Meteorological Observations (Met OBs)
Meteorological Observations (Met Obs) are used by meteorologists to evaluate local weather conditions, and to locate and determine the strength of weather systems such as fronts, air masses, high and low pressure systems, tropical storms, and hurricanes. Met Obs are especially important in the preparation of the surface weather charts. Isobars (lines of equal barometric pressure), which are crucial for defining and delineating all weather systems, could not be drawn over marine areas without ship reports. Met Obs are made at least four times per day at 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and 18Z. Ships are encouraged to also submit reports at 03Z, 09Z, 15Z and 21Z. SEAS in a program developed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide accurate meteorological and oceanographic data in real time from ships at sea through the use of satellite data transmission techniques.
Ship Observations are not only important for forecasts at sea, but also for forecasts over land area, because marine weather systems often move inland.
Accurate marine data is also used to prepare long range forecasts of climate, temperature, and precipitation, in the monitoring of climatic change, ocean currents, and eddies, and to study the interaction of air and sea.
Elements to be Observed:
Cloud height, amount, and type;
Visibility Wind speed and direction;
Air and wet-bulb temperature, and dew point;
Atmospehric pressure, tendency and its characteristic;
Weather present and past;
Course and speed of ship;
Sea surface temperature;
Sea waves and swell - period, direction and height;
Ice conditions;
How to Access Program: From the AMVER SEAS main menu select SEAS|Metoerological Observation with the mouse. With in the Met Obs program dialog boxes are use to input the weather data. The help for each dialog box can be accessed from the Amver SEAS Table of Contents
NOAA SEAS Home Page - http://seas.amverseas.noaa.gov/seas/