Meteorology is the scientific study of weather. Forensic meteorology is the application of that study to the reconstruct weather events that occurred at a specific time and place. Forensic meteorologists pull together historic weather data, eyewitness accounts, atmospheric data and sometimes even reenactment simulations to take a meteorological snapshot of the weather conditions on a given occasion.
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 court cases in which weather was a critical factor concerned a farmer who was suing a Presbyterian minister for organizing a community prayer for rain. Within hours of the prayer session, a thunderstorm burst onto the scene, dropping two inches of water and taking out a bridge. The plaintiff's barn had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The farmer was seeking $50,000 damages but his case was unsuccessful. The defense council pointed out that the defendants had only prayed for rain; the lightning was an extra flourish provided by the Almighty.
The data that meteorologists gather is gathered hourly at local airports and summarized in reports called, "Official Surface Weather Observations." These measurements include how deep were the snow and ice, what was the temperature, how high was the cloud cover and what percentage of the sky did it cover, how fast the wind was blowing and from what direction, and so on. Experts also gather information 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.
Interested members of the public can make a meaningful contribution to real-life meteorological data by joining and participating in the Cooperative Observer program, a nationwide network of volunteer citizens and institutions that observe and report climate and weather conditions on a 24-hour basis. The measurements that these groups contribute add depth and character to 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 court cases in which weather was a critical factor concerned a farmer who was suing a Presbyterian minister for organizing a community prayer for rain. Within hours of the prayer session, a thunderstorm burst onto the scene, dropping two inches of water and taking out a bridge. The plaintiff's barn had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The farmer was seeking $50,000 damages but his case was unsuccessful. The defense council pointed out that the defendants had only prayed for rain; the lightning was an extra flourish provided by the Almighty.
The data that meteorologists gather is gathered hourly at local airports and summarized in reports called, "Official Surface Weather Observations." These measurements include how deep were the snow and ice, what was the temperature, how high was the cloud cover and what percentage of the sky did it cover, how fast the wind was blowing and from what direction, and so on. Experts also gather information 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.
Interested members of the public can make a meaningful contribution to real-life meteorological data by joining and participating in the Cooperative Observer program, a nationwide network of volunteer citizens and institutions that observe and report climate and weather conditions on a 24-hour basis. The measurements that these groups contribute add depth and character to 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.
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