Measuring and Analysis of climate

Moaning about the weather....very British but how easy is it to put together a weather forecast and is it done in modern times as it was done in the past. I have looked into the factors that need to be considered when discussing the climate and some ways climate is measured.

To measure climate accurately 7 factors need to be considered. These are:

·         Temperature and precipitation – varying temperature is arguably the most direct indication of changes within the atmosphere.

·         Pressure – similarly to temperature this is an indication of atmospheric conditions.

·         Biomass – this is analysed by monitoring flora and fauna over longer periods of time and identifying differences in species and mass.

·         Sea level – changes in sea level can indicate variations in ocean salinity, a factor known to both be greatly affected by climate and to greatly affect climate.

·         Solar activity – influences climate through varying solar radiation.

·         Volcanic eruptions – alter climate patterns locally by aerosol emissions.

·         Chemical composition – research indicates a strong correlation between certain gasses (e.g. CO₂ and CH₄) and temperature.

In the past measuring climate focused on air pressure, temperature, precipitation. This relied on comparatively simple technology such as the pressure gauge, thermometer or rain gauge. In the modern day, measurement and analyses of weather is primarily carried out using a combination of weather balloons, satellites and local weather stations.

Local weather stations:

Weather stations are able to measure several of the variables mentioned above using incredibly precise equipment. A weather station will typically be located in open areas where the human impact on surrounding environment is limited. Weather stations aren’t limited to set points on land but also come in the form of ships and buoys which can monitor conditions at sea.

Weather stations tend to have vast amounts of equipment to monitor wind speed, humidity and temperature which are measured with varying instruments.

Wind speed: most weather stations will be equipped with a highly accurate weather vane to indicate wind directions as well as an anemometer.  The anemometer indicates wind speed and is composed of small cups which are caught in the wind causing the device to spin at a speed. This spinning is then translated into a wind speed, commonly expressed in Mph.

Humidity: this is measured using a hygrometer. Arguably the most accurate type is the chilled mirror hygrometer which measures the temperature of a mirror at the point that a drop of moisture begins to condense. This gives name to the dew point.

Temperature:  the majority of weather stations are equipped with a ‘Stevenson screen’ which ensures the measurement of temperature (via a thermometer installed internally) isn’t affected by solar irradiation.

 The slats on the side allow air to circulate and ensure an accurate temperature reading. Two thermometers are placed inside, one of which is constantly wet. This can be used to indicate evaporation and (therefore humidity) in a similar fashion to the hygrometer.   

Next post- I will be adding some more examples of measuring climate and providing some form of analysis on the different methods chosen to monitor climate