Atmospheric and Space Scientist Investigate atmospheric phenomena and interpret meteorological data, gathered by surface and air stations, satellites, and radar to prepare reports and forecasts for public and other uses. Includes weather analysts and forecasters whose functions require the detailed knowledge of meteorology.
Atmospheric and Space Scientist is Also Know as
In different settings, Atmospheric and Space Scientist is titled as
- Broadcast Meteorologist
- Forecaster
- Forensic Meteorologist
- General Forecaster
- Hydrometeorological Technician
- Meteorologist
- Research Meteorologist
- Space Weather Forecaster
- Warning Coordination Meteorologist
- Weather Forecaster
Education and Training of Atmospheric and Space Scientist
Atmospheric and Space Scientist is categorized in Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience Required for Atmospheric and Space Scientist
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education Required for Atmospheric and Space Scientist
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees Related to Atmospheric and Space Scientist
- Bachelor in Climate Science
- Associate Degree Courses in Climate Science
- Masters Degree Courses in Climate Science
- Bachelor in Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
- Associate Degree Courses in Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
- Masters Degree Courses in Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
- Bachelor in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
- Associate Degree Courses in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
- Masters Degree Courses in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
- Bachelor in Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology
- Associate Degree Courses in Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology
- Masters Degree Courses in Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology
- Bachelor in Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
- Associate Degree Courses in Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
- Masters Degree Courses in Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
- Bachelor in Meteorology
- Associate Degree Courses in Meteorology
- Masters Degree Courses in Meteorology
Training Required for Atmospheric and Space Scientist
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related Ocuupations
Some Ocuupations related to Atmospheric and Space Scientist in different industries are
- Hydrologists
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
- Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists
- Data Scientists
- Climate Change Policy Analysts
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
- Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
- Geodetic Surveyors
- Astronomers
- Hydrologic Technicians
- Industrial Ecologists
- Remote Sensing Technicians
- Physicists
- Geographers
- Statisticians
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians
- Precision Agriculture Technicians
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Soil and Plant Scientists
What Do Atmospheric and Space Scientist do?
- Broadcast weather conditions, forecasts, or severe weather warnings to the public via television, radio, or the Internet or provide this information to the news media.
- Gather data from sources such as surface or upper air stations, satellites, weather bureaus, or radar for use in meteorological reports or forecasts.
- Prepare forecasts or briefings to meet the needs of industry, business, government, or other groups.
- Measure wind, temperature, and humidity in the upper atmosphere, using weather balloons.
- Direct forecasting services at weather stations or at radio or television broadcasting facilities.
- Collect air samples from planes or ships over land or sea to study atmospheric composition.
- Conduct numerical simulations of climate conditions to understand and predict global or regional weather patterns.
- Design or develop new equipment or methods for meteorological data collection, remote sensing, or related applications.
- Analyze climate data sets, using techniques such as geophysical fluid dynamics, data assimilation, or numerical modeling.
- Conduct wind assessment, integration, or validation studies.
- Create visualizations to illustrate historical or future changes in the Earth's climate, using paleoclimate or climate geographic information systems (GIS) databases.
- Estimate or predict the effects of global warming over time for specific geographic regions.
- Formulate predictions by interpreting environmental data, such as meteorological, atmospheric, oceanic, paleoclimate, climate, or related information.
- Perform managerial duties, such as creating work schedules, creating or implementing staff training, matching staff expertise to situations, or analyzing performance of offices.
- Consult with other offices, agencies, professionals, or researchers regarding the use and interpretation of climatological information for weather predictions and warnings.
- Teach college-level courses on topics such as atmospheric and space science, meteorology, or global climate change.
- Analyze historical climate information, such as precipitation or temperature records, to help predict future weather or climate trends.
- Prepare weather reports or maps for analysis, distribution, or use in weather broadcasts, using computer graphics.
- Apply meteorological knowledge to issues such as global warming, pollution control, or ozone depletion.
- Develop or use mathematical or computer models for weather forecasting.
- Interpret data, reports, maps, photographs, or charts to predict long- or short-range weather conditions, using computer models and knowledge of climate theory, physics, and mathematics.
- Conduct meteorological research into the processes or determinants of atmospheric phenomena, weather, or climate.
- Prepare scientific atmospheric or climate reports, articles, or texts.
- Research the impact of industrial projects or pollution on climate, air quality, or weather phenomena.
- Speak to the public to discuss weather topics or answer questions.
- Develop computer programs to collect meteorological data or to present meteorological information.
- Develop and deliver training on weather topics.
Qualities of Good Atmospheric and Space Scientist
- Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
- Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
- Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
- Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
- Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
- Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
- Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
- Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
- Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
- Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
- Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
- Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
- Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Tools Used by Atmospheric and Space Scientist
- Air quality samplers
- Air temperature thermometers
- Analog anemometers
- Desktop computers
- Digital anemometers
- Doppler radar equipment
- Graphic tablets
- Hygrometers
- Laptop computers
- Light meters
- Mercury barometers
- Next Generation Weather Radar NEXRAD
- Personal computers
- Psychrometers
- Radiosonde launchers
- Rain gauges
- Relative humidity gauges
- Soil temperature probes
- Solarimeters
- Storm chase vehicles
- Surface temperature probes
- Temperature and humidity data loggers
- Tipping bucket rain gauges
- Two way radios
- Weather balloons
- Weather observation stations
- Whirling hygrometers
Technology Skills required for Atmospheric and Space Scientist
- AccuWeather Galileo
- Adobe Photoshop
- Advanced Visual Systems AVS/Express
- Air quality modeling software
- Aninoquisi MesoTRAC
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Baron Services FasTrac
- Baron Volumetric Imaging and Processing of Integrated Radar VIPIR
- C++
- Cave5D
- Cisco IOS
- Environmental Research Services RAOB
- ESRI ArcInfo
- ESRI ArcView
- Ferret
- Flow Analysis Software Toolkit FAST
- Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
- Grid analysis and display system GrADS
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Image editing software
- Interactive radar analysis software IRAS
- ITT Visual Information Solutions ENVI
- Lakes Environmental Software WRPLOT View
- Linux
- Maplesoft Maple
- Mesoscale modeling software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Paint
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- PC Weather Products HURRTRAK
- Perl
- Python
- QuarkXPress
- R
- SAS
- SatView
- Social media sites
- Software development tools
- STATISTICA
- Structured query language SQL
- SVRPLOT
- Systat Software SigmaPlot
- Systat Software SigmaStat
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Unidata GEMPAK
- Unidata Gempak Analysis and Rendering Program GARP
- Unidata Integrated Data Viewer IDV
- Unidata McIDAS-X
- UNIX
- Vis5d+
- VorTek Site Assessment of Tornado Threat SATT
- Wind flow modeling software
- WINGRIDDS
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
- Word processing software
- WSI Titan
- WSI TrueView Professional