Weather Data Sources: How Humans Observe the Atmosphere
When you can access a reliable weather forecast from anywhere just by opening an app on your phone, it’s easy to forget that it hasn’t always been this way. In our recent article, we’ve explored the turbulent history of weather forecasting theory and applied tools.
Simply put, the Earth’s atmosphere is a chaotic mess; however, that doesn’t make it entirely unpredictable. To deliver accurate forecasts, meteorologists need to feed their computer models lots of data — the more, the merrier. This data and the initial estimates produced by large providers power Meteum, our cutting-edge weather forecasting platform.
In order to make a weather forecast for any particular location, the conditions of the atmosphere must be known for that location and the surrounding area. Temperature, air pressure, and plenty of other parameters have to be measured as often as possible. Today, we want to discuss the many tools and technologies used to collect weather data.
Thermometers
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you picture a thermometer? We’re willing to bet you imagine a classic thermometer with mercury inside. When temperatures are high, the mercury in the thermometer’s tube expands, and vice versa.
Some meteorological thermometers work on a similar principle, just on a larger scale, sometimes with ethanol inside as a substitute for mercury. However, most scientific thermometers designed to measure atmospheric temperatures are much more complex and allow for near-perfect precision. They use a metal coil, infrared radiation, or electrical resistance.
Barometers
In meteorology, barometers are used to gauge air pressure. These devices can contain water, air, or mercury, but by far the most common variation is a strictly mechanical device using springs.
Any significant change in barometric pressure is a telltale sign of a coming change in weather. If air pressure rises, clear skies can be expected. If it drops, it’s best to prepare your umbrella.
Anemometers
A classic mechanical anemometer looks like a propeller with hemispherical cups for blades. Some modern anemometers use ultrasonics or lasers. You can find at least one variation of this device at any weather station. These devices capture the speed and direction of the wind, allowing meteorologists to predict a whole slew of atmospheric processes.
Weather Stations
Weather stations are usually packed with thermometers and barometers of various types, along with other instruments measuring wind speed, wind direction, humidity, and precipitation. You can find a weather station in most locations; each station can only service a relatively modest area, so they must be abundant.
Radiosondes
A radiosonde, more commonly known as a weather balloon (although, technically, “radiosonde” only refers to the actual device attached to a balloon), is a complex apparatus with an arsenal of tools to measure atmospheric characteristics. In hundreds of locations around the globe, weather balloons or drones are launched twice every day.
As they drift in the air, radiosondes obtain data and relay it to researchers via radio signals. In some cases, radiosondes are dropped toward the ground from airplanes or high-altitude balloons, which is a common method to monitor storms.
Radars
Any radar works like this: it sends out radio waves that bounce off the nearby objects and then return. Weather radars can sense many precipitation characteristics, such as location, motion, and intensity. These metrics help mathematical models determine the likelihood of future rain, snow, or hail. Doppler radar can also track the speed of clouds. Another use for radar in meteorology is outlining the structure of a storm and estimating its possible impact.
Satellites
Weather satellites have been important weather data sources ever since the first launch in 1960. They’re the ultimate way to monitor complex meteorological systems that cover too much area or are too destructive for radars and weather stations to handle, such as massive storms. With the help of satellites, we can also monitor long-term changes, such as the ice caps thawing. This information drives humanity’s decisions to reverse climate change.
They also observe all energy from all wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) are the hallmark of the U.S. National Weather Service. These satellites perpetually monitor specific locations from the altitude of over 36,000 kilometers thanks to moving in perfect sync with the Earth’s rotation: that’s where the Geostationary part comes from. Different types of GOES specialize in monitoring specific events and processes:
- The first type of GOES capture visible light imagery and can record storms, clouds, fires, and smog.
- Infrared satellites monitor clouds, water and land temperatures, and ocean currents.
- Finally, water vapor satellites observe the moisture content in the upper layers of the atmosphere, helping meteorologists determine if certain clouds can grow into gigantic storm clouds.
But that makes for just half of the story. The satellites you might’ve occasionally seen speeding through the night sky are Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES). These travel much closer to Earth than GOES at only about 850 kilometers and orbit the planet pole-to-pole, 14 times per day.
User Reports
However, we at Meteum knew that the existing tools don’t quite allow for the hyperlocal precision we had been striving to achieve. That’s why we introduced this groundbreaking technology that allows Meteum users to refine our nowcasts by submitting direct reports.
Occasionally, users are prompted to confirm or reject what they see in the app. Machine intelligence takes these messages into account and instantly refines the forecast. This simple approach allows our models to deliver nowcasts accurate to the individual neighborhood.
This is just a tiny fraction of the tech behind monitoring our planet’s atmosphere. Without this constant stream of data, some of our most vital industries would fall apart in days: agriculture, city services, construction, ground transport, and all subsets of aviation heavily depend on accurate weather prediction.
Employing sophisticated tech at the forefront of modern meteorology, our team of meteorologists and engineers has put together Meteum — the best weather forecasting platform for your business. Take full advantage of our gorgeous live precipitation map, hyperlocal nowcasts, precise weather forecasts, and countless advanced features available through the Meteum API. Claim your free API key at meteum.io to get started!
