Climatology - Meteorology of Climate

Observatories forecast weather by collecting ground and upper-atmosphere data, including wind, pressure, temperature, and humidity, using radar, rockets, and satellites, then mapping and predicting short-, medium-, and long-term weather.

Observe meteorological data at least three times daily to capture the day's high and low, humidity, air pressure, and wind changes for accurate forecasts and daily averages.

Relative humidity measures how full the air is with water vapor, defined as R = e / E × 100%, and temperature governs whether air feels drier or more humid.

Understand how sun-heated soil and water set air temperature, measured indirectly by a thermometer on a Stevenson screen, using Celsius or Fahrenheit scales to describe weather.

The observatory uses weather maps to analyze cold and warm air contrasts, predict future weather, and track wind, pressure, temperature, humidity, cloud cover, and cloud data across a wide region.

Explain why forecasters broadcast the synoptic situation in weather forecasts by linking typhoons, high and low pressure systems, and their movement to regional weather predictions.

Discover why meteorology uses millibars for air pressure, replacing mercury-height measures with a standard force unit. Temperature affects pressure, and 1013 millibars define a standard atmosphere.

Learn why high pressure centers yield sunny weather: air flows clockwise outward and descends, clearing skies; low pressure draws air inward and upward, causing clouds and rain.

Explore how high pressure ridges form on surface weather maps and why low pressure troughs bring clouds and rain by isobars and inflowing air.

Explain why typhoon forecasts appear as typhoon news, typhoon warning, and typhoon emergency warning, detailing center position, intensity, wind, and rain forecasts to guide timely defense.

Extratropical cyclones form when cold and warm air meet, creating a low-pressure center that drives rain and winds. In the Northern Hemisphere, winds rotate counterclockwise.

Investigate how high altitude wind energy informs weather prediction by examining upper air wind direction and speed, and their links to cold and warm air masses and cloud formation.

Fronts are boundaries between cold and warm air; cold fronts bring cooling and rain, warm fronts bring warming and rain, and stationary fronts cause rain, like Yangtze basin plum rain.

Describe how electronic computers enable numerical weather prediction by solving atmospheric equations with hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and statistics from observation data to forecast weather and long-term trends.

Weather radars emit waves that reflect off typhoons, thunderstorms, and rainstorms, displaying echoes on a fluorescent screen to measure distance, track movement, and assess storm intensity.

Hydrogen balloons resonate with low-frequency waves from distant storms, producing vibrations that alert sailors to storm proximity and enable simple automatic storm recording.

Learn how the laser ceilometer surpasses balloon and ceiling projector methods by measuring cloud height with a compact, high power laser cloud meter. Its rotating emission system enables flexible deployment.

Explore why meteorological satellites are essential for measuring the upper atmosphere, including ionosphere and solar radiation effects, and linking these to lower-atmosphere weather for better forecasts.

Placing meteorological observation in an open area ensures air can flow freely and represents the true nature of the air, avoiding microclimate effects that distort measurements for reliable weather forecasts.

Explain why observatory instruments such as anemometers and Stevenson screens are higher in the north and lower in the south, to avoid shadows and ensure reliable measurements.

Paint the Stevenson screen white to reflect sunlight and prevent heating, ensuring the temperature and humidity readings reflect the free atmosphere in the shade.

hair can measure humidity with a simple hair hygrometer, since hair fibers expand with moisture and contract when dry, linking atmospheric humidity to weather changes.

Observe soil temperature to time sowing and transplanting, as soil heat drives root activity, water uptake, and microbial activity, shaping crop growth and soil fertility.

Discover how a barometer, the weather gauge, uses air pressure changes to forecast weather. Rising pressure signals dry weather; falling signals rain.