Operational meteorologists

The study of the physical characteristics of the atmosphere falls within the purview of atmospheric scientists. Those interested in a career in this technical area should recognize that there are several categories of specialization. The major group of specialists are operational meteorologists, who are responsible for weather forecasts. They have to carefully study the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and barometric pressure from a number of weather stations to make daily and long-range forecasts. They use data from weather satellites, radar, special sensors, and observation stations in other locations to make forecasts. 

Given the importance of weather forecasting on a daily basis, operational meteorologists who work in weather stations may work on evenings, weekends, and holidays. Research scientists who are not engaged in weather forecasts may work regular hours. 

We met your group from Cal Tech and many of the others who later went on to Panama like Bob Brinton and Dave Volman. I am sure Francis Blacet was there too. The Chemical Warfare Corp was in charge of the operation, and I Icnow that the Airforce contributed meteorologists because one of their wives rode back with us to Berkeley. 

U.S. Sampling Activities. During the early quarter of this century, agriculturalists in the U.S. showed interest in the amount of nutrient falling on productive soils as evidenced by the literature in the 1920 s Q,4). Following the lead of Sweden, some interest in the chemistry of precipitation was expressed by meteorologists in the U.S. which culminated in the establishment of a national network in 1955 Q,6). This network was operated for a single year (1955-1956)... 

Air mass and weather front terminology were developed in Norway during World War I. Norwegian meteorologists were unable to get weather reports from the Atlantic theater of operations consequently, they developed a dense network of weather stations that led to impressive advances in atmospheric modeling that are still being used. 

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction, part of the National Weather Service, oversees operations by several key specialized service oigani-zations run by professional meteorologists. The most important of these are the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center in Washington, D.C., the Tropical Prediction Center (includes the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida), and the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, which maintains a constant tornado alert system for vulnerable gec raphical regions. Other operations include the Ocean Prediction Center, the Aviation Weather Center, the Climate Prediction Center, Environmental Modeling Center, and the Space Weather Prediction Center. 

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