Læringsmål 

– WMO Integrated Global Observing System: Describe the main components of the WMO Global Observing System and WMO Information System (including the Global Telecommunication System) that are used for making and transmitting meteorological and other environmental observations on a global scale using surface‑based and space‑based systems;

 

– Siting of instruments: Describe the factors that need to be taken into account when siting surface instrumentation; 

 

– Surface instrumentation: Explain the physical principles used in instruments to make surface measurements of temperature, moisture, pressure, precipitation, wind, cloud height, visibility, sunshine and radiation (including instruments used in automatic weather stations); describe how these instruments operate and outline the kinds of error that might occur;

 

– Hydrometeors: Describe the various hydrometeors and how they are observed; 

 

– Clouds: Describe the main cloud types, their characteristics, usual height range and associated weather phenomena; 

 

– Weather phenomena: Describe the various weather phenomena considered when taking a visual surface observation; specify their characteristics and explain their formation; 

 

– Weather monitoring and observation: Monitor the weather; make surface observations using remote and directly-read instruments and visual assessments (including identification of cloud types, cloud amount and weather type) and explain the reasons for such assessments; 

 

– Standards, quality control, calibration and intercomparison: Describe national and international measurement standards and best practice for the quality control of observations, calibration and intercomparison of instruments; 

 

– Upper‑air observations: Explain the physical principles and the limitations of instruments used to make upper‑air measurements; 

 

– Remote‑sensing systems: Describe the means by which remote sensing from ground and space (including use of satellites, radars, wind profilers, aircraft, marine and lightning‑detection systems) provides information about the atmosphere; 

 

– Coding: Outline how observations are coded and transmitted, and describe the differences between different types of message (SYNOP, SHIP, CLIMAT, METAR, etc.); 

 

– Use of observations: Describe the main uses of observations from the WMO Integrated Global Observing System and other sources of information.