Meteorology

Meteorology is the science that focuses on the Earth's atmosphere. People who study meteorology are called meteorologists. Meteorologists record air pressure, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, weather patterns, and other information. Meteorologists use this data to understand weather and to predict it. Meteorology is a major branch of earth science. Meteorologists study the causes of particular weather conditions using information obtained from the land, sea and upper atmosphere.

They use computerized and mathematical models to make short and long-range forecasts concerning weather and climate patterns. A variety of organizations use meteorological forecasts including:

• transport services, particularly air and sea travel
• shipping and sea fishing industries and sailing organisations
• government services, e.g. firefighters or for advice on climate change policy
• armed forces
• farmers;
• public services
• mass media
• industry and retail businesses
• insurance companies
• health services

In addition to forecasting, meteorologists study the impact of weather on the environment and conduct research into weather patterns, climate change and models of weather prediction.

Meteorology Media

• Parhelion (sundog) in Savoie

• Golden Gate Bridge as seen at twilight from Baker Beach.jpg

  Golden Gate Bridge as seen at twilight from Baker Beach

• Wea00920.jpg

  A hemispherical cup anemometer

• Earth Global Circulation - en.svg

  General circulation of the Earth's atmosphere: The westerlies and trade winds are part of the Earth's atmospheric circulation.

• Cloud types.svg

  Cloud classification by altitude of occurrence

• IBM 7090 console used by a meteorologist, 1965.jpg

  A meteorologist at the console of the IBM 7090 in the Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit, c. 1965

• Huracán Hugo.jpg

  Satellite image of Hurricane Hugo with a polar low visible at the top of the image

• Surface analysis.gif

  NOAA: Synoptic scale weather analysis

Related pages

• World Meteorological Organization