A History of the Origin of Meteorology as the Science of Weather

The earliest information about Meteorology dates back to 340 BC when Aristotle, the famous Greek scientist, wrote Meteorologica, a book that gave a summary of meteorology. The scientists who followed didn’t do much on the study until about the 17th to 18th century when the thermometer and the barometer were invented. 

The knowledge took a fast pace and in the 19th century, scientists began to do routine meteorological observations and send them through the telegraph. The 20th and 21st centuries record complex modern weather observations and transmissions. 

     

What is meteorology in the science of weather?

Meteorology is the science of study or observation of the earth’s atmosphere for forecasting weather patterns. The earth’s atmosphere is made of five layers that all contribute to the movement of winds, clouds, and water vapor which is important in determining weather patterns. 

A student who wants to study meteorology must understand what does meteorology study involves to fully succeed in their course and get a good grade. The lowest layer is where most weather phenomena occur. The lowest earth atmospheric layer is about 10 kilometers high but almost the entire weather phenomenon occurs here. Unlike the other layers, the troposphere is crucial in the matter of the current climate change phenomenon globally. 

There are many topics you can think about when preparing to write a why is climate change important essay. Some of the good places to check for climate change topics for essay are the internet or essay books in the library. 

When did the history of meteorology start?

After explaining what meteorology is the study about, it’s time to look back into history. The current education system might only teach students about modern meteorology, but it’s also important to understand where it all began. 

For many millenniums, people have observed the skies to determine how the weather will be, but the first person to record the observations in a book was Aristotle in 450 BC. The observations were done manually until the 17th century, when a thermometer was invented, followed by the barometer. 

Why did meteorology become important?

Understanding what does meteorology means is a big step to understanding why people enroll to study meteorology in the university. Technology was developing fast, especially after the first world war. 

Airplanes began to fly and bigger ships began to cruise the oceans. Road transportation was thriving fast, as was agriculture and tourism. The thermometer and barometer were important instruments in various scientific studies involving weather. 

Airplanes were flying within the lowest atmospheric layer, and predicting the winds would help pilots know the routes to avoid. Military ships relied on accurate weather forecasting for safer navigation. People were traveling more to far distances and they needed to know what to expect in terms of weather. 

All these are needs that made the study of meteorology important. Eventually, it became a full course taught in college education. The earliest schools offered a diploma in meteorology, although, before graduation, students had to complete their coursework writing. The need for further research led to dissertation writing, term papers, and other assignments related to meteorology. Later, the course advanced and students began to enroll in degree classes. 

Relationship between meteorology and climate change

Scientific studies point to the current harsh weather conditions to climatic changes triggered by humans. A lot of academic literature, such as a dissertation, research paper, and term papers, has been written by the entire student universe to address this challenge. You might not lack a book in the library that addresses climate change.

Weather focuses on short-term forecasting but climate change focuses on the long term. The long-term effects of weather determine the consequent climate patterns. If the climate changes and becomes warmer by 1 degree, the weather patterns will get disrupted heavily. The two are interrelated and one directly affects the other. 

For example, cutting down trees first affects climate change and then people begin to experience harsh weather conditions. Because climate patterns have changed over the last 50 years, the current weather patterns record extreme colds, extreme heat, too much rain, snow, strong storms, cyclones, etc. 

Conclusion

According to history, the first teacher to teach a student about meteorology might have been Aristotle after he wrote his book on the subject in 450 BC. Many centuries later, the thermometer and the barometer were invented, which made it possible to observe the weather for routine reporting. After the second world war, meteorological satellites were launched and in the 1990s, weather services around the world were modernized. The computer era that began in the 1950s was important in the fast growth of meteorology. 

Published
Categorised as Blog