What Are the Instruments Used in Observing Weather?
Meteorologists employ a diverse assortment of instruments to observe weather conditions. These instruments allow a meteorologist to forecast the weather by relaying information to them about many aspects of the atmosphere.
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Thermometer
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Thermometers indicate air temperature A thermometer is an enclosed tube of glass that contains a liquid such as mercury that will expand or contract according to the temperature, allowing a person to read the temperature.
Barometer
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Barometers relay information about the atmospheric pressure, which is a very important part of weather forecasting. High pressure is an indicator of fair weather while low pressure typically is a precursor to some sort of precipitation.
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Rain and Water Vapor
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The amount of water vapor in the air, known as the relative humidity, is the target of a sling psychrometer, which is one of the more complex weather instruments. A rain gauge on the other hand is simply a container that catches rain and measures how much falls.
Measuring Wind
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Two instruments give a meteorologist data about the wind. The wind vane specifies where the wind blows from while an anemometer is denotes the actual speed of the wind.
Advanced Instrumentation
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Doppler radar, weather balloons and computerized models of potential weather scenarios are some of the types of modern advancements in weather instruments that give meteorologists intricate and detailed information.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Olivier
