What Does a Meteorologist Do?
What is Meteorology?
The science of the atmosphere is known as meteorology. It is coined from the Greek word “meteoron” which translates to something that happens up in the sky. Ancient Greek meteorologists studied the behavior of winds, clouds, and rain and tried to understand how these weather phenomena were related to one another. The weather was important to the Greeks for seamen who sailed to the sea and for farming. Today, change in weather affects more than just the basic lifestyle, it affects the movement of planes, farming, communication, and several other aspects of humanity.
Who is a Meteorologist?
According to the American Meteorological Society, a meteorologist is a person who has received specialized education and applies scientific principles to observe, understand, or forecast the atmospheric changes and how they affect life on earth. A lot of meteorologists show interest in mathematics, chemistry, and physics although people with degrees in other fields can also join the field. The term "atmospheric science” describes the involvement of meteorology and other physical science in studying the atmosphere.
What do Meteorologists do?
Meteorologists study the changes in weather conditions and predict the weather and climate in relation to the environmental processes and how it may impact people and the economy. Meteorologists can predict the weather, teach, and even offer support services to organizations such as the military. The core functions of meteorologists are weather forecasting and warnings, atmospheric research, and broadcast meteorology.
Weather Forecasting and Warnings
Forecasting the weather has always been the main function of meteorologists, and several people are drawn to the profession by the challenge of forecasting an event and seeing people respond to the forecast. There are about 10,000 surface weather stations across the globe. About 500 weather balloons are also released to record upper-air measurements. Other data collection tools include aircraft, radars, and satellites. The aviation industry relies on weather forecast to map traffic routes for aircraft, constructors, and sports organizers also use weather forecast to plan for the best day to complete tasks.
Atmospheric Research
Meteorologists also seek to understand the atmosphere, how it works and its impact on human and living organisms. Currently, atmospheric scientists are trying to determine the threat degradation of the ozone layer which results in global warming and how an increase in temperature affects humans. Meteorologists are working closely with physical scientists, mathematicians, chemists, oceanographers, and other researchers in other fields to determine the impact of global warming in their respective fields. Alongside computer scientists, meteorologists develop computer models and simulate the effects of varying weather and climatic conditions.
Broadcast Meteorology
A lot of people know meteorologists and the people who present weather and weather on radio, television, and write weather articles on newspapers. They are known as broadcast meteorologists, and their responsibility is to gather data from reliable sources and present them to the viewer in a manner that they understand. To gather and present the data, the presenter requires a strong background in meteorology and computer competence and good communication skills. Broadcast meteorologists are very influencing in the society, and most people plan their day based on the weather prediction from the radio or television.
