Weather by the Numbers: The Genesis of Modern Meteorology

摘要

There were several key developments that took place during the twentieth century that have contributed to the improved accuracy of our weather forecasts today. The development of the polar-front theory and air mass analysis by members of the Bergen School in Norway following World War I provided meteorologists with a better understanding of the evolution of weather systems and how to predict their movement. The application of radar technology to meteorology during World War II allowed forecasters to "look inside" approaching storms to better determine their location, intensity, and movement. The launch of the first successful weather satellite, TIROS I, in 1960 offered a never-before-seen view of weather systems from space-invaluable in tracking the movements of tropical and other large scale weather systems. rnBut one of the most important-and perhaps least recognized (especially among non-meteorologists)-achievements in the history of modern meteorology has been the development of numerical weather prediction. The ability to use computer models to predict the weather tipped the scales of weather forecasting in favor of being more a science than an art.