Meteorological Data Systems

Instrument History, Techniques and Applications

By: Daniel Ruth

Observing the Atmosphere

• Dates back to 1600’s• Benjamin Franklin first to track a storms

transient nature• Other early observers included Thomas

Jefferson, George Washington and Louis and Clark

Observation Program

• 1870: President Grant authorizes creation of a national weather service

• Birth of aviation spurs rapid growth in weather observation

• 1920’s: Navy and Weather Bureau utilize aircraft for observing weather

Remote Sensing

• 1950’s: Remote sensing is created through the invention of RADAR and Satellite

• Technology was spawned from post war military technological developments

• Allow for observation of remote areas

Satellites

• Two types of satellite: Geostationary and Polar Orbiting

• Geostationary: Big picture, orbits at 22,000 miles in altitude

• Polar Orbiter: Detailed picture, orbits at 800 miles in altitude

Satellite Imagery

• Three main types of imagery• Water vapor, Visible wavelength and

Infrared Wavelength

RADAR

• RAdio Detection And Ranging• Electromagnetic waves reflect off of

atmospheric particles• Doppler Radar used for determining

movement of particles

Data Assimilation

• Data is gathered at the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)

• Quality checked through statistical methods

• Used as initial conditions in numerical weather prediction models

Numerical Modeling

• Three primary models in the U.S.• Global Forecast Simulation (GFS)• North American Mesoscale model (NAM)• Rapid Update Cycle model (RUC)

Predictability

• Current model skill is about 5-7 days• Dr. Edward Lorenz discovers finite

predictability and creates chaos theory• Prediction accuracy hinges on accurate

high resolution observation

Questions?