Climate science has always been a tricky business. Though in the last half-century sophisticated computers, satellites and a world-wide-web of data collectors have made that job a bit easier. But
what if you wanted to look into the weather systems that ruled the globe a century ago? Would you be able to find an accurate and comprehensive record of global precipitation? Until recently the answer was "no".
Samuel Shen, a professor of mathematics at San Diego State University, recently unveiled an astonishing piece of software. Called the spectral optimal gridding of precipitation (SOGP), Shen's new tool is designed to help researchers accurately view weather patterns since 1900. With the ability to view weather anywhere between global and local-scale, SOGP can help researchers better understand weather patterns as they've developed over time.
“In the past, only a couple dozen scientists could do these reconstructions,” Shen said. “Now, anybody can play with this user-friendly software, use it to inform their research, and develop new models and hypotheses. This new tool brings historical precipitation reconstruction from a ‘rocket science’ to a ‘toy science.’”
Although Shen's new software is a revelation for those looking into the Earth's meteorological past, its powers aren't relegated to the rear-view. Scientists working at the forefront of meteorology can leverage data derived from SOGP to make more accurate inferences about their research and reveal more about the future of Earth's climate.
Samuel Shen, a professor of mathematics at San Diego State University, recently unveiled an astonishing piece of software. Called the spectral optimal gridding of precipitation (SOGP), Shen's new tool is designed to help researchers accurately view weather patterns since 1900. With the ability to view weather anywhere between global and local-scale, SOGP can help researchers better understand weather patterns as they've developed over time.
“In the past, only a couple dozen scientists could do these reconstructions,” Shen said. “Now, anybody can play with this user-friendly software, use it to inform their research, and develop new models and hypotheses. This new tool brings historical precipitation reconstruction from a ‘rocket science’ to a ‘toy science.’”
Although Shen's new software is a revelation for those looking into the Earth's meteorological past, its powers aren't relegated to the rear-view. Scientists working at the forefront of meteorology can leverage data derived from SOGP to make more accurate inferences about their research and reveal more about the future of Earth's climate.
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