Outline of Meteorology - Instruments and Equipment of Meteorology

Instruments and Equipment of Meteorology

• Anemometer – a device for measuring wind speed; used in weather stations
• Barograph – an aneroid barometer that records the barometric pressure over time and produces a paper or foil chart called a barogram
• Barometer – an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure using either water, air, or mercury; useful for forecasting short term changes in the weather

• Ceiling balloon – a balloon, with a known ascent rate, used to measure the height of the base of clouds during daylight
• Ceiling projector – a device that is used, in conjunction with an alidade, to measure the height of the base of clouds
• Ceilometer – a device that uses a laser or other light source to measure the height of the base of clouds.
• Dark adaptor goggles – clear, red-tinted plastic goggles used either for adapting the eyes to dark prior to night observation or to help identify clouds during bright sunshine or glare from snow
• Disdrometer – an instrument used to measure the drop size, distribution, and velocity of falling hydrometeors
• Field mill – an instrument used to measure the strength of electric fields in the atmosphere near thunderstorm clouds
• Hygrometer – an instrument used to measure humidity
• Ice Accretion Indicator – an L-shaped piece of aluminum 15 inches (38 cm) long by 2 inches (5 cm) wide used to indicate the formation of ice, frost, or the presence of freezing rain or freezing drizzle
• LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) – an optical remote sensing technology used in atmospheric physics (among other fields) that measures the properties of scattered light to find information about a distant target
• Lightning detector – a device, either ground-based, mobile, or space-based, that detects lightning produced by thunderstorms
• Nephelometer – an instrument used to measure suspended particulates in a liquid or gas colloid. Gas-phase nephelometers are used to provide information on atmospheric visibility and albedo
• Nephoscope – an instrument for measuring the altitude, direction, and velocity of clouds
• Pyranometer – A type of actinometer found in many meteorological stations used to measure broadband solar irradiance
• Radar – see Weather radar
• Radiosonde – an instrument used in weather balloons that measures various atmospheric parameters and transmits them to a fixed receiver
• Rain gauge – an instrument that gathers and measures the amount of liquid precipitation over a set period of time
• Snow gauge – an instrument that gathers and measures the amount of solid precipitation over a set period of time
• SODAR (SOnic Detection And Ranging) – an instrument that measures the scattering of sound waves by atmospheric turbulence
• Solarimeter – a pyranometer, an instrument used to measure combined direct and diffuse solar radiation
• Sounding rocket – an instrument-carrying sub-orbital rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments
• Stevenson screen – part of a standard weather station, it shields instruments from precipitation and direct heat radiation while still allowing air to circulate freely
• Sunshine recorders – devices used to indicate the amount of sunshine at a given location
• Thermograph – a chart recorder that measures and records both temperature and humidity
• Thermometer – a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient
• Weather balloon – a high-altitude balloon that carries instruments aloft and uses a radiosonde to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity
• Weather radar – a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type (rain, snow, hail, etc.) and forecast its future position and intensity
• Weather vane – a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof that shows the direction of the wind
• Windsock – a conical textile tube designed to indicate wind direction and relative wind speed
• Wind profiler – equipment that uses radar or SODAR to detect wind speed and direction at various elevations