Hydrometeorology combines meteorology and hydrology to study water in the earth’s lower atmosphere and its interaction with the surface. It focuses on energy transfer between atmospheric water and the earth’s surface, precipitation cycles, and water-based weather patterns. Hydrometeorologists use Doppler radar and other devices to predict weather patterns and study rainfall to better predict the effect on nearby populations. They also seek proactive solutions to climate problems, such as cloud seeding during droughts.
Hydrometeorology is a scientific field of study that incorporates aspects of both meteorology and hydrology. Meteorology is an interdisciplinary field of study specializing in atmospheric science, particularly with regards to weather patterns. Hydrology, in its simplest terms, is the study of water on earth. Hydrometeorology, on the other hand, studies water as it relates to the earth’s lower atmosphere and interacts with the earth’s surface.
Hydrometeorology is primarily concerned with the transfer of energy between atmospheric water and the earth’s surface. In other words, when atmospheric water hits landmasses, hydrometeorologists are very concerned. Whenever atmospheric water changes from gaseous to liquid or solid form, a hydrometeorological process has occurred.
At any given time, most of Earth’s water is found in oceans, lakes, and rivers. It’s important to remember, however, that atmospheric water vapor goes through a continuous cycle. Even though atmospheric water is a small percentage of Earth’s water, a large amount of water moves through the process of water vaporization every day. Water vaporizes and falls to earth at astounding speeds, causing intense movement of the atmosphere. Every day, water moves from the oceans to the atmosphere and back again.
Floods, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and other water-rich weather conditions all represent intense energy transfer. Such water-based weather patterns are predicted and studied using the latest hydrometeorological methods. Using Doppler radar and other devices, hydrometeorologists study the atmosphere, looking for weather patterns indicative of known water disturbances. Emphasis is also placed on a careful study of rainfall. By studying a region’s precipitation levels, hydrometeorologists are better able to predict the effect atmospheric water will have on nearby populations.
In addition to studying the cycles of precipitation and the movement of water, hydrometeorology also studies the static bodies of atmospheric water. Atmospheric water vapor that has not fallen to earth poses a specific curiosity for hydrometeorologists. Scientists expect a regular water vapor cycle, and disruptions in this cycle are a phenomenon that can lead to droughts.
Hydrometeorology is not limited to studying phenomena, but seeks proactive solutions to climate problems. During a drought, atmospheric water content is locked up in clouds, leading to a decrease in rain, sleet and snow. Hydrometeorology studies those clouds and also looks for solutions for unexpected dips in the atmospheric water cycle. In some cases, hydrological engineers can use hydrometeorological data to determine when and if it is appropriate to seed stubborn clouds. Cloud seeding is a process in which an airplane releases silver iodide and carbon dioxide frozen in a cloud, thereby forcing the gaseous cloud to liquefy and fall to the ground as rain.
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