What are the meteorological elements?
Meteorological elements refer to physical quantities that describe atmospheric states and processes and are used to observe, analyze and predict weather and climate changes. Here are some common meteorological elements:
Temperature: A measure of how hot the air is. Temperature is usually expressed in degrees Celsius (℃) or Fahrenheit (℉).
Humidity: refers to the content of water vapor in the air. Humidity is usually expressed in relative humidity (%RH).
Atmospheric pressure: refers to the pressure of the atmosphere on unit area. Air pressure is usually expressed in millibars (hPa) or kilopascals (kPa).
Wind speed and direction: Wind speed refers to the speed of air flow, usually expressed in meters per second (m/s) or kilometers per hour (km/h); wind direction refers to the direction in which the wind blows. Usually expressed in degrees or wind direction codes (such as N, S, E, W).
Precipitation: refers to the amount of precipitation per unit area within a certain period of time. Precipitation is usually expressed in millimeters (mm).
Visibility: refers to the distance of visible objects in the atmosphere. Visibility is usually expressed in meters (m).
Cloud amount and cloud type: Cloud amount refers to the degree of cloud coverage in the sky, usually expressed as one-eighth or one-tenth; cloud type is classified according to the shape and structure of clouds, such as Stratiform clouds, cumulus clouds, cirrus clouds, etc.
Radiation: including solar radiation and ground radiation. Solar radiation includes visible light, ultraviolet and infrared rays; ground radiation includes long-wave radiation and short-wave radiation.
In addition, there are other meteorological factors, such as dew point temperature, frost point temperature, atmospheric static stability, aerosol concentration, etc. These factors play an important role in specific meteorological observations and research.
There are different observation methods and instruments for different meteorological elements. Meteorological departments and meteorological stations use various instruments and sensors to measure and record these elements to obtain accurate meteorological data for weather forecasting and climate change. Research and various areas of meteorological science.