Career Corner |
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FACTAristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher penned the term meteor or "things in the air." Forecasters are called meteorologist because they work with things in the air: rain, snow, ice, clouds, dust, and haze. |
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies the weather. A meteorologist’s responsibilites include forecasting the weather, researching weather phenomena, and analyzing air pollution and global warming data. Meteorologists can work for the government, universities, television and radio stations, at nuclear power plants, airports, farms and fisheries, insurance, investment companies and much more.
Meteorologists tell us what the weather will be so that we can dress properly and make plans. Other meteorologists study weather patterns to predict whether we will have enough rain or too much rain or, maybe, not enough. It is important to know what the weather is to be like so that we can make plans for planting crops and traveling into space. Weather forecasts help us to determine flight paths for airplanes, so that they can take off and land safely. Knowing where storms are at sea help ships avoid them so that they can safely carry their passengers and cargo to their destinations. Storm warnings also allow people to prepare and protect their family and property.
Weather is often unpredictable and does not act as the meteorologist predicts but most of the time, the predictions are true and helpful. Millions of lives have been saved because meteorologists correctly predicted the weather.
While in school, work on developing your analysis and critical thinking skills. Concentrate on math and science courses, especially the advanced courses, such as calculus and the physical sciences. Maintain a high overall grade point average.
The basic college requirement for becoming a meteorologist is a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology or Atmospheric Sciences. Some research, teaching, or management positions require a Masters of Science degree or a Ph.D.
Below are just a few of the possible careers within meteorology.
Air quality meteorologist investigate air pollution, gather and analyze data about air borne pollutants and recommending, advising, and developing solutions that impact our daily lives. Environmental assessments, permitting, dispersion modeling, and ambient monitoring are often conducted for industries--potential polluters--that wish to build new plants, expand existing ones, or address citizen concerns about pollutant impacts.
Astrometeorologists study and research planetary weather on planetary bodies other than earth, most evident in the recent exploration of Mars.
Biometeorologists investigate how weather affects the human body in the areas of air borne pollutants and allergens, as well as the subtle differences of atmospheric pressure on joints.
Paleoclimatologists study ancient climates to map the global climate pattern and the resultant impact on various forms of life and cultures
Weather forecasters predict the weather and relay the forecast to their audience. Media weathercasting for television, radio, and newspapers is the highest profile of all careers in meteorology. The highest profile forecasters are in television weathercasting. Careers on T.V. range from celebrity-type positions at major networks and cable channels to part-time, relatively obscure jobs at small stations. Weather forecasters are also needed for private industries, the military, and aviation industry.
Forensic meteorologist apply meteorology expertise to legal matters and police investigations. Forensic cases may range from the relatively routine--people slipping on ice and breaking bones--to headline-making events such as homicides and vehicle crashes.
Applied research deals primarily with weather and climate observation, analysis, and forecasting. In other words, it is research you can apply to everyday activities and operations. Included in such research are the development of forecast techniques and forecast verification methods, and the performance of diagnostic and case studies.
Basic research addresses more fundamental atmospheric processes such as the formation of clouds and precipitation, air-sea interactions, radiation budgets, aerosol transport, thermodynamics, and global general circulation. A variety of size and time scales are involved, ranging from a few centimeters to hundreds of kilometers and from minutes to centuries. The end results of basic research often support advances in numerical weather prediction models. Currently, one of the hot issues in basic research is global warming.
Weather forecasting is certainly the most recognizable meteorology endeavor. While weather forecasting is exciting and demanding, it typically is not a Monday through Friday nine-to-five job. It is a profession that requires around-the-clock attention. That means working weekends, holidays, nights, evenings, early mornings--times when most other folks are relaxing or sleeping. Media weathercasting for television, radio, and newspapers clearly is the highest profile of all careers in meteorology. At the top of the profile totem pole is television weathercasting. Employment in that market segment ranges from celebrity-type positions at major networks and cable channels to part-time, relatively obscure jobs at small-market stations.
Materials are adapted from the following resources:
http://www.ametsoc.org/AMS/
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
http://weather.com/