A  recent workshop on maths and science got me thinking about the weather forecast and how mathematics must be used in order to correctly predict the weather.

METEOROLOGY is the science that deals with the phenomena of the atmosphere, especially weather and weather conditions.

According to the met office calculations of subtle changes in the basic variables  are carried out. These include: wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure, density and humidity  this is recorded at millions of data points in our atmosphere. Seven basic equations at each data point are created which amounts to solving tens of millions of equations. Amazingly this is done in minutes because of computers capable of over one thousand billion calculations per second (a measure called petaflop), and databases hold information in multiple petabytes.

According to the Met Office ‘by combining equations describing heat and moisture with equations governing the wind and pressure, we can form a new variable called potential vorticity, or ‘PV’. Vorticity is a measure of swirling motion. PV actually helps us to identify key mechanisms that are responsible for the development, the intensity, and the motion of weather systems – including superstorms such as Hurricane Sandy – because it encapsulates over-arching physical principles that control the otherwise complicated ’cause and effect’ relationships. These principles enable us to decide what is predictable amid the detailed interactions.’

Techniques for making a forecast is to use weather maps to estimate . Things that might be estimated are: the speed of movement of air masses, fronts, and high and low pressure systems and all these things are plotted onto graphs and charts.

The ability to read temperatures and pressures is key to organising weather material.

Thermometer:   Is an instrument for measuring temperature, especially one having a graduated glass tube with a bulb containing a liquid, typically mercury or coloured alcohol, that expands and rises in the tube as the temperature increases. There will be a scale on this in positive numbers and negative numbers to represent the temperature.

Hydrometer:   Is an instrument  used for measuring the velocity or discharge of water, as in rivers, from reservoirs,from clouds to earth, etc., and called by various specific names.

So as we can se there are many mathematical concepts evident when forecasting the weather which include:

Equations
Geometry
Estimating,
Charts
Graphs
Scales

 

 

 

 

 

References 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/barometer/in-brief/2013-07/the-role-of-maths-in-weather-and-climate-prediction