Meteorology comes from the word “meteor” meaning of the air. It is the study of the phenomena of the atmosphere. This includes not only the physics, chemistry and dynamics of the atmosphere, but also the direct effects of the atmosphere on the earth’s surface, oceans, and life in general. This is why you’ll often see atmospheric phenomena such as the Aurora Borealis, lunar eclipse or sunrise/sunset mentioned as part of the weather on a local newscast. Although they don’t directly affect the weather, they are “of the air” and of interest to meteorologists and climatologists, alike.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu