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The Open University

Watching the weather

The Open University via OpenLearn

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Overview

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This free course, Watching the weather, describes how meteorological observations are made looking upwards from the surface of the Earth, looking downwards from satellites in space and from aircraft and balloons within the atmosphere. This international network of observations is vital for scientists and forecasters and the results impact on everyones daily activities.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Recording the weather: from the surface
  • 1 Recording the weather: from the surface
  • 1.1 What is worth recording?
  • 1.2 Weather observations
  • 1.3 Automated weather observation
  • 1.4 The global perspective
  • 2 Recording the weather: from the top down
  • 2 Recording the weather: from the top down
  • 2.1 The view from space
  • 2.2 Observing the Earth in the visible and infrared
  • 2.3 Comparing with the view from the ground
  • 2.4 Observing at other frequencies
  • 2.5 Where to see satellite images
  • 3 Recording the weather: filling in the middle
  • 3 Recording the weather: filling in the middle
  • 3.1 Radiosondes
  • 3.2 Precipitation radar
  • 3.3 Aircraft
  • Conclusion
  • Take the next step
  • Acknowledgements

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Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews

4.5 rating at OpenLearn based on 12 ratings

Start your review of Watching the weather

  • Profile image for Pat Bowden
    Pat Bowden @pat
    258
    This interesting short course is more about how we make weather observations and what instruments and techniques we use. It isn't about how to forecast the weather or what different weather phenomena mean.
  • Carl Luksic
    good class needed a refresher much needed since its been a good bit last class i took. Learned a good bit i forgot
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