Meteorologists study the science of weather. Forensic meteorology is the applied science of weather, in particular it is the retrospective study of weather conditions at a specific point in the past. It is most frequently applied to figure out what the weather was doing at the time a crime was committed. Used in this way, it can sometimes help to catch a criminal. Forensic meteorologists examine atmospheric data, statements by eyewitnesses and historic data about the prevailing weather conditions at a specific time and place.
It may surprise fans of popular detective series' that their favorite television crime-stoppers are using the same methods that are employed in real life. It's not all glamorous murder cases. Sometimes these forensic weather professionals help insurance companies identify cases of fraud.
The forensic study of meteorology makes an attractive career prospect for people who have an aptitude for science, who are drawn to the study of weather, but who might not like the idea of getting up at stupid o'clock to present the weather on television just to tell people whether or not they need to water their lawns and vegetable gardens or if they need to carry an umbrella.
One of the earliest recorded forensic uses of meteorology took place when a farmer tried to sue a preacher for leading his congregation in prayer for rain over a drought-plagued community. No sooner had the prayer group disbanded then the skies opened and dropped five centimeters of rain, demolishing a bridge in the process. The farmer's case was thrown out because the attorney for the defense reminded the judge that the congregation had prayed only for rain, and not lightning.
Meteorologists provide reports summarizing Official Surface Weather Observations, usually recorded hourly at an airport. These reports may contain data about depths of ice and snow, precipitation, current weather conditions, temperature, the height and percentage of cloud cover, air pressure, visibility, wind direction and speed. Also collated for these reports are unofficial reports from private weather stations.
Weather experts in the courtroom may be called upon to answer questions about what the weather conditions were in a particular place before, during or after a crime was committed. They can be asked to provide obscure-seeming information about if the snow on the ground had melted and if it had frozen again. They can get weird questions about whether the man driving the snowplow was doing his job properly, or if a storm on a given day was what would normally be expected or if it was an especially fierce event.
Members of the public who are so inclined can make a substantive contribution to crime-solving by joining a network of volunteers and institutions that observe and document the weather 24 hours a day. This network is known as the Cooperative Observer Program. The data that these people gather is used to reinforce the official reports.
Meteorologists are not the only scientists who are qualified to achieve public notoriety. The fields of forensic engineering, astronomy, geology and other disciplines are all used in the quest for truth, justice and 15 minutes of fame.
It may surprise fans of popular detective series' that their favorite television crime-stoppers are using the same methods that are employed in real life. It's not all glamorous murder cases. Sometimes these forensic weather professionals help insurance companies identify cases of fraud.
The forensic study of meteorology makes an attractive career prospect for people who have an aptitude for science, who are drawn to the study of weather, but who might not like the idea of getting up at stupid o'clock to present the weather on television just to tell people whether or not they need to water their lawns and vegetable gardens or if they need to carry an umbrella.
One of the earliest recorded forensic uses of meteorology took place when a farmer tried to sue a preacher for leading his congregation in prayer for rain over a drought-plagued community. No sooner had the prayer group disbanded then the skies opened and dropped five centimeters of rain, demolishing a bridge in the process. The farmer's case was thrown out because the attorney for the defense reminded the judge that the congregation had prayed only for rain, and not lightning.
Meteorologists provide reports summarizing Official Surface Weather Observations, usually recorded hourly at an airport. These reports may contain data about depths of ice and snow, precipitation, current weather conditions, temperature, the height and percentage of cloud cover, air pressure, visibility, wind direction and speed. Also collated for these reports are unofficial reports from private weather stations.
Weather experts in the courtroom may be called upon to answer questions about what the weather conditions were in a particular place before, during or after a crime was committed. They can be asked to provide obscure-seeming information about if the snow on the ground had melted and if it had frozen again. They can get weird questions about whether the man driving the snowplow was doing his job properly, or if a storm on a given day was what would normally be expected or if it was an especially fierce event.
Members of the public who are so inclined can make a substantive contribution to crime-solving by joining a network of volunteers and institutions that observe and document the weather 24 hours a day. This network is known as the Cooperative Observer Program. The data that these people gather is used to reinforce the official reports.
Meteorologists are not the only scientists who are qualified to achieve public notoriety. The fields of forensic engineering, astronomy, geology and other disciplines are all used in the quest for truth, justice and 15 minutes of fame.
