth- 5. Parameter estimation ods, and are warily interpreted, their power 6. Statistical hypothesis testing of dealing with complicated phenomena is 7. Basic linear regression extraordinary." 8. Multiple and nonlinear regression - Sir Francis Galton 1 9. Introduction to time series 1 the person who invented the concept of correlation and the word anticyclone! 3 4 Acknowledgements The development of this course has bene¯ted from many stimulating dis- cussions with colleagues and students over the past few years. In particular, I wish to thank Nils Gunnar Kvamsto, Rasmus Benestad, and students at the University of Bergen for their helpful comments on the ¯rst version of this course.