Connecting the Dots…Finding the Patterns…Revealing the Science

Atmospheric science, as for many sciences, often relies on patterns for many kinds of data analysis especially when using weather maps for forecasting and research.  Historically, maps are filled with as much information as possible for each location over a broad area, i.e., temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, current weather, cloud cover, and more for each reporting station.  The data are coded and the result can seem truly chaotic for an inexperienced scientist while the patterns jumps out to others.  Engineering, geology, chemistry and biology are some of the fields that have tackled teaching pattern recognition.   Atmospheric science, being a slightly younger and smaller field, is relatively new to this pedagogical research.  My newest research interest is in working to help students develop the skills to see meteorological patterns in maps and equations and to discover the underlying science they reveal.