Climate Measuring Tools

Sea Level Measurements

• Sea levels are in a constant state of flux. Monitoring ice levels and changes in the shoreline can give us a good insight into what is happening with the climate. There are several tools that monitor the sea levels. Some of those include drifting buoys, GPS monitoring stations and satellite images.

Precipitation Measurements

• Rain, snow, hail, and humidity can display changes in the climate. Some of the more advanced tools used to measure precipitation are weather satellites, doppler radars and disdrometers. Each of these measurement tools can be a good indicator of climate variations.

Temperature Measurements

• How hot or cold the atmosphere is at any given time is important to measuring climate accurately. Aircraft equipped with satellites can monitor upper air climate change with a Radiosonde, a balloon battery-powered tool. Observers most often employ this type of measuring tool as an aircraft goes in to monitor and collect information about developing tropical storms and hurricanes.

Solar Activity Measurements

• The sun is the main influencer of all of our weather. Uneven heating of the earth stimulates ocean currents and causes different air masses. A satellite in space can measure solar activity, but some land-based tools also can provide accurate information. A pyrheliometer can measure the rate of solar energy arriving to the surface of the earth. Solar radiation is what maintains the earth's climate. Observers can observe solar radiation by using a tool known as sunphotometer.

Volcanic Activity Measurements

• Volcanic activity affects the atmosphere and climate in a big way. Aerosols emitted from volcanic activity can change the climate quickly. The best measurement is to monitor the emissions of volcanic gases. The Correlation Spectrometer (COSPEC) tool measures the emission rates of valcanoes.

Chemical Climate Measurements

• Carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere have been steadily on the rise since the Industrial Age. This can affect the climate on both land and sea. Scientists monitor climate changes in the ocean by the Aquarius satellite. The Aura satellite, launched back in 2004, gives scientists the data they need to accurately measure the atmospheric composition. This satellite also measures the thickness of the ozone layer.