Meteorologist
(Weather Man)
 Perhaps the most direct way
in which people benefit from earth science research is through daily
weather prediction. Weather systems thousands of miles away have an
effect on you right here at home. Earth science satellites provide
up-to-the-minute information about weather patterns across the entire world,
allowing meteorologists to forecast what's headed your way.
More than just images of clouds, meteorologists compare temperature
readings, winds, atmospheric pressure, precipitation patterns, and other
variables to form an accurate picture of our climate. From past
readings, meteorologists are able to draw conclusions and make
predictions about how our climate will translate into local weather every
day. They can also develop computer models that predict how climate and
weather may vary in the future as a result of human activity.
Meteorologists also carry out basic research to help us understand the
way the atmosphere works, ranging from why hurricanes and tornadoes form
when and where they do, to why the ozone hole formed over the Antarctic
in the spring. They use satellites, aircraft, ships, and balloons to
take the data needed to help understand, document, and predict weather
and climate.
If understanding the atmosphere around you, helping to predict how it
behaves - both today and in the future - sounds interesting to you, learn
more about meteorology!
Updated: January 22, 2003
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