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1 - Basics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2014

Ian Strangeways
Affiliation:
TerraData
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Summary

The need for measurements

Whether it be for meteorological, hydrological, oceanographie or climatological studies or for any other activity relating to the natural environment, measurements are vital. Knowledge of what has happened in the past and of the present situation, and an understanding of the processes involved, can only be arrived at if measurements are made. Such knowledge is also a prerequisite of any attempt to predict what might happen in the future and subsequently to check whether the predictions are correct. Without data, none of these activities is possible. Measurements are the cornerstone of them all. This book is an investigation into how the natural world is measured.

The things that need to be measured are best described as variables. Sometimes the word parameter is used but variable describes them more succinctly. The most commonly measured variables of the natural environment include: solar and terrestrial radiation, air and ground temperatures, atmospheric humidity, evaporation and transpiration, wind speed and direction, rainfall and snowfall, barometric pressure, soil moisture and soil tension, groundwater, river level and flow, water quality, sea level, sea surface temperature, ocean currents and waves, properties of the upper atmosphere and the concentration of trace gases, clouds and lightning, visibility and the ice of polar regions.

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Chapter
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2003

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References

British Standards Institute (1969) The use of SI units. Report PD 5686. HMSO, London.
Meteorological Office (1982a) The handbook of meteorological instruments. HMSO, London.
Met. Office (1982b) The observer's handbook. HMSO, London.
Met. Office (1995) The marine observer's handbook. HMSO, London.
National Physical Laboratory (1963) The inclusion of metric values in scientific papers. HMSO, London.
World Meteorological Organisation (1996) Guide to meteorological instruments and methods of observation. WMO No. 8 (generally known as the CIMO Guide).

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  • Basics
  • Ian Strangeways, TerraData
  • Book: Measuring the Natural Environment
  • Online publication: 05 July 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139087254.001
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  • Basics
  • Ian Strangeways, TerraData
  • Book: Measuring the Natural Environment
  • Online publication: 05 July 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139087254.001
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Basics
  • Ian Strangeways, TerraData
  • Book: Measuring the Natural Environment
  • Online publication: 05 July 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139087254.001
Available formats
×